NIC

70th Annual Conference!

October 17-20, 2025

Glendale, Arizona

The National Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology, (NIC) is pleased to announce the distinguished lineup of speakers for the 70th Annual NIC Conference, to be held in Glendale, Arizona. The agenda features esteemed speakers and specialized Breakout Sessions designed to foster collaboration and networking among regulators. This landmark event is not to be missed!

We are very excited to introduce Tabatha Coffey as our featured Keynote Speaker. Read on to discover more about Ms. Coffey and her inspiring journey!

Dale Atkinson, JD

FOUNDING PARTNER

ATTORNEY

Mr. Atkinson represents associations, including NIC in collaboration with our long standing legal counsel, in matters relating to operations for not-for-profit corporations, including regulatory activities, education and accreditation, disciplinary actions, model legislation and applications, and all phases of the development and administration of licensure examination programs, licensure transfer programs, licensure credentials verification and storage.

He is a frequent speaker before these association clients as well as other regulatory groups, agencies, and stakeholders, and produces numerous writings on these topics for publication. Mr. Atkinson was involved with the Federation of Association of Regulatory Boards for over 30 years, having served as the Executive Director of FARB for over 21 years, providing educational programs for board members, staff, investigators, and attorneys related to regulation in the interest of public protection. Mr. Atkinson continues to dedicate his career to representing not-for-profit associations that provide essential public protection services.

Doug Schoon is an internationally-recognized scientist, author and educator with over 30 years experience in the cosmetic, beauty and personal care industry. Doug is the President and Founder of Schoon Scientific, which specializes in scientific, technical and regulatory issues pertaining to the cosmetic/beauty/personal care industry, both retail and professional. They handle everything from product development to quality control to expert witnessing to labeling/warnings, ingredient declarations and any other matters related to domestic or international regulatory requirements.

Specialties: Working with advocacy groups and government agencies, product labeling, MSDS's and warnings, ingredient safety, product development and quality assurance, works with marketing and/or legal departments to help them understand scientific and technical issues. Doug is a leading industry authority, known for his technical and regulatory work that has helped shape the beauty industry. He served as Co-Chair of the Nail Manufacturers Council (NMC), and as CND Chief Scientist, was head of the R&D laboratory, QA, and Field Testing/Evaluation departments for almost 20 years.

Schoon has authored several books, video and audio training programs, as well as dozens of magazine articles about salon products, safety, and best practices for salon professionals. Schoon is well known for his captivating presentation style and his unique ability to make complex concepts easy to understand.

Watch for notices and visit our website at

www.nictesting.org for registration information and lodging details.!