Judith A. Gootkind

VP Finance and Administration
Creative Services, Inc. (CSI)

Provide a short summary of your background, affiliations and experience as they pertain to the work of PBSA.

Many years ago, I attended the Pre-Employment Screening Conferences in Florida (FL) where I learned about a steering committee’s work on forming an association for our industry. The owner of CSI agreed to become a founding member of PBSA (formerly NAPBS) and I hit the ground running.

At the onset, we joined the Best Practices Committee and together with other CRA’s on a monthly call, crafted a white paper on background screeners and resellers. From there I gravitated to a state government relations sub-committee as I had begun to reach out to state officials on issues of concern to our industry: Rhode Island (RI) redaction of DOB information on the Judicial Website, Massachusetts (MA) ICori for access, and the Connecticut (CT) Department of Public Safety against a move by the CT Private Investigators to mandate that CRAs and others needed a PI license to practice in CT. It was at that hearing that I sat next to and met Montserrat Miller.

I became Co-Chair of the Government Relations committee and was then chosen to join the Board of Directors. It was during those years that I worked under the tutelage of Montserrat to engage with Chair of the Financial Services Committee, Representative Barney Frank, and his staff to obtain a carve out from the Dodd Frank Act for the background screening industry. I learned first-hand the power of constituents. I also testified on behalf of NAPBS (now PBSA) at a US Congressional Hearing for a sub-committee of the U.S. House Financial Services Committee on the Use of Credit in Background Screening. That bill did not move forward. I did move forward onto the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors and became Chair of the Board when NAPBS celebrated its’ 10th Anniversary. There was plenty to celebrate in the first decade!

As Immediate Past Chair, I was liaison to the BSCC and GAC. I went on to Chair the BSCC and sit on the Council to this day. Over the years, I participated in the review of the Accreditation Standard and what became Version 2.0. Pushed to expand accreditation by the international community, Michelle LeBlond, Mary Poquette and I formed a taskforce and quickly identified regional and discipline (i.e. drug testing, provider, tenant) opportunities for accreditation. We reviewed and modified the US Pre-Employment Screening Accreditation Standard to create a Global Accreditation Standard which is moving toward launch. And I have reviewed and amended the BSCC Policies and Procedures more times than I can count.

In more recent years, I Co-Chaired the newly created Advocacy Committee. I am proud of the initiatives that have come out of this committee with regards to coalition building and an adjunct Commission to engage with PBSA on strategic planning regarding relevant issues. I am an accountant by trade. The 1st committee I wanted to join as a new member was Finance. Today, I am happy to serve as Chair of the Finance Committee.

These are some of the paths I have walked down and initiatives I have worked on that provide me with the experience I could put to good use if selected to participate in the U.S. Council.

From your perspective, what are the three most important priorities that PBSA should pursue during the next two years?

First and foremost is the continued global expansion of PBSA. With 4 new Councils and a new modus operandi there is much work to be done sorting, crafting and operating under new parameters. The By-Laws have been reviewed and re-branding has occurred. There is much more with regards to structure and operations that needs to be addressed. As a former member of the Global Alliance Council, I am well versed in steps taken that have brought us to this important juncture. I look forward to moving our abilities into more regions of the world.

We started an association so that we would not be legislated out by regulatory and legislative initiatives. This remains a critical focus for all disciplines and regions of the world. In the U.S., we still grapple with access to public records. And worldwide we see the push for Privacy regulation and legislation. In fact, I just testified at a Massachusetts hearing on a newly introduced privacy bill. We need to continue to build our grassroots efforts to be the first line of defense against regulatory and legislative initiatives that do not align with our ability to conduct screening to support safe places to work and live.

Coalition building among members as well as the broader community is a valuable tool in the toolbox. I was fortunate to have been passed the baton to join a DC Ad Hoc group whose members were masterful at coalition building. In March 2012, when the EEOC released their Guidance on Use of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment, the Ad Hoc group had 115 individuals to turn to for assistance. Letters and op-eds were written, meetings were quickly coordinated, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce held a one-day seminar dedicated to the issue twice. This may not be the best example by way of outcomes however it is a great example of like-minded entities who stand ready to act on short notice. The EEOC was rebuked for not adhering to a legislative mandate for a 6-month comment period. The State of TX sued the Commission. And today the Commission understands and supports the underlying premise of the “Rock and a Hard Place” legislation that PBSA has supported for many years. These efforts are now underway by the coalition building taking place with the Advocacy Committee as well as the Grassroots efforts of the Government Relations Committee. I support this activity.

How do you see your contribution on the Council Leadership for realizing these priorities?

As a member of the Finance Committee, I assist in ensuring there are funds available to fight against the access issues (i.e. Arkansas lawsuit). I am the State Captain for MA and will lead a delegation to the Statehouse next fall to advocate for PBSA. I participate on a Monday call dedicated to state and federal issues of the day. I am a member of the Executive Committee of CSI and as such, well versed in matters of organization growth and successful relationships. My activity over the years with PBSA provides me with well rounded experience in the many channels that need direction and support.

What is your long-term vision for PBSA’s impact on the background screening industry?