Which Certification Is Right For You? APTD VS. CPTD

This is an ATD National Event

By: Holly Batts, Associate Director, ATD; Kelli Farrell, Onboarding Program Manager, Cable One; and Samantha Stone, Learning and Organizational Development Program Director, Northwell Health

If you are considering an ATD professional credential but can’t decide if the Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD®) or the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD®) is right for you, join ATD Certification Institute staff with a panel of APTD and CPTD credential holders to learn how they decided which program was right for them.

During this webinar, you will learn:

• Basic information about each credential
• Types of candidates who choose each credential
• Factors credential holders considered when deciding which one was right for them
• How credential holders made their decisions
• Pros and cons of each credential

Holly Batts

Holly Batts is associate director of ATD's Certification Institute and has more than 15 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector. Her background in developing and maintaining certification programs includes mid- to high-stakes assessments, extensive work with organizing SMEs, and a thorough understanding of the certification process. Holly holds a master of science degree in organizational leadership as well as Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Association Executive (CAE) certifications.

Kelli Farrell

Kelli Farrell has over 7 years of experience in Learning & Development, originally starting in the medical field as a Training Coordinator and transitioning to telecommunications in 2020 as a Residential Sales Trainer at Hargray. After the merger of Hargray and Cable One in 2022, Kelli was then promoted to Onboarding Program Manager, responsible for welcoming all New Hires into the company. At that time, Kelli decided to pursue the CPTD to upskill and prepare herself for this new opportunity. 

Samantha Stone

Samantha Stone is a learning and organizational development program director at the Center for Learning and Innovation at Northwell Health. In her current role, she works in collaboration with subject matter experts across her organization to develop and deliver ongoing education that address the various needs of healthcare leaders throughout the leadership life cycle. She is also an active member of multiple committees and employee resource groups at her organization that promote wellness, diversity and inclusion, improving workplace culture, professional development, and community outreach. Prior to her role at Northwell Health, Samantha worked for a local City University of New York (CUNY) community college, developing curricula for and facilitating writing and test-preparatory workshops for students, including English language learners and students with disabilities. She earned a master’s degree in communications and is an APTD credential holder.