Arthur E. Cote, former executive vice president and chief engineer (retired) at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), has been selected by the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day Planning Committee as the 2018 recipient of the prestigious Ronald H. Brown Standards Leadership Award. Mr. Cote will be honored by members of the U.S. standards and conformance community during the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day on October 18, 2018, at the Fairmont Washington, DC.
Named for the late U.S. Secretary of Commerce, the Ronald Brown award recognizes demonstrated leadership in promoting the important role of standardization in eliminating global barriers to trade. The U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day is an annual event which honors the U.S. standards and conformity assessment community and recognizes its efforts to promote American competitiveness in a global marketplace, safeguard the environment, and improve the quality of life for workers and consumers around the world.
Mr. Cote is recognized for his globally impactful contributions to NFPA, ANSI, and other domestic and international organizations, and honored for his role as a leading advocate of for the voluntary standards community for over four decades. During his nearly-30-year tenure at NFPA, Mr. Cote was responsible for all of NFPA's technical operations, which involved overall administration of the NFPA codes and standards development processincluding more than 300 fire and electrical safety codes and standards that comprise the National Fire Codes. He retired from NFPA in 2006 but remains an active leader in the fire safety and voluntary standards communities.
At ANSI, Mr. Cote served as chair of the Board of Directors from 2009 to 2011, served as vice-chair from 2005 to 2008, and was on the Executive Committee from 2004 to 2008. Appointed to the Board in 1998, he was an active participant as chair of the Nominating Committee, and member of the ANSI Executive Standards Council, from 1985 to 1993.
Mr. Cote is also a past president and fellow of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), a member of SFPE's Educational and Scientific Foundation, and a member of SES-The Society for Standards Professionals. He was also vice chair of the Confederation of Fire Protection Associations International (CFPA-I), representing 26 major fire protection associations around the world. In 2006, Mr. Cote was honored with the American Fire Sprinkler Association's highest award, the Henry Parmelee Award, and in 2007, he was recipient of SES's Leo B. Moore Medal.
An accomplished author, Mr. Cote was editor-in-chief of five editions of the Fire Protection Handbook. He co-authored Principles of Fire Protection, second edition, and was editor-in-chief of Fundamentals of Fire Protection and Industrial Fire Hazards Handbook, third edition.
A Professional Engineer (PE), he holds a B.S. in fire protection engineering from the University of Maryland.
About World Standards Day
Celebrated annually, World Standards Day pays tribute to the thousands of volunteers around the world who participate in standardization activities, and helps to raise awareness of the role that standards play in addressing national and global priorities. The event has been held since 1970 and is recognized in nations around the globe. U.S. activities are organized annually by a planning committee consisting of representatives from across the standards and conformity assessment community.
In 2018, ANSI serves as the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day administrating organization, in celebration of its 100 year anniversary.
More information about the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day 2018 is available at www.wsd-us.org.