I am a charter member of PACC /ASDP, attending every national Educational Conference since PACC was founded in 1990. I have held every chapter office in two different chapters, the Phoenix Chapter (now known as the Arizona Chapter) and the New Jersey Chapter. I also have participated on several committees on the National level and currently am on the National Board of Directors as VP of Certification Programs. Because of these experiences, I know a lot about the history of our organization and how things came to be the way they are.

The MSDP Certification Program was born out of the request from very experienced sewing professionals who wanted the opportunity to have their skills recognized, especially if their skills developed without the benefit of a college degree. This program took over ten years to create and involved multiple professionals in our industry who volunteered their time and expertise throughout the entire process. The first few years were spent developing our “Standards of Quality” which define how the various sewing techniques were done and what one should expect in a quality garment. This had never been done before in our industry and was a necessary first step before creating a certification program. This 48-page document can be found on the ASDP website. It lists over 35 professionals who participated in creating and reviewing the document throughout its creation including Claire Shaeffer, Roberta Carr, Kathleen Spike, Catherine Stephenson, Clara Dittli, Marcy Tilton and Sally Silvers, to name a few.

Linda Stewart was tapped to get the Certification Program off the ground and running. She made sure that the same care and attention to detail that went into the Standards of Quality were maintained for the actual Certification Program, utilizing many of these same professionals in the process. MSDP enlists the help of some of the best professionals, whose specialties are in each of the seven modules, to be the evaluators and holds its evaluators to its highest standards.

The MSDP Certification Program was created under the vision of ASDP, but has since been spun off as a separate entity. MSDP is a non-profit organization incorporated under its own name and is managed separately from ASDP. It has its own board of directors, half of whom are not ASDP members and they all participate in a volunteer capacity. Susan Khalje and Kenneth King were on the MSDP Board for a number of years and Catherine Stephenson is the current Chairperson for the board. The program does not require anyone to be an ASDP member, but believes that it is valuable to be one to have access to all the resources that ASDP offers.

The MSDP program is designed for the sewing professional who has achieved a high level of skill and would like to be recognized for the hours and dedication they have put forth in learning their craft. I am proud to manage such a well-designed program, created by so many talented individuals in the sewing industry and from our organization.

Written by Linda Macke