Proficiency Testing Executive Committee
The purpose of the Proficiency Testing Executive Committee is to establish and maintain a national PT program to support a national environmental accreditation program that contains the following elements:
- Fields of Proficiency Testing (analytes, concentrations, matrices and acceptance limits) are appropriate for the scope of environmental monitoring performed in the United States
- All organizations providing PT samples to laboratories are recognized as competent to do so.
The PT Executive Committee consists of 5 to 10 individuals with balanced representation of all stakeholder groups in TNI.
Conference Calls: 3rd Thursday, 1 pm ET
Contact the Committee Chair or Program Administrator to participate in the calls of this committee.
Note: On June 9, 2010, this committee was renamed the Proficiency Testing Executive Committee to reflect a change in the TNI bylaws. Documents such as meeting minutes may show the previous name of this committee, Proficiency Testing Board.
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To ensure that an effective PT program exists to support a national environmental laboratory accreditation program.
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Receive and evaluate proficiency testing provider accreditor (PTPA) nominations from the Accrediting Authorities (AAs)and self nominations from candidate PTPAs;
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Recommend organizations that meet the requirements of the NELAC Standards to be designated as a PTPA to the NELAP Board;
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Monitor all designated PTPA’s on an on-going basis to ensure they are following the NELAC standards;
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Serve as a review board for complaints about proficiency testing that are not resolved by the PTPA. The PT Board will refer unresolved complaints to the NELAP Board, who will make the final decision, on issues raised;
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Collect PT data for the purposes of determining the appropriateness of PT study acceptance limits and formulations, modifying PT study acceptance limits and formulations, and adding or removing analytes from the fields of proficiency testing (FoPT) tables;
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Maintain the FoPT tables;
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Maintain the NELAP list of Analyte Codes, Method Codes and Technology Keys
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Present an annual report on the PT Board activities and PT program to the TNI Board of Directors; and
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Facilitate an annual PT caucus.
| Eric Smith, Chair TestAmerica Analytical Testing Corp. Nashville, TN Eric.Smith@testamericainc.com | Ilona Taunton, Program Administrator The NELAC Institute Mill Spring, NC ilona.taunton@nelac-institute.org |
| Gary Dechant Analytical Quality Associates, Inc. Grand Junction, CO gldechant@aol.com | Amy Doupe Lancaster Laboratories, Inc. Lancaster, PA aldoupe@lancasterlabs.com |
| Steve Gibson Texas Comm. on Env. Quality Austin, TX jgibson@tceq.state.tx.us | Svetlana Isozamova Accutest Laboratories Orlando, FL svetlani@accutest.com |
| Michelle Karapondo US EPA Cincinnati, OH karapondo.michella@epa.gov | Carl Kircher Florida DOH Jacksonville. FL carl_kircher@doh.state.fl.us |
| Stacie Metzler Hampton Roads Sanitation District Virginia Beach, VA smetzler@hrsd.com | Joe Pardue P2S - DOE Subcontractor Oak Ridge, TN parduegjjr@oro.doe.gov |
| Matt Sica State of Maine Augusta, ME matthew.sica@maine.gov | Curtis Wood Environmental Resource Associates Arvada, CO cwood@eraqc.com |
Current Projects:
Chemistry FoPT changes
Toxicity FoPT changes
Oversight evaluation of PTOB
Current Needs:
SOP-4-101: Recommendation and Calculation of Acceptance Limits for the Chemical, Radiochemical, and Microbiological Components of Proficiency Tests (PDF, 90KB)
SOP-4-102 Complaint Resolution (PDF, 24KB)
SOP-4-103 PT Executive Committee Operations (PDF, 40KB)
SOP-4-104 Evaluating Proficiency Test Provider Accreditors (PDF, 167KB)
SOP-4-105 PT Executive Committee Voting Process (PDF, 28KB)