Jan Keresztes and Ronald Lukasiewicz Receive 2000 Lillian D. Terris Award For Distinguished Board Service

New York, NY, March 2001 - Professional Examination Service (PES) is pleased to announce the selection of Jan M. Keresztes, Pharm.D., and Ronald H. Lukasiewicz, R.Ph., as the recipients of the 2000 Lillian D. Terris Award for Distinguished Board Service. Named in honor of the first president of PES, the award recognizes individuals whose service contributions have enhanced the public and professional understanding of the missions of credentialing organizations and the meaning associated with professional credentials.

Keresztes served as a member of the Certification Council of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) from 1995 to 1999, including one year as Chair of the Council. Prior to her work with the PTCB, she was Chair of the Commission on Technician Certification for the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists (ICHP) state certification program from 1982 to 1989. As Chair, she helped establish the ICHP pharmacy technician certification examination and was vital in the merging of the ICHP state examination with other state examinations into what was to become the premier national examination for pharmacy technicians in the United States.

Lukasiewicz served a member of the PTCB Certification Council from 1995 to 2000, including a two-year term as Chair of the Council. Prior to his work with the PTCB, Lukasiewicz served as Chair of the Board of Examiners for the Michigan Certified Pharmacy Technician Program from 1981 to 1989. Working with the Michigan Pharmacist Association (MPA), he instituted the first certification program for pharmacy technicians and the first textbook for the training of pharmacy technicians. Under the leadership of Lukasiewicz, the MPA became one of the founding sponsors of the PTCB.

The PTCB was established in January, 1995, through a year-long effort by four founding organizations—the American Pharmaceutical Association, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the ICHP, and the MPA—to create one consolidated voluntary national certification program for pharmacy technicians. Melissa M. Murer, R.Ph., PTCB Executive Director, has said, "Jan Keresztes and Ron Lukasiewicz are true leaders who helped make the vision of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board a reality."

Since July 1995, PTCB has certified more than 80,000 pharmacy technicians through the Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination and certification transfer process. PTCB has also obtained the support of major employers of pharmacy technicians, launched online application processing, completed 19 successful administrations of the PTCB examination at 120 sites nationwide, and implemented a recertification process for Certified Pharmacy Technicians to maintain their knowledge and skills. The Certified Pharmacy Technician credential has benefited patients and employers by allowing pharmacists to spend more time counseling patients and providing other elements of pharmaceutical care.

Lillian D. Terris, Ph.D., is a recognized leader in the credentialing field. She was President of PES from 1971 through 1979, and continues to serve as President Emeritus of the PES Board of Directors. This year submissions for the 2000 Lillian D. Terris Award were judged by Barbara B. Kreml, M.S.I.R., John J. Connolly, Ed.D., and John W. Work, Ph.D., all members of the PES Board of Directors. Previous recipients of the award include David A. Swankin, J.D., Executive Director of the Citizen Advocacy Center, Randolph P. Reaves, J.D., Executive Director and General Counsel of the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, and Sunny Andrews, Ph.D., former President of the American Association of State Social Work Boards.

Recognition for Distinguished Board Service is one of several annual PES awards. For more information about the PES awards program and other PES public service activities, please contact Sandra Greenberg, Ph.D., Vice President for Research & Development and Public Service, Professional Examination Service, 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115-0089, telephone (212) 367-4271, fax (212) 367-4266, e-mail: mission@proexam.org.