BETHESDA, MD – The Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC) announced that Neema Toolaabee, Manager of Regulatory and Environmental Affairs with DAP, will become Chairman of the association’s Regulatory Affairs Committee (RAC) effective immediately. Toolaabee replaces Michael Schmeida, former Tremco Director of Compliance and Sustainability.

Toolaabee joined DAP in 2001 as a Product Safety Specialist and assumed his present position in 2006. He is responsible for facility and corporate environmental compliance, product safety and stewardship, hazardous material transportation compliance, and consumer product and weights and measures regulations. Prior to DAP, Toolaabee worked at Technology Extension Services in Baltimore, MD, providing environmental consulting and assistance to smaller-size Maryland businesses.

In recent years, ASC’s Board of Directors has made proactive regulatory affairs a priority with the Regulatory Affairs Committee taking a point position on keys issues that have identified as important to the industry.

For 2013, ASC Regulatory Affairs efforts are focused on the following core issues: California Safer Chemicals rule, EPA Chemical Management Plan, MDI/TDI Chemical Action Plan, South Coast Rule 1168, TSCA modernization, and the use of USGBC’s LEED rating system in federal buildings.

“Neema Toolaabee has a profound understanding of the various legislative and regulatory issues that the council is addressing,” said Mark Collatz, ASC’s Director of Regulatory Affairs. “More than 10 years of service on the RAC puts him in unique position of knowing exactly what we want to do in the area of regulatory affairs and how we need to get there.”