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Toy Safety Chief to Chair ASTM Board

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

ASTM International has elected Catherine (Kitty) H. Pilarz, senior director of Mattel/Fisher-Price product safety in East Aurora, NY, 2011 chairman of the board of directors—the organization’s highest elected position.

Pilarz has served on the ASTM board of directors since 2006. She is vice chairman of new projects for ASTM Committee F15 on Consumer Products; co-chairman of Subcommittee F15.18 on Cribs, Toddler Beds, Play Yards, Bassinets, Cradles and Changing Tables; and a participant in many other F15 subcommittees.

Pilarz was honored with the 2006 ASTM Award of Merit and accompanying title of fellow for her contributions to F15, a committee of more than 900 manufacturers, end users, industry associations, regulatory authorities, health professionals and consumer advocacy groups who develop voluntary product standards to improve consumer safety. 

Product Safety Policy Chief

In her professional position, Pilarz is responsible for the safety policy of the Mattel and Fisher-Price product lines. Mattel/Fisher-Price designs, manufactures and markets toys and family products sold in more than 150 nations around the world.

Pilarz graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1980 with a B.S. in mechanical engineering and went to work for Fisher-Price as an engineer-in-training. In 1983, while a project engineer in international operations and conducting analysis and planning for international production, she received her M.B.A. from Canisius College in Buffalo.

She held positions as a manufacturing engineer and as a quality control engineer before becoming manager of product safety and reliability in 1987.  She assumed her current role in 2001.

ASME, ASQ Roles

Pilarz is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Society for Quality. Through ASQ, she has earned the designations of certified reliability engineer and certified quality engineer.

Pilarz has served as symposium chair, president and board member for the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization, which works to promote product safety through education and communication. She received a 40 under 40 Award in 1998 from Business First magazine.

ASTM International is one of the largest international standards development and delivery systems in the world.