Marble Institute of America: Press Room

MIA Names Commission To Set Rules
And Conduct Programs For Accreditation:
Separate Committee To Handle Appeals

CLEVELAND, OH, December 10, 2006— The Marble Institute of America has named a nine person commission to establish rules and regulations and conduct the programs related to its long-awaited accreditation program. The program is expected to launch in late January, 2007, when the first of hundreds of expected applications will be accepted. A three-member committee to handle appeals was also established.

Appointment of the two groups is one of the final steps to implementing the accreditation program, which has been in the planning stages for more than two years.

"We are pleased that some of the natural stone industry's leading proponents of high quality standards have agreed to serve on the two groups," said Gary Distelhorst, executive vice president of the 1800-member organization. Distelhorst said terms of service for commission members are staggered, so there will be continuity on the accreditation commission as it moves forward with its charter of handling the evolution of the accreditation process and programs.

Brett Rugo, of Rugo Stone LLC, Lindell Lummer of Malibu Arts & Tile and Jim Janochoski of Granites USA were named to terms expiring January 31, 2007. Ken Krebs of OHM International, Jon Lancto of Solid Surface Products and John Cogswell of CogswellStone will serve until December 31, 2008. Scott Lardner of Rocky Mountain Stone Company, Gaspar (G.K) Naquin of Stone Interiors and Scott Polak of Denver Marble will serve terms expiring December 31, 2009.

Tony Malisani of Malisani, Inc., Rodney Harvey of Curtain Wall Design & Consulting and Fred Radke of Radke Tile and Marble, Inc. were named to the appeals committee, with all terms expiring at the end of 2007. The appeals committee will handle the appeals of companies that receive notice that their application, exam or site visit has been deemed unsatisfactory.

MIA will soon announce the actual January date when applications will start being accepted.

About the Marble Institute of America
For over 60 years the Marble Institute of America (MIA) has been the world's leading information resource and advocate for the natural dimension stone industry. MIA members include marble, granite, limestone, sandstone, and other natural stone producers and quarriers, fabricators, installers, distributors, and contractors around the world.

MIA Names Commission To Set Rules And Conduct Programs For Accreditation: Separate Committee To Handle Appeals

MIA Names Commission To Set Rules
And Conduct Programs For Accreditation:
Separate Committee To Handle Appeals