For the last six years (1989-1994), Hieu has been a board director of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, based in Washington, D.C. In this capacity, Hieu again found himself the first Asian ever appointed to an important, prestigious American educational organization. The Board operates with a budget of fifty million dollars for investment in American education. Its funding is provided by the United States Congress, private foundations, and American corporations. The NBPTS seeks to reach down to the grassroots of all America, and is an important nerve center for improving education across the United States.
Dr. Hieu has also spent the last six years working with the governors of Iowa, Ohio, New Jersey, and North Carolina; with the presidents and deans of Columbia University, Harvard University, Yale University, and Stanford University; and with the chairpersons and chief executive officers of leading American companies, including IBM, Xerox Corporation, Du Pont Company, and Disney Channel.
In December of 1991, Nguyen Trung Hieu was selected as one of the three principal actors for a documentary film entitled, "Visions of Excellence." It was produced by the Pro Creations Company and distributed by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The film was honored by the Public Relations Society of America in June of 1992.