People on the Move
People on the Move spotlights trailblazers in standardization, highlighting their latest achievements, advancements, and contributions to the standards community.
The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)'s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a government member of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), has appointed Mary Saunders as associate director for management resources (ADMR). Ms. Saunders will replace Del Brockett, who has served as acting ADMR since September, replacing David Robinson, who resigned to take a position with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Mr. Brockett will resume his previous full-time position as chief information officer for NIST in December.
In this new position, which is similar to that of chief operating officer (COO) in other organizations, Ms. Saunders will oversee all administrative offices and institutional support initiatives within NIST, including information technology, safety and environmental management, facilities maintenance, accounting and finance, budget management, emergency response, and strategic planning. Prior to her selection as ADMR, Ms. Saunders served as the director of NIST's Standards Coordination Office. In that role she represented NIST and its interests to the international standards and conformity-assessment communities and provided guidance to Patrick Gallagher, Ph.D., U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce and director of NIST, among other high-ranking NIST officials on policy related to U.S. government involvement in standardization. Ms. Saunders will continue to play a role in the standardization community following her appointment.
Ms. Saunders began working for the DOC in 1986 and was first hired by NIST in 1993. She has served as the head of NIST's Standards Services Division and as the DOC's deputy assistant secretary for manufacturing and services, a position that included heading up the International Trade Administration's Manufacturing and Services Division. Ms. Saunders is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and received a master's degree in public affairs from Princeton University.
