Ílhavo, Portugal—The Tile Council of North America (TCNA) recently honored John Sanders for 22 years of service to the International Organization for Standardization’s Technical Committee 189 (ISO/TC 189) on ceramic tiles. TCNA presented Sanders with a custom-framed version of a resolution that recognized his contributions, which were unanimously approved by the committee during its latest plenary meeting, held here.
An accomplished ceramics engineer, Sanders began his career at Daltile Corporation before joining Clemson University’s Ceramic and Materials Engineering Department in 2000. Since 2012, he has served as director of the National Brick Research Center (NBRC).
Since taking over as committee manager in 2002, Sanders guided the growth of ISO/TC 189 to 35 participating member nations, 25 observing member nations and 12 working groups. His efforts are said to have helped in developing international consensus on a multitude of ceramic tile-related topics, while also maintaining his day job in the brick industry. Sanders stepped down from his position in 2024.
The resolution was presented at the NBRC headquarters in Clemson University’s Advanced Materials Research Park by TCNA’s Grant Davidson—Sanders’ successor as committee manager, alongside Bill Griese, TCNA and convenor of the committee’s working group on embodied carbon.
“Over the past 22 years, Dr. Sanders has been a cornerstone of ISO/TC 189,” Griese said. “His tireless effort and visionary leadership have fostered collaboration and driven progress, leaving a lasting legacy on international ceramic tile standards.”
Sanders’ contributions to ISO/TC 189 and his dedication to advancing the ceramics industry are said to stand as an inspiration to the global standards community.