FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   

Release No. SPR-08-903-01    

Melissa Hurley, AIHA Communications
(703) 846-0740; mhurley@aiha.org

AIHA Receives 2008 Communication Gold Circle Honorable Mention

FAIRFAX, VA (September 3, 2008) —The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) was recently honored with a 2008 Communication Gold Circle Award (GCA) Honorable Mention, the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) & The Center for Association Leadership’s award recognizing innovative ideas and achievement in association communication campaigns. Selected from 373 entries, recipients were chosen for demonstrating excellence in communication in the categories of print publishing, writing, electronic publishing, media relations, and emerging communication vehicles.

AIHA received an honorable mention in the media relations project category for their mock meth lab exhibit at their annual conference in 2007. AIHA constructed a mock clandestine drug lab that displayed the household implements and chemicals commonly used to manufacture methamphetamine. Industrial hygienists who test meth lab sites for contamination and recommend cleanup procedures (and who are also members of AIHA) were on hand to educate other industrial hygienists on how to properly assess health and safety risks from these labs.

“Congratulations to recipients of the 2008 Gold Circle Award,” said John H. Graham IV, CAE, president and CEO of ASAE. “These organizations show how successful communication vehicles help associations accomplish their strategic goals and mission. I applaud the skilled communication professionals who have mastered their tools and communications strategies to create these exemplary pieces.”

“This year we received 373 entries representing 248 organizations — a 40% increase from last year,” said Cecilia Sepp, 2007-2008 chair of the Gold Circle Awards Committee. “Each year this program grows bigger and stronger. We are proud to honor those who embody the spirit of the Gold Circle Awards.”  

AIHA was acknowledged at a special awards ceremony held during ASAE & The Center’s 2008 Annual Meeting & Exposition in San Diego, California, August 16–19. To view electronic samples of GCA recipients, visit www.asaecenter.org/2008GCAWinners.
                       
“ASAE is the association for associations,” said AIHA’s Executive Director Steven H. Davis, CAE. “It sets the bar for all areas of operation for associations. For ASAE’s awards program to select an AIHA communications program for an honorable mention speaks extremely well of AIHA.”

ASAE is an individual membership organization of more than 22,000 association executives and industry partners representing more than 11,000 organizations. Its members manage leading trade associations, individual membership societies, and voluntary organizations across the United States and in 50 countries. Their members’ organizations represent essential industries and professions such as health care, manufacturing, banking, law, energy, insurance, and others. ASAE is also a leading voice for the nonprofit sector, advocating for voluntary organizations so that they may continue to improve the quality of life in the United States.

The Center for Association Leadership is the premier provider of learning, knowledge, and future-oriented research for the association profession. The center delivers innovative learning experiences, performance-enhancing resources, new thinking and models for the profession, opportunities for peer-to-peer collaboration, and strategic tools and data designed to advance the association profession. Together, ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership provide resources, education, ideas, and advocacy to enhance the power and performance of the association community.

For more information, contact Melissa Hurley, AIHA’s manager of strategic communications, at (703) 846-0740 or mhurley@aiha.org.

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Founded in 1939, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) is the premier association of occupational and environmental health and safety professionals. AIHA’s 10,600 members play a crucial role on the front line of worker health and safety every day. Members represent a cross-section of industry, private business, labor, government, and academia. For more information, go to www.aiha.org.