The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the coordinator of the U.S. voluntary standardization system, is pleased to announce that Mary Saunders will join ANSI as vice president, government relations and public policy, on March 1, 2017. She succeeds Scott Cooper, who retired from ANSI at the end of 2016.
Ms. Saunders is the associate director for management resources for the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and served as a vice chair on the ANSI Board of Directors. She is responsible for all NIST-wide institutional support and administrative offices and their functions, including: workforce management, information technology and services, safety and environmental management, facilities maintenance and construction, accounting and finance, acquisitions and grants management, budget formulation, strategic planning, and emergency response. Ms. Saunders previously served as the director of NIST's Standards Coordination Office. In this capacity, she represented NIST and its significant interests in the standards and conformity assessment community, advising the NIST director and other officials throughout the administration on policy and strategy as they relate to the federal government's role in standardization.
She also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing and Services in the International Trade Administration, managing more than 200 industry specialists, economists and international trade experts. In that capacity, she helped strengthen the competitive position of U.S. industries globally by coordinating Commerce Department strategies, policies, and programs with U.S. industries in mind.
"Mary's unique background, including extensive federal government executive-level experience, 20 years of experience in standards policy development and implementation, and exceptional leadership skills will make her a strong asset as a member of ANSI's senior staff," said S. Joe Bhatia, ANSI president and CEO. "We look forward to her joining us on March 1."
Ms. Saunders earned her undergraduate degree in political science and economics from Vanderbilt University, and holds a master's degree in public affairs from Princeton University.
About ANSIThe Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).