Toy Industry Association Appoints Oversight Council for Toy Safety Certification ProgramSM

New York, NY. – The Toy Industry Association, Inc. (TIA) announced today the appointment of an Oversight Council for a new program that will help to verify that toys entering the U.S. market comply with all relevant safety standards and regulations.

“This Council is unique because it brings together stakeholders with a broad range of skills and perspectives and a shared passion for enhancing toy safety,” said Elizabeth Borrelli, executive director of the Toy Safety Certification ProgramSM (TSCPSM). “We are honored that a former CPSC commissioner, a former president of UL, and a cross-section of well-respected product safety experts, engineers, and government and consumers representatives will be helping to shape the development, implementation, integrity and effectiveness of the TSCP.”

The Oversight Council will be responsible for a variety of tasks including monitoring the development, implementation and effectiveness of TSCP; proposing changes to the program to increase value to stakeholders; and reviewing and adopting reasonable recommended changes in the program relating to technical considerations. Its members will provide guidance as the program adapts to changes in the marketplace, ultimately making it easier to assure the safety of toys to consumers.

The TSCP was developed as a direct result of the toy recalls of 2007 and the resulting congressional hearings, political platforms, media coverage, and overall consumer concerns. TIA stepped forward to take a proactive stance in developing and promoting a program that would apply to toys that are produced for sale in the United States.

Development of the program began in August 2007 through a collaborative process that brought together representatives of toy companies, retailers, toy testers, factory auditors, government representatives, consumer groups and conformity assessment experts. The initiative was organized by TIA in partnership with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), coordinator of the U.S. voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment system.

Additional information can be found on the TSCP website.

Members of the first TSCP Oversight Council include:

* TOM CASTINO
Tom Castino is a former president and chief executive officer of Underwriters Laboratories (UL). During his 43-year career, he was responsible for promoting UL’s tremendous growth and expansion of its safety mission on a global scale.

* ANNE CRAIGMYLE
Anne Craigmyle currently serves on the American Fireworks Standard Laboratory (AFSL) Standards Committee as its consumer representative. She is a mother with three boys ranging in ages from seven to thirteen.

* CAROL G. DAWSON
Carol Dawson was Commissioner of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) from 1984 until 1993. Previously, she served as a deputy press secretary and as liaison to the White House for the U.S. Department of Energy.

* GORDON GILLERMAN
Gordon Gillerman is conformity assessment advisor at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) advising federal agencies and other stakeholders on standards and compliance policy, particularly in areas pertaining to federal needs.

* MYUNG KANG-HUNEKE
Myung Kang-Huneke is the vice president and general counsel for Sesame Workshop where she oversees the legal and government affairs departments, serves as secretary to the Board of Trustees, and oversees Sesame Workshop’s Product Safety Assurance Program.

* ALAN KAUFMAN
Alan Kaufman is vice president of quality assurance, safety, and compliance for Toys“R”Us, Inc., where he serves as a liaison with public and government oversight agencies on product safety issues and is a key member of the company’s Safety Leadership Council. He has more than 25 years of experience related to product safety and quality assurance.

* ARTHUR KAZIANIS
Arthur Kazianis, senior vice president of global quality assurance at Hasbro, Inc., oversees the company’s product safety, quality and environmental and social responsibility programs. He is a career professional with experience in areas ranging from consumer product safety and design engineering to reliability and quality assurance.

* KATHLEEN MCHUGH
Kathleen McHugh is president of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA). ASTRA represents more than 1,000 member manufacturers, retailers, sales reps, and affiliate businesses in the specialty toy industry. An association management professional, she served as its executive director until 2004. She was named president in 2008.

* ARNOLD E. RUBIN
Arnie Rubin, president and chief executive officer of Funrise Toy Corporation, has more than forty years of leadership experience in the toy industry, including service as chairman of both the Toy Industry Association (2004-2006) and the Toy Industry Foundation (2006-2008).

* BETH SCHOMMER
Beth Schommer, vice president of product safety and compliance for Wal-Mart, oversees regulatory safety standards, product recalls and product testing. She has held merchandising management responsibilities for the company in the United States and Europe.

* JIM WALTER
Jim Walter, senior vice president and chief regulatory officer, global product integrity for Mattel, Inc., is responsible for worldwide product quality, safety and regulatory compliance. He is a member and former chair of the TIA Safety Standards and Technical Committee and chair of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) working group responsible for the international toy safety standard.