IAS March 2021 Newsletter - Flipbook - Page 1
INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION SERVICE, INC.
NEWSLETTER
MARCH 2021
Letter from the President
CONTENT
From the President’s Desk
It just seems like yesterday
that we bid adieu to
2020, Auld Lang Syne
and COVID distant New
Year greetings! On the
negative-side; lost travel,
lack of customer meetings,
remote assessments, office
shutdown, and, on the
positive-side; more family time, greater interaction
through web-based tools, a surprisingly higher
number of new customer sign-ups, and lesser cost
to the current customers due to diminished travel
expenses, etc. On the balance, the loss of human
contact and lack of customer interaction in-person,
made 2020 a lonely year for sure!
Meanwhile, IAS staff and assessors were busy.
We launched several new accreditation programs:
Forensic Laboratory Accreditation, Reference
Material Producer (RMP) program, Proficiency
Testing Provider (PTP) program, California ELAP
(Environmental Laboratory Program), Building
Department Accreditation- ISO (Insurance Services
Organization) joint program, Program for the
Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), and the
U.S. FDA ASCA Program, among others. Further,
the IAS Accreditation Programs under AC371 and
AC372 were consolidated under a single technical
criterion.
Since, the last Newsletter, the IAS accreditation
Committee met twice under the leadership of Neville
Pereira to review and vote on several criteria. The
various IAS Technical Advisory Councils, (TACs)
we have 8 of them, met to discuss and provide
insightful advice on a variety of matters relating to
their respective conformity assessment programs.
Review of each of the TACs agendas and minutes
indicate very vigorous committees and shows
the contribution of our stakeholders to enhance
our technical rigor in many respects. I encourage
individuals who wish to serve on our TACs to reach
out to IAS management and/or staff.
The IAS training team under Ned Gravel’s leadership
with able support from Jouliana Tchiloyans, Laura
Uraine, and Greg West among others conducted
over 50 sessions with 1200+ participants in a
variety of disciplines. It emphasizes my message
that knowledge sharing and knowledge transfer
benefit both the trainees and trainers. This certainly
has enhanced a deeper appreciation among our
technical assessors on the nuances in all the
relevant standards. Please visit our training page
to see all our offerings as well as some technical
videos for your needs.
IAS’ Customer Success Group, under Greg West’s
leadership has stepped up to fill the breach during
the past 12 months with a more active social media
presence. You may also have noticed our Spanishlanguage tweets as well as other communication
media to reach out to our global family. We will be
working further in 2021 to enhance our presence
in other languages too. I encourage all the readers
to connect with us on social media and share your
feedback and comments.
In closing, the IAS Board, comprised of volunteer
members, have done a yeoman’s job this past year
meeting multiple times to review and discharge their
oversight and fiduciary duties on some significant
matters. Under the able guidance of Chairman
Rocco Davis, the Board gave us a patient and
supportive hearing on many critical matters, and I
am always thankful to them for their support.
May 2021 bring better days ahead to you, your
business and your near and dear ones. I am sure
the IAS team is equally anxious to come and visit
you to know how to better serve the conformity
assessment community. Please be safe and keep us
posted on any new developments in your world as
well!
Stay safe,
Raj Nathan
2020 RECAP
- Customer Survey Results for
2020
- IAS Accreditation Committee
Hearings- October and
December 2020
NEW IAS ACCREDITATION
OFFERINGS
- U.S. FDA ASCA Program
- EPA National Lead
Laboratory Accreditation
Program (NLLAP)
- Building Officials benefit
form IAS AC472 and AC478
in low-rise construction
- Program for the
Endorsement of Forest
Certification (PEFC)
-Training and Certificate
Program Recognition.
Options and Possibilities
IAS REMEMBERS
- Curtis Mann
- Chuck Haslebacher
- Charles ‘Chuck’ Praeger
WHAT HAS IAS BEEN UP TO?
- Development Forum
in Athens, Greece – IAS
presentation
- CIJ Cannabis Panel
- Science Timetable from
2000 BCE to 1500 BCE
IAS TRAINING
- APAC Laboratory Training
- IAS Training Program
2020 Summary
- Upcoming Training
Courses in 2021
IAS PROFILES
- Get to know Sergio Ascunce,
IAS Board Member
- Assessor Spotlight –
Osman Vural
CONNECT WITH US
