International Bottled Water Association | NEWS RELEASE | November 14, 2018
Pennsylvania Executive Earns National Advocacy Award
New Orleans, LA – The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) announced today that Louis F. Vittorio, Jr., P.G., of Earthres Group, Inc. (EARTHRES) based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has earned its IBWA/Shayron Barnes-Selby Advocacy Award.
Mr. Vittorio was presented the award during IBWA’s Annual General Meeting as part of the 2018 IBWA Annual Business Conference, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
While making the announcement, IBWA Convention Committee Co-Chair Dan Kelly celebrated Mr. Vittorio’s years of work and dedication in the bottled water industry.
“Lou is a tireless, enthusiastic, and fiercely dedicated advocate of the bottled water industry and IBWA,” Kelly said. “Since 2015, he’s held a seat on the IBWA Board of Directors—and he has proactively served on various committees, including the Technical, Education, and Environmental Sustainability Committees, and additionally is currently on IBWA’s PAC board.”
Mr. Vittorio is also known to often participate in IBWA’s Annual Hill Day, in which IBWA members meet with members of Congress to advocate for issues related to the bottled water industry. Following the Hill Day visit in 2017, he was able to help bring Bucks County, Pennsylvania Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick to EARTHRES to discuss business initiatives, as well as bottled water initiatives and groundwater issues in the area.
“While Lou has done a lot internally for the association, he has also helped direct our outward facing messages. He has written several extensive articles as a subject matter expert for the Bottle Water Reporter, IBWA’s bimonthly trade magazine. As a former member of our Communications Committee, Lou is often contacted to assist staff in crafting messages that need the insight of a professional geologist.”
In addition to his work with IBWA, Mr. Vittorio has presented at several regional bottled water association meetings on behalf of IBWA and the bottled water industry, including the Central States Bottled Water Association and the Northeast Bottled Water Association.
Locally, he has been active in Pennsylvania by giving presentations on protecting local watersheds and residential water supplies. He has also given presentations to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), local politicians, and industry groups on karst geology and water supply issues.
This is the third time IBWA’s Advocacy Award has been awarded. However, since 1963, IBWA’s award program has been recognizing the efforts of bottled water industry professionals to advance the industry and promote healthy hydration.
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Visit their newly updated website for a full listing of services at www.earthres.com or call them at 800-264-4553.
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Media Contact:
Jill Culora
703-647-4609
jculora@bottledwater.org
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.
