Connecting Community. Advancing Trust.

2026 ANAB Conformity Assessment Symposium (ACAS)

January 19-20, 2026 · Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, Orlando, Florida

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The ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) is proud to host the inaugural ACAS, including the ANAB Professional Development Training, designed to serve as the central meeting point for everyone engaged in conformity assessment. Whether you represent a laboratory, inspection body, personnel certification scheme, product or process certification body, or regulatory/standardization organization, you’ll find tailored content, dynamic sessions, and networking opportunities that span the full spectrum of the profession.

Why Attend Highlights Speakers Venue & Travel Sponsorship Agenda Faq

Why Attend

Conformity assessment is evolving rapidly. New technologies, shifting regulations, global supply-chain pressures, and changing stakeholder demands are creating unprecedented risks and opportunities.

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Why Attend

Conformity assessment is evolving rapidly. New technologies, shifting regulations, global supply-chain pressures, and changing stakeholder demands are creating unprecedented risks and opportunities.

REGISTER NOW See Highlights

Navigate emerging trends in AI, automation, and digital accreditation reshaping conformity assessment

Master legal and regulatory complexities from cross-border accreditation to evolving liability frameworks

Discover how standards bodies, accreditors, and assessors collaborate to advance conformity assessment.

Gain insight into sector-specific challenges: from laboratories & inspections, to credentialing, management systems, validation & verification, and product certification.

Build and expand your professional network: meet peers, thought-leaders, and service providers in a relaxed yet purposeful environment, designed for meaningful interaction.

Professional Development Training: develop critical skills in measurement uncertainty, method verification and validation, risk-based thinking, and internal auditing through expert-led training sessions

Who Should Attend

Professionals from accreditation bodies, conformity assessment bodies (labs, inspection, certification, verification), regulatory agencies, standards organizations, service providers, stakeholder groups, consultants, and anyone else involved in or impacted by conformity assessment, verification/validation, and accreditation processes.

Event Highlights

Keynote Addresses

Hear from thought-leaders shaping the future of conformity assessment, accreditation, and regulatory alignment.

Panel Discussions

Engage with experts across industries as they discuss evolving challenges, emerging opportunities, and best practices.

Interactive Workshops & Break-Outs

Participate in hands-on sessions tailored to specific sectors, standards, and emerging technologies.

Networking Sessions & Reception

Connect with peers, assessors, regulators, accreditation professionals, and industry leaders in a collaborative environment.

ANAB Client Workshop

A dedicated interactive session designed specifically for ANAB clients to engage directly with ANAB staff, address questions, hear updates, and gain clarity on processes and expectations.

ANAB Professional Development Training

A two-day, hands-on training program, taught by experienced ANAB practitioners and is limited to 50 participants, with registration also including access to ACAS keynotes, lunches, and an evening networking reception.

Keynote Addresses

Hear from thought-leaders shaping the future of conformity assessment, accreditation, and regulatory alignment.

Panel Discussions

Engage with experts across industries as they discuss evolving challenges, emerging opportunities, and best practices.

Interactive Workshops & Break-Outs

Participate in hands-on sessions tailored to specific sectors, standards, and emerging technologies.

Networking Sessions & Reception

Connect with peers, assessors, regulators, accreditation professionals, and industry leaders in a collaborative environment.

ANAB Client Workshop

A dedicated interactive session designed specifically for ANAB clients to engage directly with ANAB staff, address questions, hear updates, and gain clarity on processes and expectations.

ANAB Professional Development Training

A two-day, hands-on training program, taught by experienced ANAB practitioners and is limited to 50 participants, with registration also including access to ACAS keynotes, lunches, and an evening networking reception.

