TCNA is pleased to announce that Bill Griese, TCNA’s Standards Development and Green Initiative Manager, is a recipient of the 2013 President’s Leadership Award from ASTM International.

Established in 2007, the President’s Leadership Award recognizes individuals early in their ASTM career who have significantly advanced the Society’s mission through extraordinary accomplishment, example and vision. Mr. Griese was one of two individuals selected for the award by ASTM President James A. Thomas, out of an eligible pool of over 10,000 – roughly one-third of ASTM’s total membership.

“We are extremely proud of Bill and his many accomplishments for our industry,” stated TCNA Executive Director, Eric Astrachan. “We can think of no one who embodies the values of this award more so than Bill. His leadership and vision were instrumental in the development of the Green Squared® standard, which has given our industry a way to define and certify the environmental and sustainability attributes of its products.”

A member of ASTM International since 2007, Mr. Griese is chairman of Committee C21 on Ceramic Whitewares and Related Products and its Subcommittee C21.06 on Ceramic Tile. Committee C21 has a current membership of approximately 181 industry professionals and experts, has jurisdiction over 58 standards, and plays a preeminent role in all aspects important to the effective industrialization of ceramics and whitewares through its involvement in the stimulation of research and the formulation of definitions, test methods, and specifications.

Additionally, Mr. Griese is a member of Committee E60 on Sustainability, which develops environmental, social, and economic standards and guidelines pertinent to buildings and construction, hospitality, manufacturing, and general sustainability.

He is also serving a term on the ASTM Committee on Technical Committee Operations (COTCO) which is responsible for developing and maintaining the “Regulations Governing ASTM Technical Committees” and acting upon recommended changes, interpreting and enforcing these regulations, resolving jurisdictional disputes with respect to Technical Committee scopes, and developing and recommending means for achieving the most efficient operation of Technical Committees.

Mr. Griese joined the Tile Council of North America as a laboratory engineer in 2006 after earning a bachelor’s degree in ceramic and materials engineering from Clemson University in Clemson, SC. In his current role as standards development and green initiative manager, which he assumed in 2008, Mr. Griese manages the development and revision of ASTM, ANSI, ISO and other industry-specific standards and works closely with TCNA’s Product Performance Testing Laboratory.

Additionally, he is responsible for TCNA’s sustainability efforts and was instrumental in envisioning and developing Green Squared®, the world’s first and only multi-attribute sustainability standard and certification program specifically applicable to tiles and tile installation materials.

A LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) with a specialty in building design and construction, Mr. Griese is an active participant in the annual World Ceramic Tiles Forum and serves as a U.S. delegate for several global standardization initiatives. He is often featured as a columnist in various ceramic tile industry publications.

President Thomas will present Mr. Griese with the award at the Total Solutions Plus Conference in Bonita Springs, FL on Oct. 28, 2013.

ASTM International, formerly known as the American Society for Testing Materials, is a globally recognized leader in the development and delivery of international voluntary consensus standards. Currently, some 12,000 ASTM standards are used around the world to improve product quality, enhance safety, facilitate market access and trade, and build consumer confidence.