Mark A. DeSorbo

MOUNT PROSPECT, IL — Highlighting its strengths and educating the contamination control industry are two items on the agenda in the coming year for the Institute of Environment Sciences and Technology (IEST), new president Robert Spector says.

“What we really still need to do is let people know what our strengths are, and fortunately it's information which is readily available,” he says, noting the Web site, www.iest.org.

SpectorClick here to enlarge image

Spector: Cleanroom personnel deck reshuffled

The IEST's reputation as an information source was further solidified in July when the American National Standards Institute (ANSI; Washington, DC) empowered the volunteer organization as a standards-writing body. [See “IEST pen becomes sword,” CleanRooms, July 2000, p. 1.]

“It's a recognition from them that we are doing something right, and it raises awareness as well as more exposure to recommended practices, some of which will become standards,” Spector says.

Robert Mielke, the IEST's technical vice president of contamination control, shares that sentiment. “One of our strengths is the standards-writing capability, and I look forward to [drafting] some of our recommended practices into ANSI standards,” he adds.

Mielke and Spector agree that being a standards writing arm will only help the IEST with its goal of further educating the industries it serves.

Many industries, Spector says, have difficulties finding qualified, experienced people in the contamination control field. “It always seems we are reshuffling the deck. People get put into positions and its sink or swim,” adds Spector of Prudential Cleanroom Services (Round Rock, TX). “Our programs and knowledge can be more useful to the high-tech communities we serve, and we have the opportunity to make these resources available efficiently as well as cost-effectively.”

Spector and Mielke spoke highly of former members and added that their efforts to make the organization better will continue. “We will always be reevaluating to ensure that we are not complacent,” says Mielke, of Abbott Laboratories (North Chicago, IL).

Also appointed to the IEST board, effective July 1, are:

• Mitchell Mazer, of AIL Systems Inc. (Medford, NY), president-elect;
• Robert Anderson, United Defense (Lakeville, MN); fiscal vice president;
• Christopher J. Humphreys, of Asyst Technologies (Roanoke TX), education vice president;
• Ian Wallis, Microcomplete Cleaning Service (Wilmington MA); membership vice president;
• Michael Fitzpatrick, of Lockwood Greene (Tempe AZ), national director vice president;
• Michael Roy, Northrop-Grumman (Baltimore), technical vice president for design test and product reliability;
• George Olear II, of Contec Research Inc. (Attleboro, MA) interim communications vice president;
• Jeffry A. Schutt, of Trace Laboratories-Central (Palatine, IL), immediate past president.