NEHA past president Chris J. Wiant inducted into ISU Hall of Fame.

Dr. Chris Wiant, a past president of NEHA and a 1972 graduate of Illinois State (ISU) University in chemistry, was inducted into ISU's Hall of Fame on February 18, 2006.

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Induction into the College of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame is an honor bestowed on current, past, or honorary members of the arts and sciences community. Nomination can be based on outstanding performance in one's profession; demonstrated leadership in one's profession or community; favorable statewide, national, or international recognition; honors from associations or employers; outstanding service to the institution; or proof that one's work has proven beneficial to a pronounced segment of society.

Wiant is president and chief executive officer of Caring for Colorado Foundation, a $150 million health conversion foundation that funds health care projects throughout the state of Colorado. He earned his Ph.D. in public administration from the University of Colorado, and before joining the foundation in 2000, he had 28 years of experience in public health, working for state and local government agencies designing and implementing new programs. He began his career with the Illinois Department of Public Health and moved to Colorado to become director of environmental health for the Tri-County Health Department, which serves the area surrounding Denver. In 1997 he was named executive director at Tri-County.

He serves on a wide variety of local, state, and national advisory boards for health and environmental issues. In 1998, NEHA and NSF International presented him with the Walter F. Snyder Award for Achievement in Attaining Environmental Quality. Among his most significant accomplishments was his role in negotiating the remedy used to clean up the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. Established by the Department of Defense during World War II as a chemical-weapons manufacturing facility, the arsenal was used by private industry as a chemical production facility until 1982, and these activities left behind extensive soil contamination that threatened private drinking-water supplies. For leading the two-year effort, Wiant was awarded the Commander's Medal for Public Service from the assistant secretary of the U.S. Army. In 1999, Wiant received Illinois State University's Alumni Achievement Award.

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