President's Message – June 2013

I’m taking this opportunity to call to your attention the work and contributions of a truly unselfish ITA Board member, Jim Shepherd, owner of Sperti Sunlamps in Crescent Springs, KY.

Many of you don’t know Jim because he prefers to work in the background. However, since the day I was first elected to the ITA board, I have gotten to know Jim very well, and I have developed tremendous respect for him as a person and as an advocate for our industry. Not only does Jim serve on the ITA Board, he is also president of Ultraviolet Light Research and Education Foundation (UV Foundation). Established in 2003 through fundraising and unrestricted grants from the ITA, the foundation has funded independent research that investigates the benefits and risks of ultraviolet light on the human body.

In 2004, Jim was appointed to TC61/MT16 Division of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). This organization is an international electrical standards organization that focuses on ultraviolet equipment and is responsible for determining the standards by which tanning beds and other ultraviolet tools are used. The only other U.S. representative on this prestigious international body is Sharon Miller from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

For all his service on these three organizations — attending regular meetings and traveling to meetings in Europe and across the U.S. —Jim does not receive any compensation! In fact, his costs are significant: both out-of-pocket expenses and the time that he is away from his business.

Each of these three organizations is important in its own way, but Jim’s biggest contribution is through his service on the IEC. From helping us stay on top of regulatory developments in Europe to serving on the front line fighting efforts to harmonize U.S. regulations with European standards, Jim is our advocate. He was recently appointed as an expert to yet another working group within the IEC along with Sharon Miller of the FDA. This group is charged with creating a standard for the manufacture of red-light and other beauty therapy lamps.

In addition to making Jim an important part of an international regulatory body, his service on the IEC has clearly put him in a position to develop closer ties with key people at the FDA who oversee our industry. This was evident in April when Jim set up a meeting for the ITA with senior FDA staff. Meetings of this type on a regular basis are good for the industry and regulators.

We all owe Jim a debt of gratitude.

Thanks,
Rob Quinn