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Indiana University

Head of nonprofit standards organization to speak at SPEA

October 4, 2011
Bloomington, Indiana -- Kevan P. Lawlor, president and chief executive officer of NSF International, will present two lectures this month at Indiana University Bloomington as part of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs' Charles F. Bonser Distinguished Lecture Series.

NSF International, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., is an independent, not-for-profit organization that certifies products and writes standards for food, water and consumer goods to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment.

Picture of Kevan LawlorBoth talks will take place Oct. 11 in room 301 of the Business Building, 1309 E. 10th St. Directed primarily to SPEA students and open to the public, they include:
  • 9:30-10:45 a.m. -- "The design, function, purpose, operation and issues of a large, corporate-model, nonprofit company"
  • 2:30-3:45 p.m. -- "The role, composition and operation of the third-party standardization and certification industry in the global protection of public health and the environment"
Lawlor has been president and CEO of NSF International since 2003. He has been with the organization for 25 years, holding the positions of chief financial officer, senior vice president of food safety and president of NSF International Strategic Registrations Ltd. Under his direction, NSF has expanded into new markets, added services and has become a global organization in the standards development, testing, certification and auditing sectors.

NSF International was founded in 1944 as the National Sanitation Foundation to standardize sanitation and food safety requirements. To date, it has developed more than 75 public health and safety standards. Products that meet these standards through testing and certification bear the NSF Mark, which is respected by consumers, manufacturers, retailers and regulatory agencies. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment

The Bonser Distinguished Lecture honors Charles F. Bonser, Dean Emeritus and Ameritech Professor Emeritus in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Bonser, a former associate dean in the School of Business, was founding dean of SPEA and headed the school for 17 years. The free lectures are designed to bring prominent and influential figures in academics, business and politics to speak on complex interactions between business and public policy.