Ron Van Gelderen, Former President of CRI, Dies at 80

Salt Lake City, UT, February 19, 2016--Ron Van Gelderen, the former president and COO of the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), passed away last Friday at University Hospital in Salt Lake City due to complications related to advanced Parkinson's disease. Ron was 80 years old.

Van Gelderen served as the leader of the CRI for 20 years and stepped down in June 2000 when Werner Braun was appointed to the position. When he left CRI, almost 16 years ago, Van Gelderen said, "The floorcovering industry is an industry of people who need each other. Leadership is a humbling experience, and I would like to thank all of you as my good friends." Van Gelderen was a consensus leader and often worked to absolve conflict by bringing people together in the interest of finding middle ground. The carpet industry experienced rapid expansion under his watch.

After leading the CRI, he went on to serve as the first president for the Synthetic Turf Council from 2003 until 2006.

His last act of helping is the request that his body be donated to science in the ongoing search for a cure for the disease that has taken so many.