REGISTER NOW Venue & Travel

Meet Our Speakers

Chris Dubay

Vice President and chief Engineer

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

Dale Cyr

CEO and Executive Director

Inteleos

Jessica Evans

Director of the Standards Development Team

NSF

Matt Gantley

CEO

UKAS

Rohit Israni

Chair of the US Committee

INCITS/AI

View All Speakers

Venue & Travel

Join us at the beautiful Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, a world-class venue offering both the convenience of conference facilities and the comfort of resort amenities. With easy access from major airports and plenty of options for dining and recreation, it’s the perfect setting for a professional event with networking built in.

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Sponsorship Opportunities

With a range of sponsorship and exhibitor packages available, ACAS offers tailored
opportunities to elevate your organization’s visibility, engage directly with potential
clients, and strengthen your presence in the conformity assessment and accreditation
sectors.

Sponsorship Information Sponsorship registration

    • Laurie E. Locascio, PH.D. NAE

    President and CEO

    American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

    Larry Lynch

    Senior Vice President of Health, Safety, and Regulatory Services

    National Restaurant Association

    Andy Kireta

    President

    ASTM International

    Marcus Long

    Chief Executive

    IIOA (Independent International Organisation for Assurance)

    Kim Lucy

    Director GRC Standards

    Microsoft

    Riccardo Mariani

    Vice President of Industry Safety

    NVIDIA Italy

    Hanane Taidi

    Director General

    TIC Council

    Jeanné Mensingh

    Breakout Speakers/Panelists

    Bob Yencha

    Breakout Speakers/Panelists

    Stay informed with updates on the 2026 ANAB Conformity Assessment Symposium (ACAS)

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    Agenda

    MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2026

    Registration – 7:30-8:45

    Morning Sessions – 8:45-12:00

    com-mu-ni-ty: a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of common attitudes, interests, and goals. A perspective of the conformity assessment community, which includes industry, government, conformity assessment bodies, Accreditation Bodies and others; what we have in common including a mission of trust and confidence; how all our activities, much like standardization, are linked by needs and demands that arise as goods and services are traded; and why we should periodically gather as a community to share perspectives about current and future issues.
    Presenters:
    Doug Leonard    , Executive Director, ANAB
    Keith Mowry, Senior Manager of Accreditation, ANAB

    Building Trust in Autonomous Systems: NVIDIA Halos and the Future of AI Safety Conformity Join us for an exploration of how NVIDIA’s AI Inspection Lab, known as NVIDIA Halos, is ensuring that physical AI deployments, such as autonomous vehicles and robotics, have passed rigorous safety, cybersecurity, and AI safety inspections. This keynote address will highlight how a NVIDIA HalosCertification provides safety assurance and a forward-looking perspective on conformity assessment for physical AI safety in today’s most advanced technology and business environments. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the key issues and future directions of our industry, preparing them to address the challenges facing community of practitioners, customers, and demand drivers alike.

    Presenter: Riccardo Mariani,     VP of Industry Safety, NVIDIA

    For nearly 40 years the approach to conformity assessment (including accreditation) in the US and European markets has impacted the growth and diversity of the global conformity assessment community. The interface of the two approaches has affected efforts to create a coherent conformity assessment and accreditation infrastructure to serve increasingly globalized industries. ANAB and its stakeholders and customers operate at the critical intersection of these diverging systems, working daily to bridge gaps between regulatory philosophies, technical standards, and market expectations. This session will examine how we got here, current real-world challenges, and options going forward.
    Moderator: Warren Merkel, Vice President, Policy, ANAB
    Panelists:
    Hanane Taidi, Director General, TIC Council
    Matt Gantley, CEO, UKAS
    Andrea Melo, IAAC Chair and Head of Division for the Development of Accreditation Programs, CGCRE
    Speaker TBA, United States Trade Representative

