NBCE's Staggering $41 Million in Assets - Over $2 Million Given to Directors and Administrators in 2022
In recent years, the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) has engaged in a series of financial practices that have raised significant concerns about the organization's operational transparency and ethical conduct. As a non-profit entity that enjoys a monopoly with no competition for competency testing of chiropractors, the NBCE's financial allocations and decisions should ideally reflect a commitment to the betterment of the field and support for aspiring professionals. However, an in-depth analysis of publicly available financial data from 2018 to 2022 reveals a pattern of questionable financial dealings that merit closer scrutiny.
The NBCE's distribution of funds, especially in the form of grants/assistance, administrator salaries, payments to Directors coupled with substantial compensation to independent contractors, paints a complex picture. While on the surface, these allocations might seem like regular operational expenses, a deeper dive reveals potential conflicts of interest and a concerning concentration of financial resources within a tight-knit circle of organizations and individuals. This raises questions about the integrity of the chiropractic profession's governance and whether these actions are in the best interest of the students, practitioners and public they are supposed to serve. The utilization of student loan debt and state tax dollars in these dealings further complicates the ethical landscape, suggesting a need for greater accountability and transparency in the NBCE's and related organization's financial operations.
Here is a comprehensive report on the compensation provided to the board members of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners in 2022:
1. Total Compensation: The total amount paid to all Board Members was $380,119.00
2. Average Compensation: The average amount paid to each individual was approximately $22,360.00
3. Highest Compensation: The highest amount paid was $53,348.00 to Leroy F. Otto DC, Officer - Vice President.
4. Highest Compensation Per Hour: Steven C. Roberts DC, Director, received the highest compensation per hour at approximately $154.94 per hour.
5. Executive Committee Compensation:
Individual Compensation:
- Karlos Boghosian DC, Officer - President: $10,980.00
- Leroy F. Otto DC, Officer - Vice President: $53,348.00
- Margaret M. Freihaut DC, Officer - Treasurer: $51,661.00
- Jason O. Jaeger DC, Officer - Secretary: $35,661.00
Collective Compensation:
The total amount paid to the executive committee was $151,650.00
6. Compensation Ranking from Highest to Lowest:
- Leroy F. Otto DC, Officer - Vice President: $53,348.00
- Margaret M. Freihaut DC, Officer - Treasurer: $51,661.00
- Jason O. Jaeger DC, Officer - Secretary: $35,661.00
- Carol J. Winkler DC, Director: $30,911.00
- Daniel M. Cote DC, Former President: $26,891.00
- James Buchanan DC, Director: $25,214.00
- Jason Young DC, Former Director: $20,440.00
- Robert Daschner DC, Director: $20,414.00
- Gary DiBenedetto DC, Director: $18,769.00
- John R. McGinnis DC, Former Secretary: $16,890.00
- Steven C. Roberts DC, Director: $16,114.00
- Donna Mannello DC, Director: $14,754.00
- Danita Heagy DC, Director: $12,262.00
- Kimberly A. Driggers JD, Former Director: $11,290.00
- Michael Fedorczyk DC, Former Treasurer: $11,290.00
- Karlos Boghosian DC, Officer - President: $10,980.00
- Keita Vanterpool DC, Former Director: $3,230.00
On an interesting side note that highlights the incestuous nature of the NBCE with other organizations, several NBCE Directors also receive compensation for their roles on the Board of the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB) including:
- Carol Winkler DC at 2 hours per week: $22,425.00
- Robert Daschner DC at 2 hours per week: $12,075.00
- Keita Vanterpool DC at 2 hours per week: $5,750.00
Average Number of Hours Worked: The average number of hours worked per week by the board members was approximately 4.29 hours.
Average Per Hour Compensation: The average compensation per hour for the board members was approximately $109.21 per hour.
Here's a breakdown on the compensation of the highest compensated employees of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) in 2022:
Total Compensation: The total amount paid to these individuals was $1,775,632.00
Hourly Wage for Each (Based on a 40-hour Work Week):
- Norman E. Ouzts Jr. DC, Chief Executive Officer: $172.19/hour
- Igor G. Himelfarb Ph.D., Director of Psychometrics: $98.50/hour
- Melissa J. Stockberger CPA, Chief Financial Officer: $97.47/hour
- Bruce L. Shotts DC, VP of Testing:$96.32/hour
- Tamara A. Sterling, VP of Administration: $89.75/hour
- Andy R. Gow DC, Practical Testing Manager: $84.56/hour
- Jesse R. Lopez, IT Manager: $72.17/hour
- Stacey A. Kjeldgaard EBAS, Executive Director: $71.11/hour
- Michele K. Fisher, Test Production Manager: $71.60/hour
Average Amount Paid to Each Individual: The average amount paid to each individual was approximately $197,292.00
Average Hourly Wage (Based on a 40-hour Work Week): The average hourly wage paid was approximately $94.85.
