ACI’s Richard Sedlak to Retire

Richard Sedlak, the American Cleaning Institute’s (ACI) executive vice president of Technical & International Affairs, is retiring from ACI as of December 31, 2019 after more than 42 years at the association. Dr. James Kim, ACI’s associate vice president, Science & Regulatory Affairs, will lead the Institute’s technical and regulatory department, effective January 1, 2020.
 
“Rich’s vast knowledge, experience and legacy within our industry is virtually unmatched,” said Melissa Hockstad, ACI president & CEO. “We will miss him as a colleague and friend, and wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement. Rich is committed to ensuring a smooth transition and will consult with ACI through early 2020 on key projects he was involved with at the association.”
 
Sedlak, who joined ACI in 1977, has overseen a broad range of initiatives addressing the environmental fate and human and environmental toxicology of cleaning product chemicals. His experience includes research on the treatability and compatibility of detergent ingredients in municipal and on-site wastewater treatment systems, the fate and effects of residual releases to the environment, assessment of risks posed by product ingredients during and after use, and the shaping of laws, regulations and voluntary initiatives based on state-of-the-art science. He has also been a leader in coordinating US and international industry input to United Nations and OECD initiatives to develop a harmonized system for managing chemicals based on best practices.
 
Prior to joining ACI, Kim was a senior toxicologist at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of Management and Budget (OMB), where he served as a scientific lead on interagency reviews of regulations, regulatory actions and human health risk assessments. He also represented OMB on various interagency task forces and committees, such as the President’s Task Force on Environmental Health and Safety Risks to Children, the Nanotechnology Environmental and Health Implications Working Group and the Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology Subcommittee.