    Lunch – 12:00–1:00

    Afternoon Sessions – 1:00–4:30

    Technologies have historically transformed how the conformity assessment community performs its activities – consider the impact of telecommunications, computers, smart phones, and the internet. AI represents the next transformative wave. The question is, what, if anything, needs to change in response? ANAB’s approach is to consider the effectiveness of existing requirements before introducing new requirements or limitations specifically for AI. At the same time, AI itself represents something fundamentally new that can be subjected to conformity assessment – creating a dual impact on our field. This session will share perspectives on both dimensions: how AI is changing conformity assessment practices, and how conformity assessment must evolve to evaluate AI-powered systems.
    Moderators:
    Vijay Krishna, Vice President, Credentialing, ANAB
    Reinaldo Figueiredo, Vice President, Conformity Assessment Strategy, ANAB
    Panelists:
    Dale Cyr, CEO and Executive Director, Inteleos
    Kim Lucy, Director of GRC Standards, Microsoft
    Rohit Israni, Founder and CEO, Certient AI

    Accreditation serves as a unifying activity that brings together wide and often divergent interests across the conformity assessment community. This session will examine the effectiveness of accreditation, both today and in the future, and offer insights into the challenges and opportunities for the broader community. A panel from industry, conformity assessment bodies, and scheme owners will share their distinct perspectives on accreditation’s value and evolution. The panelists will engage with one another and respond to questions and observations from attendees, fostering a candid discussion about where accreditation stands and where it needs to go.
    Moderator:
    Marcus Long, Chief Executive, IIOA
    Panelists:
    Janice O’Brien, Director, Auditing and Accreditation, Verra
    Allyn Shultis, Executive Director, GRMA
    Holly Chang, Vice President, Technical Services, US Pharmacopeia
    Steve Margis, Vice President & Conformity Assessment Board Chair, IEC

    Evening Reception with Exhibitors – 5:00–8:00

    Heavy hors d’oeuvres and drinks provided

    TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2026

    Morning Sessions – 9:00-12:00

    Standards and conformity assessment have long operated in tandem, providing complementary pillars of quality and safety. This session will focus on how the two communities currently interact and where their relationship is headed in the years ahead.
    Presenter: Laurie E. Locascio, President and CEO, Ph.D. NAE, ANSI

    Standards development processes engage interested parties as a critical element for achieving broad acceptance and use. The conformity assessment community, including accreditation bodies like ANAB, relies heavily on the deliverables from standards setting organizations. This session will explore conformity assessment as an activity growing organically as part of standard setting activities as a comparison to conformity assessment developing separately after standards are published. Observations about the benefits, challenges, and implications will be shared and discussed.
    Moderators:
    Roger Muse, Vice President, Business Development, ANAB
    Jason Stine, Vice President of Laboratories, Inspection and Related Activities, ANAB
    Panelists:
    Chris Dubay, Vice President and Chief Engineer, NFPA
    Jessica Evans, Director of Standards Development, NSF
    Andy Kireta, President, ASTM International

    Conformity assessment plays a critical, yet often underappreciated, role in both civil and criminal law, impacting how courts, regulators, and the public evaluate competence, credibility, and evidence. In civil cases, the availability of applicable conformity assessment services can significantly impact questions about the applicable duty of care, particularly regarding reasonably foreseeable and preventable harm. In the criminal context, conformity assessment underpins forensic reliability and procedural integrity, supporting fair and transparent justice. In both contexts, conformity assessment facilitates the essential trust that connects science, law, and public protection. This session will bring together leaders from government agencies and private sector organizations to explore how conformity assessments currently intersect with civil and criminal law.
    Moderators:
    Pam Sale, Vice President, Forensics, ANAB
    Panelist:
    Jason Bundy, Forensic Services Director, Florida Department of Law Enforcement
    Larry Lynch, Advisor, National Restaurant Association
    Lynn Robitaille Garcia, General Counsel, Texas Forensic Science Commission

    Lunch – 12:00–1:00

    Afternoon Sessions – 1:00–4:30

    In parallel with the workshop, breakout sessions will explore key current topics affecting conformity assessment and accreditation in specific segments of the community.

