Recognising Excellence: Kleenex® Receives the Community Impact & Leadership Award

Kleenex® Senior Brand Manager Sharnell Weathersby Named May Awareness Month Honoree

The Asthma & Allergy Friendly® Certification Program is proud to recognise Sharnell Weathersby, Senior Brand Manager, Kleenex Air Filters at Kimberly-Clark, as our May Asthma & Allergy Awareness Month Honoree and to present her and the Kleenex® Air Filters team with the Community Impact & Leadership Award, awarded in Chicago in May 2026.

Each year, during our two key awareness months (May and October), the Asthma & Allergy Friendly® Certification Program recognises an individual who has made a meaningful contribution to raising awareness and supporting the asthma and allergy community.

This honour reflects not just what a person has achieved, but the values they bring to that work: a genuine commitment to the people behind the statistics, and a belief that business leadership and community health can go hand in hand. We believe that Sharnell Weathersby exemplifies both.

A Champion for Healthier Indoor Environments

Kleenex® has been a household name for over 100 years. Expanding into air filtration brought that trusted name into one of the most consequential spaces for people with asthma and allergies: the home.

Under Sharnell’s leadership, Kleenex® Air Filters achieved Asthma & Allergy Friendly® Certification for its Elite Allergen Air Filters, both MERV 12 and MERV 13. The filters were independently tested to meet the Certification Program’s requirements for reducing exposure to common airborne allergens, including pollen, pet dander, and mold spores. But for Sharnell, certification was just the starting point

Donation Initiatives from Kleenex® That Made a Real Difference

Sharnell led two significant philanthropic initiatives on behalf of Kleenex® Air Filters, each reflecting the brand’s commitment to health equity and community impact.

Southern California: Supporting Breathe SoCal

Coordinated through the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), Kleenex® donated a generous supply of its Asthma & Allergy Friendly® Certified Elite Allergen MERV 13 Air Filters to Breathe Southern California, a nonprofit dedicated to improving lung health in medically underserved populations.

The filters were distributed at local health events, including a World Asthma Day fair, providing vital resources to community members facing respiratory challenges from wildfire smoke and seasonal allergens.

Staff from Breathe Southern California host a health outreach event supported by the donation of Kleenex® Asthma & Allergy Friendly® Certified air filters.

“This thoughtful contribution will go a long way in ensuring the health and well-being of our community members in Southern California, especially after the wildfires and season changes,” said Gilmar Flores, Director of Programs and Research at Breathe Southern California.

National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month: Expanding Access Across the Country

During National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month in May 2026, Kleenex® Air Filters donated a year’s supply of MERV 13 filters for 200 families. Distributed through the Chicago Asthma Consortium, AAFA’s Health Equity Advancement and Leadership (HEAL) program sites, and Habitat for Humanity ReStores, the filters reached families in Chicago, Boise, Tulsa, Provo, Detroit, Allentown, and Auburn. Cities were selected in part based on AAFA’s 2026 Allergy Capitals® report, which identifies the most challenging places in the US to live with allergies.

The initiative was particularly meaningful in its breadth: pairing access to certified indoor air quality products with two of the country’s most respected community health and housing organisations.

Engagement Beyond Donation

Kleenex® Air Filters also demonstrated its commitment through active participation in the community. For the past two years, the brand has supported the Chicago Asthma Consortium’s Community Health Worker Forum with product donations, discounts, and raffle prizes, putting its Asthma & Allergy Friendly® Certified Air Filters directly into the hands of attendees and the communities they serve.

This engagement reflects the kind of partnership the Certification Program values most: one where a brand uses its platform to educate, support, and advocate for the people its products are designed to help.

Presenting the Award

The Community Impact & Leadership Award was presented to Sharnell Weathersby by Leah McInerney, Senior Client Success Manager at Allergy Standards Ltd (ASL), and Dr. John Ryan, Chief Strategy Officer at ASL, during a visit to Kimberly-Clark in Chicago in May 2026.

“What makes this award especially meaningful is that it represents work that goes beyond product development. It reflects what can happen when purpose, partnership, and innovation come together to help create healthier environments for individuals and families impacted by asthma and allergies. Thank you to the Asthma & Allergy Friendly® Certification Program for this recognition.” – Sharnell Weathersby, Kleenex® Senior Brand Manager

The award recognises Sharnell’s personal leadership in driving these initiatives and her role in ensuring that Kleenex® Air Filters has been not only a certified product partner, but a genuine advocate for the communities the Asthma & Allergy Friendly® Certification Program was created to support.

A Trusted Partner in Community Health

The Certification Program is proud to work with manufacturers like Kleenex® Air Filters that demonstrate a commitment to science-backed products, community engagement, and leadership in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives.

We look forward to seeing what Sharnell and the Kleenex® team will champion next.