Dr. Carol Williams-Nickelson was named executive director in February 2013, overseeing all aspects of the organization and working closely with the Board of Directors to develop and execute successful strategies to achieve its goals. She serves as an ambassador and spokesperson for CIDQ, with an emphasis on promoting a holistic approach to health, wellness and public safety through evidence-based design.

Over her career, Carol has 20 years of nonprofit, for-profit, healthcare and social service leadership experience. Her most recent roles have included serving as the executive director for the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) and Foundation, the associate executive director of the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS).

In addition to her work experience, Carol has received numerous awards and honors for her leadership and service. The Carol Williams-Nickelson Award for Women’s Leadership and Scholarship in Women’s Issues, created in honor of the work she has done in the field of pyschology, is a competitive award bestowed to a deserving student each year by the American Psychological Association and APAGS. In 2012, Carol was a proud and humbled recipient of AMSA's Women Leaders in Medicine Award for demonstrating and executing the values of AMSA, influencing, inspiring and mentoring physicians-in-training to be leaders in medicine and strategically rebuilding the 62-year-old organization to embrace innovation while guiding the next generation of physician leaders.

Carol holds bachelor’s degrees from Brigham Young University in psychology, dance and sociology. She then earned her master’s degree in counseling psychology and a Psy.D. in psychology from Our Lady of the Lake University. She completed her doctoral internship at Notre Dame University.

Carol is an avid weekend gardener. She enjoys party-planning for any and every occasion and she loves exploring wineries. Spending time with her two school-aged daughters and husband is her favorite pastime.

Sharon joins CIDQ as the Director of Business Development, Planning and Events. Her focus will be on special projects such as events and fundraising for the organization as well as cultivation programs that will help ensure CIDQ has a strong future. Sharon will play an important role in employee attraction, retention and support. These responsibilities are influential to assist in CIDQ’s growth and impact.

With a long history of executive leadership in the field of education, Sharon brings solid program development and effectiveness experience, training and facilitation skills to her new role. She has expertise in sales and marketing, client satisfaction, business process improvement, team building and operational standards. Sharon began her career as a trainer at Walt Disney World Company and she has successfully led several large private schools as her career evolved. Sharon has strategically focused her continuing education in the areas of effective communication, talent management and methods for motivating and engaging leaders.

Ken Baker rejoined NCIDQ in 2006, assuming a new position responsible for facilitating and staffing all nonexam committees and task forces. In addition, he assists senior staff with special projects and communications outreach. Ken is the guiding force behind NCIDQ’s successful webinar series, and he is often the voice of the moderator for the online presentations.

Ken was NCIDQ’s first deputy director from March 2000 until October 2003. In 2003, he relocated to Madison, Wisconsin, where he worked at the University of Wisconsin – Madison’s Center on Wisconsin Strategy as an outreach specialist in policy research for economic and workforce development programs.

As NCIDQ’s first telecommuting employee, Ken now lives in Jersey City, NJ.

Lola Liao joined NCIDQ in May 2007, managing NCIDQ's bookkeeping, financial reporting and all expense reimbursement.

Prior to joining the NCIDQ staff, Lola spent 10 years with a computer systems manufacturing company in Virginia, first as an accounting manager and then as a corporate treasurer and corporate purchaser.

In her spare time, Lola loves spending time with her daughter, Esme, her young son, Estor, and her husband, Jen. She enjoys travel and wants to one day visit many different places in the world. Lola also loves finding new recipes and preparing new dishes for her family and seeing big smiles on their faces when trying new cooking.

A CPA, Lola received a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Maryland.

Andrew Stafford joined NCIDQ in early 2009 and manages the Council's two largest programs: the NCIDQ Examination and the Interior Design Experience Program. He works closely with NCIDQ's examination committees and consultants and is responsible for all examination development and administration issues, including practice analyses, pre-tests, special accommodations, registration and more. Andrew promotes IDEP to students and other professionals while managing the program to ensure the best possible experience for participants.

Andrew brings more than 24 years of interior design experience to NCIDQ and is an active NCIDQ Certificate holder. He has vivid memories of studying and taking the NCIDQ Examination and feels honored to be able to help others gain the important credential.

Prior to joining NCIDQ, Andrew was a senior project manager in a retail studio at Gensler in New York City. He has practiced interior design in both Florida and New York and currently resides in Washington, D.C. He enjoys reading, movies, the theater, yoga, hiking and traveling.

Andrew has a master's degree in interior design, a master's degree in religion and a bachelor's degree in English and religion, all from Florida State University.

Leslie Ford is "the voice of NCIDQ"—the initial point of contact for most people who call the Council's offices.  She joined the staff in 2004, responding to or routing incoming telephone calls, processing publication orders and providing data entry support for examination applications. She was promoted to Customer Service Manager in March 2012 and In addition to her customer service responsibilities, Leslie now also manages the day-to-day office functions.

Leslie previously was a staff coordinator at a staffing agency in Washington, D.C. Originally from Charlottesville, Virginia, she lives in Alexandria.

Megan Bailey is the NCIDQ Communications Associate, who is responsible for managing all communications with potential and current NCIDQ Certificate holders. Megan spent her time at StephensCollege earning her BFA in Theatre Management, so she’s used to juggling projects and dealing with deadlines.

Megan joined NCIDQ as Evaluator in 2012 and was promoted to Communications Associate in 2013. This gives Megan a good understanding of NCIDQ and how to best communicate with NCIDQ’s many applicants and certificate holders about any news they may be interested in.

A Kansas City native, Megan recently relocated to the DC area and has been spending her time exploring everything there is to offer in her new city.

Ray Resendez has been busy ever since joining NCIDQ in November 2000, maintaining more than 26,000 Certificate holders' records. Ray also serves as a fulfillment manager and manages NCIDQ's inventory.  He also verifies completion of the exam for each candidate, sending notifications to jurisdictions and associations. Along with these duties, Ray manages the Certificate renewal process. If you have an NCIDQ wallet card, chances are very good that it came from Ray.

Ray is originally from San Antonio Texas, but was raised in Indiana. For fun, Ray enjoys catching up on the movies he missed in the theater by renting them on DVD. He enjoys spending time with friends and going to the gym.

Jillian Trent is the NCIDQ Evaluator, who is responsible for reviewing all of the exam applications, transcripts and references while responding to myriad phone calls and emails to assist candidates with the application process. Jillian will be happy to assist with all questions regarding eligibility for the NCIDQ Examination.

Originally from the Richmond, Virginia area, Jillian earned her bachelor’s degree in anthropology at the University of Mary Washington. She enjoys exercising and watching movies in her spare time.