    Laboratory, Inspection & Related Activities (forensics and non-forensics)
    – Understanding the Impact of Your Data: Driving Decisions and Managing Risk
    o Jason Stine, Vice President, Inspection, Laboratories & Related Activies, ANAB
    – Is Your Data Safe? Cybersecurity Basics Every Lab Should Know
    o Bob Yencha, ANAB Assessor
    – Are You Ready for AI? Digital Readiness in the Laboratory
     o Jeanne Mensingh, Co-Owner/President, Labtopia
    – Digital Certificates
    o Jeff Gust, Fluke Corporation

    Management Systems
    – Auditing for Impact, Not Just Conformance
    o Emily Delisle, Director, Business Assurance North America, DNV
    o Suzanne Weber, Director of Quality, EATON
    o Cem Onus, Vice President of Audit, Sustainability, and Industrial Inspection, DEKRA


    Validation/Verification
    – Validation and Verification in Focus – Key Topics that Matter Most
     o John Shideler, PhD., Managing Director, OmnexFuturepast
    o Randy Prati, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, EcoEngineers (LRQA)
    o Christine Schuh, PhD, President of le-ef.com Consulting Corp
    o Janice O’Brien, Director, Auditing and Accreditation, Verra

    Product Certification
    – Stronger Together; Product Certification Frameworks and Relationships
    o Allyn Shultis, Executive Director, GRMA
     o Speakers to be announced soon!

    Credentialing
    – AI For Credentialing Professionals
    o Jim Wiggins, CEO, Federal IT Security Institute (FITSI)
    – Trends and Future of Credentialing
     o John Zarian, General Counsel and COO, Certification
    o Adrienne Cadle, Vice President, Credentialing and Senior Psychometrician with Professional Testing Inc.
    – Making the Invisible Visible: How Demonstrated Competence Drives True Assurance
     o Vijay Krishna, Vice President, Credentialing, ANAB

    In parallel with the breakout sessions, ANAB will offer a workshop exploring the common structural and conceptual basis that underlies all ISO/IEC standards for conformity assessment and, by extension, the practices of accreditation bodies that apply those standards. Understanding this shared foundation will provide participants with greater clarity and effectiveness when applying requirements and assessing conformance. Our instructor, Keith Mowry, brings 35 years of education and experience in ISO/IEC guides and standards for conformity assessment, including development of the principles of conformity assessment on which ISO/IEC standards are now based.
    Trainer:
    Keith Mowry, Senior Manager, Business Development, ANAB

    ANAB Leadership will share observations from the symposium, offering insights on key themes and their implications for the conformity assessment landscape. These reflections will serve as a springboard for open discussion with all attendees. Participants will be invited to share their perspectives on the symposium, the state of the conformity assessment community and thoughts on how community events like ACAS can best serve our collective, evolving needs.
    Panel:
    Doug Leonard, Executive Director, ANAB
    Keith Mowry, Senior Manager, Business Development, ANAB
    Warren Merkel, Vice President, Policy, ANAB
    Reinaldo Figueiredo, Vice President, Conformity Assessment Strategy, ANAB

    Close

    MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2026

    Registration – 7:30-8:45

    Morning Sessions – 8:45-12:00

    com-mu-ni-ty: a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of common attitudes, interests, and goals. A perspective of the conformity assessment community, which includes industry, government, conformity assessment bodies, Accreditation Bodies and others; what we have in common including a mission of trust and confidence; how all our activities, much like standardization, are linked by needs and demands that arise as goods and services are traded; and why we should periodically gather as a community to share perspectives about current and future issues.
    Presenters:
    Doug Leonard    , Executive Director, ANAB
    Keith Mowry, Senior Manager of Accreditation, ANAB

    Building Trust in Autonomous Systems: NVIDIA Halos and the Future of AI Safety Conformity Join us for an exploration of how NVIDIA’s AI Inspection Lab, known as NVIDIA Halos, is ensuring that physical AI deployments, such as autonomous vehicles and robotics, have passed rigorous safety, cybersecurity, and AI safety inspections. This keynote address will highlight how a NVIDIA HalosCertification provides safety assurance and a forward-looking perspective on conformity assessment for physical AI safety in today’s most advanced technology and business environments. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the key issues and future directions of our industry, preparing them to address the challenges facing community of practitioners, customers, and demand drivers alike.
    Presenters:
    Presenter: Riccardo Mariani,     VP of Industry Safety, NVIDIA

