FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2009-09-25

SCC Chairman Hugh Krentz receives prestigious Leo B. Moore Medal for contributions to standards development

Hugh Krentz
Chairman, Standards Council of Canada

Hugh Krentz, the Chairman of the Standards Council of Canada (SCC), was presented with the Leo B. Moore Medal during the 58th Standards Engineering Society (SES) Annual Conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, August 17-18, 2009.

Mr. Krentz is a well-known and respected member and leader of the Canadian and international standards community.  He was presented the award in recognition of his long term contributions to standards development.

Mr. Krentz has been Chairman of the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) since 2001 and was reappointed in November 2008 for a one-year term.  He has served on the SCC Council in a variety of positions since 1977 and has been an active participant in the work of SCC and Canada’s National Standards System.  His efforts in the development and updating of the Canadian Standards Strategy are widely recognized.

Mr. Krentz is also actively involved in the work of the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) serving on the CSA Strategic Steering Committee on Welding and Structural Metals and as Chairman of a CSA technical committee. As well, he serves on various committees of the American Society for Testing and Materials, and of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the CWB Group. In addition, for 10 years, until 2005, he was a member of the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes.

Throughout his career, Mr. Krentz has served in various capacities at the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC), including as Regional Engineer for Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Vice President and General Manager, and President.  Concurrently with his employment with the CISC, he became Director of Research and Development for the Canadian Steel Construction Council. He later served as Secretary of the Council and, in 1981, he was elected Chairman. In 1986, Mr. Krentz was appointed Executive Director of the Steel Structures Education Foundation.

Mr. Krentz is a Fellow of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering and a member of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. He has received numerous awards recognizing his contributions to structural engineering and standards development.  In 1981 he was awarded the A.B. Sanderson Award for his contributions to structural engineering in Canada as a code writer, research director, and author.  In 1990 he received the John Jenkins Award from CSA for his outstanding contribution and leadership in the development and advancement of national and international standards in the field of structural steel design.

In accepting the international honour of becoming a Leo B. Moore Medal recipient, he joins other notable Canadian recipients, such as former CSA president John Kean.

The Leo B. Moore Medal is the most prestigious award conferred by SES. It is named for the late Dr. Leo B. Moore; a Professor-Emeritus from Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management and was first given by SES in 1963.

It is not an annual Award, but is given only when merited. The individual must have exhibited "highest achievement, extraordinary contribution, and distinguished service in standardization". Further, the individual must have advanced standardization "through original research and writing, creative application and development, or professional and public service".

The Standards Engineering Society was founded in 1947 as a non-profit, technical association dedicated to furthering the knowledge and use of standards and standardization.

The Standards Council of Canada is a Crown corporation with the mandate to promote efficient and effective standardization in Canada. It facilitates the development and use of national and international standards and offers accreditation services with the goal of enhancing Canada's economic competitiveness and social well-being.

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