Gary P. Noonan Receives Walter F. Snyder Environmental Health Award

NSF International and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) are pleased to announce that Gary P. Noonan has been selected as the 2011 Walter F. Snyder Award recipient for outstanding achievements in environmental health. Noonan will receive the award during NEHA's annual conference on Saturday, June 18 in Columbus, OH for his extensive work to improve drinking water quality, eliminate lead hazards, and develop respirator standards and emergency response plans.

This award, given in honor of NSF International's Co-Founder and first Executive Director Walter F. Snyder, is presented annually in recognition of outstanding contributions to the advancement of environmental health. Noonan, who retired from the U.S. Public Health Service with the rank of Captain (CAPT), is being honored for his 38-year career marked by significant public and environmental health achievements at the local, tribal, federal and international levels.

CAPT Noonan, RS, MPA, DLAAS (Diplomat Laureate of the American Academy of Sanitarians), started his career as a sanitarian with the Jefferson County Health Department (Colorado) conducting general environmental health work, air monitoring and representing the health department at the planning commission. In 1978, he accepted a commission as a Lieutenant, Sanitarian Officer in the United States Public Health Service and was assigned to the Indian Health Service (IHS) as District Sanitarian in Minot, North Dakota.

As District Sanitarian for the IHS, CAPT Noonan served on three North Dakota reservations to train tribal members in maintaining and operating water and wastewater systems. His efforts to produce safe drinking water sources resulted in a notable reduction in gastroenteritis among the tribal members.

CAPT Noonan then worked for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as Chief of the Protective Equipment Section and Acting Chief of the Injury Prevention Research Branch where he conducted research for respiratory self-contained breathing devices and respiratory protection equipment.

In 1992, CAPT Noonan transferred to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Ga. where he worked as an Industrial Hygienist and ultimately as the Acting Chief of the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. In this capacity, he worked with several federal partners and consensus standards groups to reduce lead hazards and shared this expertise with scientists in foreign countries.

Since July 2002, CAPT Noonan has served as the Associate Division Director for Emergency Response for the CDC, where he coordinates the Division's epidemiologic response to chemical and radiological terrorism and the response to natural disasters. He also oversees cooperative agreements with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Mexico's National Institute of Public Health, and serves as the Division point of contact and project officer on a CDC/ Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) project that addresses health effects related to Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.

CAPT Noonan has served as a member of the NSF Council of Public Health Consultants since 2005 and chaired the council in 2010. His involvement in the consensus standards process includes serving on the National Fire Protection Association's Technical Committee on Fire Service Protective Clothing and Equipment, as well as contributing to a number of national standards on lead testing.

Kevan Lawlor, NSF International President and CEO expressed, "Gary Noonan's work and pioneering research in respirator standards and his leadership and contributions on the NSF Council of Public Health Consultants are greatly appreciated. Gary has career achievements that reflect the principles expressed by Walter F. Snyder and the public health mission of NSF International. The successes he has accomplished have advanced environmental health making him an outstanding selection for this year's Walter F. Snyder Award."

"In the spirit of what the Snyder Award stands for, Gary has always made it easy for people to work with him and with each other. Gary brings a high level of expertise to his work and finds ways to excite people and make everyone feel as if they are a part of the team. Our association is delighted that Gary has won this award. His many friends in NEHA will undoubtedly be moved to see their good friend Gary recognized in this very special way," said Nelson Fabian, the Executive Director and CEO of NEHA.

For more information, visit http://www.nsf.org/regulatory/about_regulatory/wfs_award.asp.

About NSF International :
NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, certifies products and writes standards for food, water and consumer goods to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment. Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting public health and safety worldwide and operates in more than 150 countries. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment.

NSF services include Education and Training, certification and auditing services for the food and water industries, consumer product certification, nutritional/dietary supplement certification, toy testing, organic certification provided by QAI (Quality Assurance International), sustainable business solutions through NSF Sustainability and management systems registrations delivered through NSF International Strategic Registrations (NSF-ISR). For more information, visit www.nsf.org.

SOURCE: NSF International and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA)