International Bottled Water Association | NEWS RELEASE | November 15, 2016
Nestlé executive earns prestigious industry award
Nashville, TN – The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) today announced Kevin Mathews, Vice President of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs at Nestlé Waters North America (Stamford, CT), as winner of the coveted “Kristin Safran/IBWA Board of Directors’ Award” for 2016.
“This award hasn’t been given out since 2010, and that’s because it takes a special person, with a special commitment to the industry, to earn a nomination from the IBWA Board, Executive Committee, and Committee Chairs,” said Dan Kelly, an IBWA Board member and co-chair of its Supplier and Convention Committee. “This prestigious award recognizes IBWA members whose commitment, and actions on behalf of IBWA and the bottled water industry have achieved clear and measurable results.”
Mr. Kelly, in making the announcement at IBWA’s Annual Business Conference in Nashville, TN, said Mr. Mathews’ involvement with IBWA goes back so far organizers we were only able to put together a partial list of the IBWA committees and sub-committees he has served on:
Bottled Water Security Task Force
Environmental Sustainable Committee
Groundwater Rule Task Force
IBWA State Task Force
Packaging/Joint Packaging Subcommittee
Regulatory Task Force
Strategic Planning Committee
Technical Committee (co-chair)
Virus/Microbial Subcommittee
Mr. Kelly added that Mr. Mathews involvement wasn’t just serving on committees. He has also been involved in creating solutions for many unique industry problems—such as the challenges of returnable containers after a natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy. And he was instrumental in a pilot plant study reviewing the ozone’s ability to kill bacteria without creating a bromate issue.
“It’s all a bit technical, but that’s why Kevin is so valuable to IBWA,” Mr. Kelly told the audience.
“He understands the technical issues for us—and makes us a better organization for it.
“On account of all he has done for IBWA and the bottled water industry, it gives me great pleasure to present to Kevin Mathews the 2016 Kristin Safran / IBWA Board of Directors’ Award.”
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NOTE: Photos/head shots available upon request
Media Contact:
Jill Culora
jculora@bottledwater.org
703.647.4609
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters, including spring, mineral, purified, artesian, and sparkling. Founded in 1958, IBWA’s membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, to set comprehensive and stringent standards for safe, high-quality bottled water products.
In addition to FDA regulations, IBWA member bottlers must adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is a mandatory annual plant inspection by an independent, third-party organization.
IBWA is proud to be a partner with Keep America Beautiful and a supporter of Drink Up, an initiative of former First Lady Michelle Obama and the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), which encourages Americans to drink more water more often – whether from the tap, a filter, or in a bottle. Choosing water is always the healthy choice.
