LANSING, MI, January 8, 2009 – The American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH) has named its new Board of Directors that will take office in March 2009. ABIH is the certifying organization for Certified Industrial Hygienists (CIHs).

The Board Chair is Scott E. Merkle, CIH, Chief, Health and Safety Branch at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, who was re-elected to serve a second one-year term in this role. He has served on the ABIH Board since March 2006 and has an MS in Industrial Hygiene from the University of Pittsburgh.

Two new Board members elected to serve include:

• Janet Keyes, CIH, a Principal in CHESS, Inc., a safety and health consulting firm. She has an MS in Environmental Health: Industrial Hygiene/Occupational Toxicology from the University of Minnesota. In addition to consulting experience, Keyes has worked for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the City of Minneapolis, and several private companies. She is a Fellow of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) and has been active in several AIHA committees, as well as the Upper Midwest Local Section.
• Lydia Renton, CIH, ROH, a Senior Partner/Owner of WESA, Inc., an occupational hygiene, hydrogeological and engineering consulting firm in Ontario, Canada. She was awarded a BS in Chemistry from the University of Ottawa. Renton has experience in the government sector as well as the semiconductor and telecommunications industries. Renton is a Registered Occupational Hygienist/ROH and has served on the Canadian Registration Board of Occupational Hygienists.

Each will serve a four-year term. The eight members continuing in their current roles as directors include:

• Eric Bauer, CIH, of Terex Corporation
• Janice Camp, CIH, COHN-S, of the University of Washington
• John Henshaw, CIH, of Henshaw and Associates, Inc.
• Nancy McClellan, CIH, CHMM, of Business Health Systems
• J. Torey Nalbone, PhD, CIH, of the University of Texas at Tyler
• Lawrence P. Postol of Seyfarth Shaw LLP
• Jeff V. Throckmorton, CIH, of the University of Utah in Salt Lake, Utah and Health & Safety Services
• Mario Vasquez, CIH, of Flint Hills Resources

Two Board members have completed their service and will rotate off the Board in March 2009. They are:

• Kent Candee, CIH, of EMC Insurance Companies
• Lisa Quiggle, CAIH, of the State of Michigan, Department of Community Health

“In today’s economic environment it is more critical than ever that organizations maintain a strong focus on worker health and safety,” Merkle said. “Certified Industrial Hygienists are the professionals best equipped to do this. I am proud to continue representing ABIH and advancing the value of the CIH credential.”

ABIH administers the CIH program. Earning the CIH requires that candidates meet rigorous education and experience requirements, pass an examination, and recertify every five years by fulfilling continuing education requirements. More than 6,500 industrial hygienists currently hold the CIH designation.