CPSC Accepting Nominations for Chairman's Circle of Commendation Awards

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) begins accepting nominations for the Chairman's Circle of Commendation Award program today. Completed nominations should be received at CPSC by May 15, 2013.

The program was established in 2011 by CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum to identify and honor people and organizations that have made significant contributions to consumer product safety.

“Recognizing those who demonstrate a relentless commitment to product safety and develop innovative ways to prevent deaths and injuries is an inspiring part of my role as Chairman,” Tenenbaum said.

Nominees can be individuals, organizations, businesses, state and local governments or other groups residing in or outside of the United States.

Nominations should include a cover form (available online), a description of the individual or organization, a description of how and to what extent the nominee has contributed to improving consumer product safety, and a summary of additional information. Up to three letters of support or other supporting documents may also be provided. Additional details are available at https://www.cpsc.gov/award.

A CPSC panel will screen nominations and forward recommendations to the Chairman. The Chairman will make the final selection of award recipients. The announcement of awardees will be made on a date to be determined.

Last year's awardees included:

• Judith Bannon, executive director of Cribs for Kids®, who started the national infant safe sleep initiative that has provided more than 130,000 free, safe cribs to high-risk, low-income families who cannot afford one, and educates caregivers about the dangers of unsafe sleep environments.

 

• Ik-Whan Kwon, director of St. Louis University’s Center for Supply Chain Management Studies, who leads the first program to offer university-level product safety courses for product safety professionals within industry.

 

• Stephen Teret, a professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who founded the school’s Center for Law and the Public’s Health and has served as its director since 2000.

 

• Rachel Weintraub, director of product safety and senior counsel for the Consumer Federation of America, whose work with consumer, public health and public interest groups, and Congress resulted in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008.