Celebrating Our Stakeholders: ULSE’s Inaugural STAR Awards

Although UL Standards & Engagement is accredited as a “standards development organization,” I often like to describe us as a “standards convening organization,” because our role primarily involves convening industry stakeholders, who — in reality — are the driving force in the development of UL standards.

These stakeholders — six thousand around the world — dedicate their time and expertise toward the development of standards that touch nearly every aspect of human life.

Last week, I had the pleasure and the honor of celebrating our stakeholders at UL Standards & Engagement’s inaugural Stakeholder Awards & Recognition ceremony. Through these STAR awards, we aim to highlight and celebrate the unique contributions from our stakeholders, members, and partners each year. 

Nominations for 2023 were received from ULSE staff earlier this year and reviewed in detail. Award winners were then selected by a panel of ULSE leadership team members. As a member of that committee, it was inspiring to read each of the 40+ nominations. So many of our stakeholders have gone above and beyond in our standards development process, and the six award winners for 2023 demonstrated exceptional commitment toward helping advance our mission of working for a safer world. 

To all of our stakeholders, we extend our deepest thanks, and we hope you will join us in celebrating this year’s winners. We look forward to many more STAR awards in the years to come.

2023 ULSE STAR Awards Categories and Winners

Dedicated Service Award: This award recognizes TC members for their voluntary service to standards development through outstanding performance, committed service length, advancement of the UL mission, and enthusiasm when participating.

• Winner - Mitchell Guthrie: Mitchell was nominated for his steadfast participation in our standards development process, demonstrated by an exceptional voting record — merely two ballots short of 100% — across the nearly 500 topics he has been eligible to vote on for more than 20 years. He is held in high esteem by other committee members and his contributions provoke thought and drive conversations forward – especially during in-person meetings. Mitchell helps make sure all members understand the topics out for discussion or ballot, even if the proposals are not his. Mitchell has been a true leader in our process for more than two decades, with unwavering support for committee colleagues, our mission, and — of course — safety standards. 
• Winner - Joe Bablo: Joe was nominated for his work as the Principal Engineer on a number of technical committees, but most specifically in 2023 for his support toward finalizing and publishing the first edition UL 2750, the Standard for Wireless Power Transfer Equipment for Electric Vehicles. For more than two decades, Joe has been a leading voice in committee conversation, driver of proposals, and as someone who regularly leverages his network and reputation to introduce new members with valuable perspectives into our process. His contributions not only embody the spirit of this award and our mission, but they also set a benchmark for professionalism and dedication. 

Impactful Member of the Year Award: This award recognizes TC members who have displayed leadership and advocacy within technical committees, impacting the development of UL standards over the past year.

• Winner - John Berdner: John was nominated for his breadth of knowledge, responsiveness, industry activity, and contributions to standards development — specifically in the alternative energy industry. John actively participates and holds leadership positions on several task groups. He is the task group chair for the UL 9540A effort for Residential Testing, and Power Controls Systems under UL 1741. Additionally, he made significant contributions toward UL 3141, the Outline of Investigation for Power Control Systems. Additionally, John is on several leadership teams for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and helps maintain consistency and synergy between the relevant UL and IEEE standards. When John applies his industry experience to our process, it makes a significant impact to our work, and makes him a stand-out member. 
• Winner - Paul T. Kelly: Paul was nominated for his extraordinary work as a principal engineer in the hazardous locations industry at the U.S., regional, and global levels. Paul is actively involved in supporting and submitting proposals for TC 60079 — a TC responsible for more than 40 standards — and he also shares his expertise in U.S. technical advisory groups and IEC technical committees. Paul holds a reputation as a knowledgeable source on details of current requirements, an advocate for others in their development of proposals, and a voice of wisdom within the hazardous locations industry at large. He is the convener of multiple technical harmonization committees, in which he frequently leads industry experts in developing proposals to maintain current standards. 

Global Impact Award: This award recognizes a partner whose contributions have positioned ULSE to further our mission through advocacy, which includes increasing organizational awareness and building or maintaining a positive reputation globally.

• Winner - INTECO, represented by Marbeth Delgado: ULSE and INTECO, the National Standards Body for Costa Rica, formalized a partnership in 2018 through the signing of a memorandum of understanding. To date, INTECO has adopted 51 UL standards, including UL 1598, the Standard for Safety for Luminaires, in 2023. In addition to promoting the adoption of UL standards in Costa Rica, INTECO also provides opportunities for collaboration by hosting regional events. The organization participated in the ULRI-ULSE 2023 LATAM Battery Safety Summit in Mexico City — presenting on the challenges and opportunities Costa Rica faces in standardizing lithium-ion batteries. INTECO has also participated in ULSE forums such as the LATAM Fire Safety Congress, as well as the Women in Standards Forum. Through these collaborative opportunities and standards adoptions, we have seen a direct impact of the advancement of our mission in Costa Rica. 

Collaborative Committee Impact Award: This award highlights an exemplary ULSE Technical Committee whose consistent collaboration, thought leadership, and expertise, has made distinctive and impactful contributions to UL standards.

• Winner - TC 9540, Energy Storage Systems and Equipment, represented by Scott Lang & Karl Schuetze: TC 9540 is our largest technical committee with well over 100 rostered members. Despite its size and the high volume of proposal requests it receives, the TC made substantial progress in 2023 and members demonstrated extraordinary commitment, with nearly 80% virtual meeting attendance, 83% vote return, and the publication of a new, third-edition of the UL 9540 standard. By submitting proposals, maintaining strong meeting attendance, bringing discussion topics to meetings, and actively commenting and voting, TC 9540 truly upheld the collaborative qualities we admire in a committee.

How You Can Get Involved in Standards Development

ULSE standards are developed through a consensus-based process, which integrates scientific and testing expertise with input from our technical committee members and stakeholders. TC members represent a variety of interests, including industry, academia, government, retail, and manufacturing. If you would like to help improve safety in your industry, please explore the following resources to learn how you can get involved:

• Learn
• Get Involved
• Apply for TC Membership