FALLS CHURCH, VA--(Marketwired - November 01, 2016) - The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA^®) is pleased to announce that its IH Professional Pathway™ program has been named the Gold Award winner in the category of Member Outreach and Communication by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP) MarCom Awards.

"The objectives of the IH Professional Pathway program are to build member engagement, career development, public awareness about the admirable profession of industrial hygiene, and appealing outreach tools for STEM students so they can better relate to this possible career path," explained Susan Marchese, AIHA's Director of Marketing and Communications. Marchese was instrumental in devising the multi-faceted program.

Ben H. Rome, AIHA's Marketing Manager, was the genius behind conceiving the "avatars" that represent the four career stages of the profession, fashioning them after comic book heroes because, as Rome noted, "Industrial and occupational hygiene professionals are in the field, the lab, the training facility, classroom, and boardroom teaching, advocating, and mitigating workplace illness in every workplace. They are everyday heroes who don't wear capes, but are protecting workers everywhere."

AIHA Board President Steven Lacey, PhD, CIH, CSP, announced the award to the association's membership at AIHA's Fall Conference in San Antonio, Texas. To watch the announcement video and to download a complimentary copy of AIHA's award-winning IH Professional Pathway outreach materials, visit the IH Professional Pathway program page.

The MarCom Awards is an international creative competition that recognizes outstanding achievement by marketing and communication professionals. More than 6,000 corporate marketing and communication departments, advertising agencies, PR firms, design shops, production companies, and freelancers enter to win at the prestigious MarCom Awards. Judges are industry professionals who look for companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the industry. MarCom is sponsored and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP), a 22-year-old international organization consisting of several thousand creative professionals.

A list of Platinum and Gold Winners can be found on the MarCom Awards website. Winners of the MarCom Awards range in size from individual communicators to media conglomerates and Fortune 500 companies. AIHA is honored that its IH Professional Pathway program stood out among the rigorous competition.

About AIHA^{® ​}
Founded in 1939, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) is the premier association of occupational and environmental health and safety professionals. AIHA's 10,000 members play a crucial role on the front line of worker health and safety every day. Members represent a cross-section of industry, private business, labor, government and academia. More information is available at www.aiha.org.

Release No. SPR-16-1101-01

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