Other states and regions quickly saw the benefits of professional development registries and began the process of creating them in either the private or public sector. To date, there are over 38 state or regional registries at various stages of development, and several others in early planning stages. Most of these registries belong to the National Workforce Registry Alliance (NWRA), a non-profit association of state and regional registries. Registry personnel across the country are often asked to explain exactly what a registry is and what it does. The definition for registries is provided by the National Workforce Registry Alliance, a voluntary association of state and regional registries below. (author abstract)