Director of College Store Recertified by National Association

The director of The College Store at Pennsylvania College of Technology was recertified in December by the National Association of College Stores.

Matthew P. Branca retains his designation as a Certified Collegiate Retailer, a mark of distinction earned only by those who have demonstrated the representative knowledge essential to success in college-store management, expertise on collegiate retailing issues, and commitment to the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct. Fewer than 10 percent of eligible candidates earn the distinction, with only 17 candidates obtaining recertification in 2008.

The CCR program was established by NACS to recognize those individuals who have demonstrated mastery of the skills and knowledge required to successfully manage a retail-services operation within a higher-education setting.

To initially achieve the CCR credential in 2005, Branca met the required level of experience and passed a comprehensive four-hour exam on the core knowledge and management functions of collegiate retailing. To recertify, individuals must complete a minimum of 60 hours of continuing education and professional-development activities to keep their knowledge of the industry, trends and successful operations current.

In addition to attending educational conferences, webinars and seminars, Branca has led seminars on various topics affecting college retail operations, acted as coach for industry professionals taking online courses offered by NACS, and been active on various national and regional committees committed to the college-bookstore industry.

For more about The College Store, visit online or call (570) 327-4508.

For general information about Penn College, visit on the Web, e-mail or call toll-free (800) 367-9222.