Consultant Membership
Consultant Membership – The Americas Division
The primary members of the Society are those who hold consultant membership. The categories listed below indicate various levels of consultant membership based upon the individual’s level of competency or type of employment.
CONSULTANT MEMBER CATEGORIES:
- Professional
- Senior Associate
- Associate (all new members must enter at the Associate level)
- Emeritus
- Student
All active consultant members are required to abide by the FCSI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct as well as the FCSI Continuing Professional Growth program to maintain their membership.
Consultant membership is a personal membership wherein all member benefits are directed to the named individual only. Consultant membership, with the exception of Emeritus and Student Members, is limited to individuals whose main employment is in a capacity typically associated with consulting activities specifically for the foodservice and hospitality industry and independent of the supply chain.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP:
Individuals who have established themselves as a practicing independent consultant to the foodservice/hospitality industry and demonstrating the full range of competencies described by the FCSI Council for Professional Standards and approved by the FCSI Board of Directors. The ultimate goal is for all eligible consultants to reach and retain Professional Member status as long as they are actively engaged in foodservice consulting.
See Rights, Privileges and Benefits
Learn more about the Professional Membership Process (PMP)
Members who wish to pursue Professional Membership and enter the PMP should contact Penny Price.
FAQ’s – Becoming a Professional Member
The ultimate goal for most eligible consultants is to attain the status of Professional Member. The applicant must enroll in the Professional Membership Process (PMP), pass the Industry Knowledge Exam and the Professional Skills Exam, and have three years of total project management experience before becoming a Professional Member. In order to start the PMP you must be a Senior Associate member of FCSI.
To begin obtaining your professional designation, contact Penny Price.
Industry Knowledge Exam Testing Opportunities:
The IKE is now available online! Contact Penny Price to schedule your exam.
Professional Skills Exam Testing Opportunities:
(PSE is suspended through 2022 while under review)
SENIOR ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP:
An Associate member who has decided to enter into the Professional Membership Process (PMP) must first apply as a Senior Associate. Senior Associate members must be active consultants who have at least 3 years total project management responsibility. This responsibility includes the management of projects from proposal to completion. From the time an Associate member is approved as a Senior Associate, he/she has three years to complete the PMP.
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Click here for answers to commonly asked questions about the Professional Membership Process.
In order to become a Senior Associate, the applicant must request an application for Senior Associate by contacting Penny Price, Director of Member Services. The application requires the applicant to provide 3 project references, 2 professional member endorsements and/or complete an interview with 2 members of the Membership Committee.
ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP:
All new members of FCSI The Americas must enter at the Associate level and can upgrade to Senior Associate and enter into the PMP at any time assuming they meet meet the requirements for that level of membership . Associate membership is also appropriate for Individuals currently employed in a capacity that can serve as partial qualification for more advance consultant membership levels. Entry level consultant membership intended for junior members of a consulting firm and/or emerging professionals in the early stages of their consulting careers. This would include an employee of an independent consultant who does not have full project management responsibility, i.e., CAD operators, equipment specifiers, research assistants, systems analysts, concept development specialists, etc.
Please note that consultant membership is not intended for food facility designers who work for an equipment dealer or who in any way are involved in the supply side of the industry.
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Associate Membership Application Form 2023
EMERITUS MEMBERSHIP:
Professional Members who are fully retired from active practice and are no longer involved, in any way, in the sale or delivery of projects through their personal intervention may choose to move to Emeritus status. An Emeritus Member may not solicit business, produce deliverables or in any way participate in the active pursuit of commissions for himself/herself or any consulting firm. Emeritus Members no longer need to participate in the FCSI Continuing Professional Growth program.
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Emeritus Membership application form 2023
Emeritus members are FCSI professional members who have ceased to be active consultants but wish to retain their association with FCSI into retirement. Only Professional Members are eligible for this elite status and only after they have retired. Requests for Emeritus status must be approved by the Board of Trustees.
STUDENT MEMBERSHIP:
This membership category is available to students attending an accredited institution of higher learning and enrolled in a culinary, foodservice or hospitality related course of study on a full time basis.
See Rights, Privileges and Benefits
Student Member application form 2023
Students at accredited hospitality schools of higher education may join FCSI as student members for as long as they remain enrolled in that program.
Consultant Membership Dues Rates – effective 2022
The annual dues rates below apply only to The Americas Division. Amounts are USD.
| Professional | $565 |
| Senior Associate | $475 |
| Associate | $290 |
| Emeritus | $85 |
| Student | $25 |
| Affiliate | $475 |
| One-Time Fees | |
| Associate Application Fee | $50 |
| Senior Associate Upgrade Fee | $200 |
If you have questions concerning membership dues, the application process, benefits of membership or any other query, please contact FCSI-The Americas headquarters at 309-808-2165 or penny@fcsi.org.
Continuing Professional Growth (CPG) Program
An FCSI consultant member engages in lifelong development to maintain and improve knowledge and skills for competent consulting. This includes continuous self-assessment to identify professional strengths and learning needs, establishment of short- and long-term goals for individual professional development, and selection of educational opportunities for which appropriate Continuing Educational Units (CEUs) are awarded to recognize achievement of these goals.
Consultant members in the following categories must earn the specified number of CEUs each year in order to maintain their membership status.
Professional Members: 12 CEUs
Senior Associate Members: 6 CEUs
Associate Members: 3 CEUs
FCSI provides the Continuing Professional Growth Program to support the lifelong learning for its consultant members. The following are the types of activities that qualify for CEUs.
- Passing two exams as part of the Professional Membership Process
- Attending professional seminars
- Preparing and delivering presentations
- Authoring articles and books
- Authoring reviews on software and books
- Completing educational courses
- Attending trade shows
- Viewing educational video or multimedia self-study programs
- Reading online articles provided by FCSI and answering a quiz on the subject
- Reading articles and writing online quiz questions for FCSI
- Providing service to FCSI and/or other industry groups
For questions regarding your FCSI Membership or to join the society, please contact Penny Price.
FCSI is an international society with common values and professional goals. Due to the variety of social and cultural differences in many of the communities that we serve, specific qualifications may vary. Please click on the division in which you reside to view specific requirements and applications.