(ANSI: New York) -- To ensure that all stakeholders have ample opportunity to submit candidates for the American National Standards Institute's (ANSI) 2009 Leadership and Service Awards, ANSI has extended the deadline for nominations to Monday, July 27.

The awards are presented annually as a part of World Standards Week to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to voluntary consensus standardization and conformity assessment programs, consistently demonstrating a commitment to their industry, their nation, and the enhancement of the global standards system.

Representatives of industry, government, academia, consumer organizations, and the U.S. voluntary consensus standards, and conformity assessment community, with the exception of current officers of the Institute’s board of directors, are considered eligible for an award. Recipients will be chosen from the list of nominees by an awards committee comprised of the officers of the ANSI board of directors.

Click here to access the nominations brochure.

“The annual awards program is a long-standing and valuable ANSI tradition,” said S. Joe Bhatia, ANSI president and CEO. “We welcome this opportunity each year to recognize the tremendous contributions that individuals with diverse backgrounds and perspectives make to standards and conformity assessment issues that affect both the economy and our well-being.”

ANSI will honor award recipients at a banquet and ceremony to be held on Tuesday evening, October 6, at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Nominations are due by Monday, July 27, 2009 (5:00 p.m. EST).

For information detailing the nomination procedure, the recipient selection process, and nomination forms, visit ansi.org/awards.