NASBITE International

About NASBITE International

NASBITE International is a professional organization for the global business community. Our members include global business educators and trainers at academic institutions; trade specialists at federal, state and local trade assistance organizations, and practitioners that engage in or facilitate global business activity.

NASBITE Mission: Advancing the practice of global business
NASBITE Goals:

* To coordinate and administer the Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) credential.
* To promote an exchange of information and resources among global business education and assistance professionals.
* To offer professional development for those engaged in global business education and assistance.
* To provide advocacy and leadership for global business education and assistance professionals.

History of NASBITE International

The Evolution of NASBITE International

To view a listing of Past NASBITE International Board of Governers members click here

In the early 1980's, a strong movement began to place international trade education in a more prominent position in colleges, universities, and various public service institutions. The need to help small and medium size businesses learn about the complexities of international trade was an issue raised at all levels. Many programs were begun, mostly housed at educational institutions, world trade centers, chambers of commerce, and other trade-related groups. In addition, Small Business Development Centers, funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, were beginning to join the groundswell of activity.

By 1986, there were perhaps twenty SBDCs focused on international trade assistance. One of those programs was the Small Business International Trade Program located at Portland State University in Oregon. John Otis was the founding director of that statewide program. In the summer of 1987, as the SBA/SBDC budget was being prepared for the following fiscal year, Pru Baletero, SBA international trade officer for the Pacific Northwest, suggested that John travel to other sites with international trade programs to see what information could be brought back to Oregon. John visited Alabama, to review the program run by Nisa Miranda (president of NASBITE in 1995), the University of Georgia, and a few other sites. In order to gain a broader and more inclusive perspective of who was doing what in trade education, training, and assistance, John decided it would be a good idea to invite all SBDC-, university-, and chamber-based international trade programs from throughout the country to a conference in Oregon.

Janis Parsley, developer of a new trade program at Seattle Community College was invited to join the planning sessions for the conference. On December 17, 1987 Otis, Parsley, and Baletero sent out a test mailing to see if others around the country would be interested in participating in an international trade education and training conference. By January 4, 1988 they had received 60 positive responses and by the end of January 395 responses indicating an interest in attending. The conference, held in Portland in May, 1988, sponsored by the Portland SBDC program, Seattle Community College, and the SBA, was a huge success, attracting 130 attendees from 30 states and Puerto Rico. The format for the conference was so successful that it became the basis for future NASBITE conferences.

On the last day of the conference, Otis placed a sign on one of the tables that said "National Steering Committee" for anyone interested in continuing what was begun at the conference. About 30 signed up to actively help in some way. The ad hoc group gave Otis the charge to begin a national effort.

Otis solicited Barbara Moebius from Waukesha County Technical College in Wisconsin, and Lars Nelson from Northland Exporters Association in Minnesota, to sponsor the next conference in St. Paul in1989. Twenty people full of enthusiasm from across the country, including Alaska, attended the planning sessions in St. Paul to develop the new organization and the next conference. At the end of two days, NASBITE (National Association of Small Business International Trade Educators) was born, six standing committees were formed, the mission statement develooped, five major objectives were crafted, and an editor for the first newsletter was appointed.

In 1989, NASBITE incorporated as a non-profit corporation and a membership brochure describing the benefits of membership was designed. In 1992, NASBITE was awarded tax exempt status as a 501(c)(3) organization. NASBITE News was edited for years by Caroline Hollister, director of the Entrepreneurs International Program, an AID-sponsored program headquartered in Washington, D.C.

In 2000, after an informal discussion led by Dr. Robert Scherer, NASBITE embarked on a new mission to develop a credential that would raise the level of practice in the field, provide professional development goals, and showcase competency. At the same time, reflecting the broader base that NAFTA implies, the official name of NASBITE was changed to North American Small Business International Trade Educators.

Over the next several years, Jim Foley, from Bradley University, led the effort to develop the NASBITE CGBP (Certified Global Business Professional) credential. NASBITE contracted with Professional Examination Service (PES) in New York to help create the body of knowledge and the test protocol. In cooperation with numerous federal and state government, and corporate partners, as well as the Centers for International Business, Education, and Research (CIBERs), and practitioners the NASBITE CGBP™ credential was developed and on March 20, 2005 the first credentialing exam was given. Within 18 months, 130 candidates had received the credential..

To reflect the expansion of partners worldwide, including co-sponsored conferences with the worldwide International Association of Trade Training Organizations (IATTO) and the Canadian Forum of International Trade Training (FITT), in 2006, NASBITE became NASBITE International. The new name was adopted to better reflect the expanded population of global business professionals being served by NASBITE, beyond small business and educators.

NASBITE International is grateful for the assistance and growth that host institutions have offered during our development. These include Richland College in Dallas, Wright State University in Dayton, and our current host, Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

Written by Barbara Moebius, historian and past president of NASBITE