LEEDS - Ecotextile News talks to Jason Kibbey, Executive Director, Sustainable Apparel Coalition, about the latest developments from the organisation and its priorities for 2012.
When did you start your job and what is your background?
I joined the Sustainable Apparel Coalition on January 2nd as its first executive director from my own apparel company PACT, which I founded three years ago and have just sold. Before that I worked at Patagonia where I helped to set up the ‘Freedom to Roam’ (a self supporting coalition of business, government, and conservation groups working to conserve wildlife corridors across North America).
What has the Coalition been up to recently?
The main focus of the Coalition for the past six months has been on two things. Firstly, we have now got a signed off working version of the Apparel Index tool into the hands of our members for testing. It is very much a beta version and final pilot testing will be finished by the end of January. It will then be taken back in-house for evaluation and modified based on the feedback from members. The launch of version 1.0 will be in summer 2012 — possibly either June or July. Secondly, the other main focus over the last six months has been to become an independent organisation with open membership.
We have also now incorporated as a US tax-exempt, nonprofit industry association — a 501(c)6 organisation.
