Certification Program - THE CMEC

Membership – A candidate must be employed full-time as a general or facility manager at an equine center that is an active member in good standing with the League. Full-time status is defined as one who is employed in a compensated, non-volunteer capacity for more than 1,000 hours per year by an equine center.

Other Staff Personnel – A candidate may be employed full-time in another capacity and deemed eligible for certification by the general manager or center manager at the equine facility.

Education – A candidates should possess a record of formal education including high school, college, post-graduate courses, or equivalent educational work from an accredited business or vocational school.

References – Each candidate must provide at least three (3) letters of recommendation addressed to the Education Committee relative to association with and management of the candidates’s agricultural or equine center. At least one (1) letter must be from a person involved in equine center management but not with the candidate’s center.

Certification Process - Evidence of Continued Industry Education

All CMEC candidates are required to have:

• Attended at least one (1) League Footing Academy 
• Completed a total of (45) continued education hours in three (3) core subject areas

• Business management – (15) hours on topics such as marketing, public financing, insurance, etc.
• Center operations – (15) hours on topics such as daily operations, maintenance, emergency management, etc,
• Event management – (15) hours on topics such as show promotions, alternative events, contracts, etc.

Certification Application - Applying for Consideration & Completion

All CMEC candidates having satisfied all other requirements of the CMEC program may proceed to apply for League certification. Please contact the Education Committee directly to obtain necessary forms and instructions at LeagueAEC@gmail.com.

The CMEC application process includes

• Submitting a formal application to the League's Education Committee along with appropriate fees
• Completing an essay on an assigned topic provided by the Education Committee
• Appearing before the Education Committee for an oral interview

All applications and associated fees for the CMEC must be received by the Education Committee no later than September 1 of each year. Once the application is forwarded to the League, it shall become the property thereof and will not be returned to the applicant.

Consideration will not be given to applicants who have material misrepresentations in their application. The application fee shall be returned, less a processing fee, should certification be denied for any reason.

Administration of Certification

Certification shall be administered by the League through its Board of Directors. The League's Chairman shall appoint an Education Committee consisting of no fewer than two (2) members. The Committee may develop its own internal operating procedures, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors. The Committee shall report, at least annually, any recommendations for changes to the program. Such suggested changes shall be presented to the Board of Directors for review.

Conditions Governing Certification Designation and Use

The designation 'CMEC' may be used following the manager’s name on correspondence, letterheads, business cards, and other printed matter where it may appear.

Once an applicant has been certified, said designation shall remain with him/her permanently, providing any re-certification requirements which may be prescribed by the League's Board of Directors are met or unless decertified by the League Board of Directors.

The CMEC designation should be used only so long as the person is active within the agricultural or equine facility sector and any re-certification requirements which may be prescribed by the League Board of Directors have been satisfied.

Admission into the Certification Program may be granted by the Education Committee not withstanding the above.

Recertification Requirements

• Recertification is required every three (3) years
• A minimum of fifteen (15) Symposium credits must be earned over the three year period
• Submission of an article for publication will be required every three (3) years. Topic will be mutually agreed upon by the League Education Committee and the candidate
• Participation at a Symposium as a speaker/presenter a minimum of one time every three (3) years will be mandatory

Certification Fees

• Initial Application for Certification - $200.00 with CMEC application due September 1. Fee is non-refundable unless certification is denied; if denied, the application fee less a processing fee of $75.00 shall be refunded to the applicant 
• Application for Recertification - $75.00 every three (3) years