ICPHSO Announces Recipient of 2022 Ross Koeser Achievement Award

ICPHSO Announces Recipient of 2022 Ross Koeser Achievement Award

Mount Laurel, NJ - February 7, 2022 –The International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO) announced today, in advance of its 2022 Annual Meeting and Training Symposium at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center, National Harbor, MD, that Robert (Bob) S. Adler, former Commissioner and Acting Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) who has been involved with ICPHSO since the organization’s founding in 1993, is the 2022 Ross Koeser Achievement Award recipient.

The award, given annually, recognizes an ICPHSO member for their significant contributions to the organization and advancing product safety. The award was created in 2015, after the retirement of ICPHSO founding member and first Executive Director, Ross Koeser. The award will be presented to Bob Adler by last year’s recipient, Sean Oberle, Publisher, Product Safety Letter, at the opening plenary session of CPSC Day on Wednesday, February 16, 2022, which features a keynote presentation by CPSC Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric and CPSC staff.

Bob Adler served as a Commissioner at the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) since August 18, 2009. He was renominated by President Obama on May 14, 2014, and confirmed by the Senate on December 2, 2014. His term ended October 2021. He also served as Acting Chair of the agency from October 2019 to October 2021.

Prior to his appointment, he served on the Obama Transition Team and co-authored a report on the CPSC for the Obama administration.

Prior to being named a Commissioner, Adler served as a professor of Legal Studies at the University of North Carolina as the Luther Hodges Jr., Scholar in Ethics and Law at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. At the University of North Carolina, he served as the Associate Dean of the MBA Program and as Associate Dean for the School’s Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Program.

Prior to his service at UNC, he spent nine years as an attorney-advisor to two commissioners at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in Washington, D.C. Subsequently, he served as counsel to the Subcommittee on Health and the Environment of the Committee on Energy and Commerce in the U.S. House of Representatives. While on the subcommittee, he worked on legislation relating to product liability, childhood vaccines, the Food and Drug Administration, medical malpractice, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Bob’s association with ICPHSO, dates back to the early beginnings of ICPHSO, where Adler led a group of senior ICPHSO leaders in developing its first Strategic Plan. The organization’s initial Strategic Plan was used as a guide to establish the organization as a unique international entity bringing together product safety and health professionals from around the world for education, training, and networking. Through the years, Adler has continued his strong support of ICPHSO through his presence as a volunteer, attendee, and speaker at many ICPHSO conferences.

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ICPHSO, founded in 1993, is the only organization which attracts a global membership of health and safety professionals and meets annually to exchange ideas, share information, and address health and safety concerns affecting all consumers. ICPHSO members represent U.S. and global government agencies, manufacturers, importers, retailers, trade associations, certification/testing laboratories, law firms, academia, health organizations, standards writing organizations, media, and consumer and parent advocacy groups. More information can be found at www.icphso.org.