    Measurement uncertainty is an important concept to organizations performing measurements but is often misunderstood. This session will provide basic information on measurement uncertainty in a way that is easily understood.
    Instructor:
    Randy Long, Senior Manager of Accreditation, Inspection, Laboratories, and Related Activities, ANAB

    Lunch – 12:00–1:00

    Afternoon Sessions – 1:00–4:00

    It is important to verify and/or validate the methods that are used by our organization to ensure our outputs meet expectations. In this session we will discuss the value that is added when methods are verified and/or validated.
    Instructor:
    Deanne Emory, Instructional Designer, ANAB

    Evening Reception with Exhibitors – 5:00–8:00

    Heavy hors d’oeuvres and drinks provided

    TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2026

    Morning Sessions – 8:45-12:00

    Standards and conformity assessment have long operated in tandem, providing complementary pillars of quality and safety. This session will focus on how the two communities currently interact and where their relationship is headed in the years ahead.
    Presenter: Laurie E. Locascio, President and CEO, Ph.D. NAE, ANSI

    Risk based thinking can be a chore or it can be incorporated into the culture of your organization. In this session we will explore how to embed risk-based thinking into your organization’s activities
    Instructor:
    David Feist,     Senior Manager of Training, ANAB

    Lunch – 12:00–1:00

    Afternoon Sessions – 1:00–4:00

    Internal auditors need specific skills to be successful in performing internal audits. This session will provide an overview of internal auditing tools to hone your internal auditing skills
    Instructor:
    Deanne Emory,     Instructional Designer, ANAB

    ANAB Leadership will share observations from the symposium, offering insights on key themes and their implications for the conformity assessment landscape. These reflections will serve as a springboard for open discussion with all attendees. Participants will be invited to share their perspectives on the symposium, the state of the conformity assessment community and thoughts on how community events like ACAS can best serve our collective, evolving needs.
    Panel:
    Doug Leonard    , Executive Director, ANAB
    Keith Mowry, Senior Manager, Business Development, ANAB
    Warren Merkel, Vice President, Policy, ANAB
    Reinaldo Figueiredo, Vice President, Conformity Assessment Strategy, ANAB

    Close

    FAQ

    Q: How is Professional Development Training different from the full ACAS Symposium? PD Training offers four focused sessions specifically designed for quality managers, technical personnel, and laboratory staff who want practical, hands-on training in core quality management competencies. ACAS is a broader symposium covering strategic industry issues, policy discussions, and diverse perspectives across the entire conformity assessment community. PD Training registration includes access to select ACAS sessions, giving you the best of both worlds.

    Q: Can I attend both PD Training and ACAS sessions? Unfortunately, no. PD Training registration includes access to ACAS keynotes and the evening reception, but not other ACAS sessions.

    Q: Is this training suitable for someone new to conformity assessment? Absolutely. These sessions cover fundamentals in an accessible way while also providing value to experienced professionals looking to refresh their knowledge or gain new perspectives.

    Q: Will I receive any certification?  Participants will receive a certificate of completion.

    Q: Can I bring my whole team? Yes! We encourage team attendance and offer group rates. Use discount code GROUPCODE for 10% off your group’s registration.

    Q: What’s included with my ANAB Professional Development Training registration?  All four PD Training sessions, course materials, access to ACAS keynotes (NVIDIA, ANAB and ANSI), evening networking reception with exhibitors, and lunches.

    Q: Can I attend Wednesday’s Client Workshop? If you are an ANAB-accredited customer, yes!

    Q: Is this training for me? If you are a quality manager, technical personnel, laboratory staff, or just someone committed to quality excellence in conformity assessment, then yes!