Malone Named to NIST Visiting Committee: McGroddy Elected Chairman

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has announced that Steven A . Malone, director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture's Weights and Measures Program, has been appointed by Director Ray Kammer to serve on the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology, the agency's primary private-sector policy advisor.

In a related announcement, three VCAT members have been appointed to second terms. They are Craig I. Fields, chairman, Defense Science Board; James C. McGroddy, senior vice president for research (retired), IBM T.J. Watson Research Center; and Howard D. Samuel, senior fellow, Council on Competitiveness. All three and Malone will serve on the VCAT until Jan. 31, 2001.

McGroddy also was elected by the VCAT to succeed the retiring Robert Jay Herman, senior vice president for science and technology, United Technologies, as VCAT chairman.

The VCAT's newest member, Malone has over 25 years of administrative and technical experience in the field of measurement law. As director of the Nebraska Weights and Measures Program, he is responsible for enforcing the provisions of the Nebraska Weights and Measures Act. These responsibilities require the annual examination and review of all commercially used weighing and measuring devices and associated equipment for compliance to established standards. Other responsibilities include the sampling and examination of package commodities for compliance with net quantity requirements and maintaining traceability to the state's primary standards of mass, length and volume.

Malone previously served as president of Western Meter Inc., a liquefied petroleum gas and refined fuel meter sales, service and calibration company. He is chairman of the National Conference on Weights and Measures, an association that develops model laws and regulations and uniform standards. These standards establish device specifications, tolerances and other technical requirements, for adoption by over 700 U.S. weights and measures jurisdictions.

The VCAT was established by Congress under the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988. It reviews and makes recommendations on NIST's policies, organization, budget and programs. The VCAT summarizes its findings and recommendations to the Secretary of Commerce in an annual report that the Secretary in turn submits to Congress.

In addition, the VCAT writes reports on specific policy matters and other subjects as it deems appropriate, and as requested by senior NIST managers and Department of Commerce officials.

The VCAT meets at least quarterly for reviews and discussions with NIST senior management, and meets as needed with senior officials in the Department of Commerce to discuss its findings.

VCAT members have distinguished records of achievement in fields that are relevant to NIST and its programs, such as business, research, engineering, labor and education. None may be federal employees. Members are appointed to three-year terms by the NIST Director.

As a non-regulatory agency of the Commerce Department's Technology Administration, NIST promotes U.S. economic growth by working with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements and standards.