Highest Amount Paid: The highest amount was paid to Norman E. Ouzts Jr. DC, Chief Executive Officer, at $358,150.00
Compensation Ranking from Highest to Lowest:
- Norman E. Ouzts Jr. DC, Chief Executive Officer: $358,150.00
- Igor G. Himelfarb Ph.D., Director of Psychometrics: $204,880.00
- Melissa J. Stockberger CPA, Chief Financial Officer:$202,729.00
- Bruce L. Shotts DC, VP of Testing: $200,355.00
- Tamara A. Sterling, VP of Administration: $186,685.00
- Andy R. Gow DC, Practical Testing Manager: $175,883.00
- Jesse R. Lopez, IT Manager: $150,110.00
- Michele K. Fisher, Test Production Manager: $148,937.00
- Stacey A. Kjeldgaard EBAS, Executive Director: $147,903.00
Grants and Other Assistance
The NBCE provides Grants and other assistance to several organizations including the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC). Overall, from 2018 to 2022, the NBCE provided a total of $144,000.00 to the ACC for research awards. Interestingly, the largest expenses for the ACC were paid to its President David O'Bryon JD who was paid $273,692.00 in 2022. In addition the ACC paid O'Bryon & Company $398,834.00 in 2022 for "management services". This totals: $672,526.00.
The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) has been providing significant financial support to the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB) in two primary forms: grants and free rent and utilities. Here's a breakdown and analysis of the support from 2018 to 2022:
Grants to FCLB
- 2022: $839,096.00
- 2021: $654,366.00
- 2020: $677,408.00
- 2019: $655,140.00
- 2018: $599,494.00
Over these five years, there has been a consistent increase in funding to the FCLB, with the largest amount being given in 2022. The total amount provided in grants over this period is $3,425,504.00.
Free Rent and Utilities to the FCLB
- 2022: $35,191.00
- 2021: $33,500.00
- 2020: $34,017.00
- 2019: $32,764.00
- 2018: $32,598.00
The support in terms of free rent and utilities also shows a slight increasing trend over the years, totaling $168,070.00 for the five-year period. This form of support, while smaller in comparison to the grants, represents a significant ongoing commitment to the FCLB’s operational infrastructure.
Total Support
Combining both forms of support, the NBCE has contributed a total of $3,593,574.00 to the FCLB from 2018 to 2022 alone and this relationship has been going on for a very long time. The increasing trend in both grants and free rent and utilities signifies the NBCE's commitment to the FCLB's activities and possibly reflects a deepening relationship between the two organizations. This substantial financial support raises questions regarding the nature of the relationship between the NBCE and FCLB, especially considering the NBCE's role in the chiropractic profession and the FCLB's influence in licensing. The consistent increase in funding, particularly in grants, suggests an expanding scope of collaboration. However, without transparency regarding the specific use and impact of these student loan funds, it remains unclear how this financial support aligns with the broader goals of advancing the chiropractic profession and supporting practitioners and students as opposed to funneling that student loan money to "friends" who support the flow of such money in exchange for a "seat at the table".
The NBCE has also given a substantial amount of its student loan money totaling $645,000.00 over 3 years to the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress for "career development".
In addition the NBCE has given a total of $275,000.00 over two years to the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations (ChiroCongress) for "strategic planning".
BRIGHTHALL INC which is an S-CORP owned by Claire Johnson DC and Bart Green DC were the recipients of very generous grants for "Research" over the past 3 years totaling $30,000.00.
The organization Women Chiropractors was given $24,000.00 over 2 years as a "sponsorship".
And finally - the RAND Corporation was given a $1,000,000.00 (One million) grant for "research" in 2019.
In total nearly $6 million dollars of student loan money was re-distributed to private corporations doing business with the NBCE.
Financial analysis of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) from 2016 to 2022:
The net assets of the NBCE have been growing with net income being positive throughout the years, indicating overall profitability. The highest net income was observed in 2022 ($3,830,164.00).
The overall trend indicates a healthy financial position, with growth in net assets and a consistent generation of positive net income.
The financial success of the NBCE should come as no surprise considering they enjoy a complete monopoly within the chiropractic profession. In order to get a license to practice would be chiropractors must pass their exams - there is no option and there is no alternative. Since they have a monopoly why would any other testing agency enter the marketplace? They would not be able to compete since the NBCE's exams have been methodically enshrined in state regulations which restrains trade within the chiropractic profession.
In a recent Press Release NBCE's CEO Norman Ouzts DC announced that the NBCE would not raise its exam fees in 2024. This feigned generosity and tone deaf attitude is obscene when one analyzes what the NBCE is doing with the student loan money and related debt that it runs through itself, individuals and organizations that have a seat at their table. Just a cursory look at what the Board of Directors (supposed volunteers) pays itself and the salaries it pays to its administrators reveals a blatant disparity when compared to others operating within the chiropractic profession's educational realm.
Recent letters sent to the NBCE from organizations that have signed on to a series of Resolutions calling for freedom in chiropractic education, accreditation, testing and regulation (http://chiropracticcartel.com) urging the NBCE to assist in removing the monopolistic language from state regulations along with a request to provide outcomes data to back up its claims have not been received any response from anyone at the NBCE.
This is despite the NBCE's recent calls for feedback from the profession's stakeholders. Such refusal to respond sends a clear signal that the "fix is in" and any effort for the NBCE to market itself as undergoing reform is simply window dressing.
