Former England captain Mike Gatting has praised the Gloucestershire Cricket Board for the way it develops and trains its coaches, tutors and administration staff.
Gatting said the GCB should be seen as an inspiration for other cricket boards across the country.
He was speaking after the GCB received the Investors in People Standard, which is given to businesses that go the extra mile to look after their employees.
"Being awarded the Investors In People mark is a fantastic achievement for the GCB," said Gatting, who is managing director of cricket partnerships at the ECB.
"As the first county board to achieve this, it has set the standard for the way our boards and clubs support their staff and I hope others will follow in its footsteps."
The GCB is the first organisation of its type to be awarded the mark, which is given to businesses who go the extra mile to look after their employees.
It currently has seven full-time employees and more than 50 part-time and casual workers ranging from coaches to tutors and administrative staff.
During the accreditation process, Investors In People specialist Dave Peglar highlighted a number of strengths including a committed approach to staff development, use of external coaches and clear aims, values and strategic goals.
Gatting added: "Employing a mixture of full, part-time and freelance staff across a variety of areas, our boards face a challenge to integrate and motivate their workforce and it is particularly pleasing to see the GCB being singled out for its leadership, teamwork and a shared commitment to achieving its goals.
"Over the last few years the GCB has gone from strength to strength and has led the way on a number of different projects and it is great to see them continuing to do so. They can feel rightly proud of what has been achieved."
