Sharon M. Goldsmith, Ph.D.

Areas of Expertise
Certification Accreditation International Healthcare Education Program Development Evaluation Assessment

Education
City University of New York, Ph.D.
City University of New York, M.Ph.
New York University, M.A.
Brooklyn College, B.A.

Contact
Phone: +1.202.785.8940

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Plexus Consulting Group, LLC
1620 Eye Street, NW
Suite 210
Washington, DC 20006
Phone:  +1.202.785.8940
Fax:      +1.202.785.8949
Email:   info@plexusconsulting.com

Dr. Sharon Goldsmith is an internationally recognized expert on standards development, certification and accreditation. She has held several academic appointments and authored over 100 articles and papers. She was a 2003 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in recognition of her leadership in international standards, accreditation and certification.

She currently serves on several national boards addressing standards, accreditation and certification issues. These include the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Personnel Certification Accreditation Committee that is implementing the new International Standards for accrediting personnel certification programs (ISO17024). She is the Chair of The Conference for Food Protection- ANSI Accreditation Board that accredits programs for food protection managers internationally. Goldsmith is a member of the International Commission on Healthcare Professions Standards Committee, the body implementing the Congressionally mandated Department of Homeland Security Visa screen program for foreign healthcare workers entering the United States. She has been recently re-elected as co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Testing Practices and Joint Committee liaison to the International Test Commission.

Dr. Goldsmith directs the Certification, Education and Accreditation Practice of the Plexus Consulting Group, an international firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. She has worked in the areas of standards development and services/product development with trade and professional associations and regulatory agencies throughout the world including the UK, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Australia, Israel, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Republic of Georgia Switzerland and Columbia as well as in the United States.

She assists several professional and trade associations in many different industries to develop and implement international standards and certification or accreditation programs in compliance with ISO requirements and industry needs. As examples of the range of her current assignments, she consults on a US AID-Georgia Enterprise Growth Initiative Project to develop standards in several industry sectors in the Republic of Georgia to promote internal economic development and international competitiveness. She most recently assisted ANSI in completing an analysis of the new ISO requirements for conformity assessment procedures, currently participates in negotiations to create international mutual recognition agreements for products and processes and consults to ANSI to design and conduct training on ISO standards and international national accreditation requirements.

With a specific interest in healthcare, Dr. Goldsmith works with several health care associations to help them create expand and create markets for their products and services including developing programs to export certification, accreditation and education services into international markets. Client associations in healthcare have represented the professions of medicine, nursing (including several nurse specialties). laboratory medicine, occupational therapy, physical therapy, audiology, speech language pathology, food safety, psychology, and cancer registrars. Her prior experience includes directing the National Healthcare Initiative for the federal National Skills Standards Board and serving as Senior Advisor, Standards and Credentialing and Director of Professional Affairs for the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA).

Dr. Goldsmith holds two masters degrees. She earned her PhD in psycholinguistics from the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York.