NSF Names Christopher Boyd Manager of Building Water Health Program in North America

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – NSF, a global public health and safety organization, has appointed Christopher Boyd as General Manager of its building water health program in North America.

Boyd comes to NSF from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in New York City (NYC), where he led the agency’s response to the largest Legionella outbreak in NYC history. He also reorganized the response to building and environmental outbreaks and oversaw implementation of the first Legionella controlling regulatory standards in cooling towers. As Assistant Commissioner of Environmental Sciences and Engineering in NYC, Boyd was also responsible for regulatory oversight of the New York City municipal water system. Additionally, he managed a team of over 100 personnel, including engineers, research scientists, medical physicists, water ecologists and public health sanitarians.

NSF’s building water health program provides auditing, training, risk assessments and water safety plan development for building owners and managers concerned about water safety. It also evaluates building water systems and the impact they have on human health, and is instrumental in the development of standards and protocols designed to address water safety throughout the entire building water system. The program’s ultimate goal is preventing waterborne diseases, such as Legionella, while promoting public health and safety.

“Chris brings years of experience in public service to NSF, and his particular focus on building water health in one of the world’s largest cities makes him uniquely qualified to lead our building water health program in North America,” said Dave Purkiss, Director of Global Water Programs at NSF.

Prior to his position with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Boyd held various roles including Senior Policy Analyst for the New York City Comptroller, Director of Planning for the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission in Peoria, Ill., and Special Assistant for Environmental Policy for Brooklyn Borough President Harold Golden in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Boyd has published numerous reports and articles throughout his career, and has made many presentations on Legionella research. He also received several awards, including the Distinguished Service Award for Managerial Leadership and the Distinguished Service Award for Strategic Reconfiguration, both from the NYC Department of Mental Health and Hygiene, and the Best of Parks “Keeping it Cool” Award from NYC Parks Department in recognition of his outstanding leadership in the regulatory approval process for the opening of Cedar Grove Beach in Staten Island. Boyd received a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and anthropology from the Gerald R. Ford Institute for Public Service at Albion College in Albion, Mich., where he graduated cum laude and with departmental honors.

NSF is currently developing a building water health standard to help building owners and operators evaluate and minimize the risk of disease and injury associated with building water systems. The standard, NSF 444: Prevention of Injury and Disease Associated with Building Water Systems, will establish safe management practices for building water systems.

Editor’s Note: For media interviews, please contact Thomas Frey, APR at media@nsf.org or +1 734.214.6242.

About NSF: NSF (nsf.org) is a global independent organization that writes standards, and tests and certifies products for the health sciences, water, food and consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment. Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide. With locations in 30 countries, NSF is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center on Food Safety, Water Quality and Indoor Environment.

NSF led the development of the American National Standards for all materials and products that treat or come in contact with drinking water. In 1990, the U.S. EPA replaced its own drinking water product advisory program with these NSF standards. Today, most major plumbing codes require certification to NSF standards for pipes and plumbing components in commercial and residential buildings.