Hi! I’m Ami Neiberger, the CertiPUR-US® program’s new communications director.  But I’ll get to that in a minute. First a story about buying a new mattress.

A few months ago, a friend of mine was showing me her new townhome and told me she had just bought a new bed and assembled it herself.

If my friend could put together a new bed, why couldn’t I? After all, I had repaired, painted and renovated my 105-year-old house over the last three years. After investing hundreds of hours in home improvement, it was time to turn my attention to my bedroom.

That very night, I called another friend, and her wonderful brothers arrived with a truck. Out went the outdated bed, chests of drawers, chairs and more. Her online furniture-selling business would take care of all of it.

As I struggled to sleep on my old mattress on the floor that night, I realized I need more than a new bed — I badly needed a new mattress, too!

I had heard about the merits of CertiPUR-US® certified foam from my professional colleague Helen Sullivan, the program’s communications counsel since 2008. I understood that buying home furnishings containing certified foam was a no-brainer. With the potential for chemicals of concern to be present in so many consumer products, why not be proactive about what you bring into your home in terms of indoor air quality and exposure to carcinogens, mutagens and reproductive toxins?

I navigated to the CertiPUR-US online directory to verify that the brand of mattress I was considering was listed as currently registered. Good news: The listing said “valid through 2025,” so I placed my order with confidence.

I also splurged and got new furniture for my office and the guest room. When it all arrived, there was a lot to unwrap and assemble, but it was done with joy (and power tools).

Not only do I sleep better than ever, my home now reflects my personal taste and is a sanctuary where I feel comfortable in every sense of the word.

Helen and I have known each other for decades as members of the same metro Washington, D.C., independent public relations alliance, and we often shared information about our work. She always spoke about the CertiPUR-US program with such high regard. So, when she reached out to me last fall to say she was retiring in 2025 and would I be interested in meeting with the program’s leadership and board of directors to discuss becoming the program’s next communications director, my answer was a resounding “yes!”

So here I am — looking forward to working with foam producers from all over the world who certify foam as well as the fabricators, distributors, and bedding and upholstered furniture manufacturers and retailers who specify certified foam in the products they sell. For the rest of the year, Helen will continue to be involved as communications counsel emeritus, focused solely on program advertising and serving as a team resource.

The program has grown during the past 16 years from what Helen often referred to in the beginning as a “tiny-but-mighty mom-and-pop shop.” For many years, it was just Helen, recently-retired Executive Director Michael Crowell and program assistant Lydia Wenglar leading the charge.

Now the inner team and our dedicated partners have grown to 15! Please see all of us on our website’s new Meet the Team page.

I hope our paths cross soon, but until they do, you can reach me at ami.neiberger@certipur.us.

Ami Neiberger, APR is the new communications director for the CertiPUR-US® program.