Culotta to Retire from NSF
Nancy Culotta, NSF International’s vice president for food safety product certification and consumer products, has announced plans to retire this summer, following a 25-year career with the independent public health and safety organization.
Culotta played a key role in globally expanding NSF’s public health services to Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. She spearheaded several new and innovative initiatives, including launching NSF’s Drinking Water Treatment Unit program, the retail food safety program and NSF’s Home Product Certification program.
“We are extremely grateful to Nancy for her leadership and commitment to NSF International’s public health mission for more than 25 years,” said Kevan P. Lawlor, NSF president and CEO. “Nancy has played a significant role in the evolution of NSF, including the development of new services and NSF’s global expansion, and her many contributions will be felt for a long time to come. We all join in wishing her the best for a happy retirement.”
Culotta joined NSF International in 1985 as a product certification field auditor and went on to become general manager of NSF’s drinking water and wastewater programs. She left NSF for a year to develop a local community health organization, returning in 2000 to launch NSF’s food safety auditing services. In this role, she was instrumental in the acquisition of Cook & Thurber and Fresh Check supermarket food safety businesses.
In 2004, Culotta was promoted to VP of retail food safety and, in 2007, took the assignment as VP of food safety product certification, with responsibility for NSF’s foodservice equipment, nonfood compounds and bottled water certification programs. In 2010, Culotta launched the NSF Home Product Certification program, bringing NSF’s considerable public health and safety expertise to the world of household kitchen appliances and other home products.
“It has been my honor to work with so many people who are dedicated to our mission of protecting and improving the public’s health and safety,” Culotta said. “I am proud to say that each day over my 25-year career I had an opportunity to work with others in making a very real impact on public health. I’ve had the good fortune to meet many exceptional professionals, both at NSF and throughout many industry and stakeholder organizations, and will always value the long-standing relationships I’ve developed along the way.”
Founded in 1944, NSF International certifies products and writes standards for food, water and consumer goods to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment.