Oct 01, 2007

Kathleen Riley (Kitty) Kono, recently retired as vice president of global cooperation at ASTM International, received the Astin-Polk International Standards Medal from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) at an October 17 reception and dinner held in Washington, D.C.

ANSI honored Kono, who filled the ASTM International global cooperation position since its creation in 2001, for expanding the role of standards in international trade and regulation and establishing networks among standards development organizations worldwide, particularly in developing nations.

The Astin-Polk International Standards Medal honors distinguished service in promoting trade and understanding among nations through participation in the advancement, development and administration of international standardization, measurement and certification.

Of her tenure in global cooperation, Kono said, "[Since 2001] we have opened an office in Mexico, reopened the Washington, D.C., office, created the China Consortium on Standards and Conformity Assessment, and opened our own ASTM International office in Beijing. We have built relationships with over 50 mostly developing countries through our memorandum of understanding program. This year we created a technical assistance program, in which we are providing training in the use of ASTM standards to our MOU partners."

ASTM President James A. Thomas said, "Kitty's position as vice president of global cooperation has combined her whole background at ASTM International and her personal skills - her ability to reach people, her enthusiasm, her passionate commitment to the success of ASTM and her unshakeable belief in ASTM as a truly global organization."

Kono's ASTM International career included positions as the ASTM Washington representative, executive director of the ASTM Institute for Standards Research, editor of ASTM Standardization News and staff manager.  She is a graduate of Hollins College, Roanoke, Va., where she majored in psychology, and currently resides in St. Davids, Pa.

According to the ANSI Web site, the Astin-Polk Standards Medal award takes its name from two advocates of international standardization and metrology: the late Dr. Allen V. Astin, retired from the National Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology) and Dr. Louis F. Polk, Sr., who was chairman of the U.S. Metric Board.

A photo is available upon request.  Please contact Erin McElrone, ASTM International (emcelron@astm.org).

Release #7786