2022 SPE CAD Board of Directors – Candidate Bios

Todd Bier

University of Mississippi

BA, Political Science/Spanish

22 years in Color and Additives Sales

Palmer Holland 2020-present: Sales, Pigments and Functional Additives

Uniform Color

PolyOne Color and Additives

Spartech Color and Compounds

PolyTech South

I have been involved with the SPE Southern Section for 20 years.

I would be honored if elected to give back to this industry I call home and continue to mentor and educate.

Scott Heitzman (Incumbent)

AS Construction Technology, Morehead State University

BS Industrial Technology, Morehead State University

Over 30 years work experience in the pigments and coloring of plastic industries.

I have held positions from running extruders and molding machines to sales, purchasing and product management.

As an active member of the SPE CAD I have contributed to RETECs, ANTECs, publications and promotion of membership and scholarships.

The inspiration and education the SPE CAD members and programs provided me as I started my career continually fuel my efforts to give back.

Thank you all for your years of support!

Thank you for your consideration for me to serve on your Board of Directors!

Scott Aumann (Incumbent)

University of Florida / FAU with a BFA. Majored in Graphic Design, minored in Serigraphy.

Graduated in 1987 and started in plastics in 1988 – after 10 years of technical positions in masterbatch, I joined EMD performance materials for 22 years.  At EMD I held positions in laboratory management, Technical Service and Marketing.  I am now working for Eluceda Authentication in Business Development. 

I have been an active member of the SPE and CAD since the late 1980’s and continue to give back to the future of the industry thru education and networking opportunities.  I have been of the Color and Appearance board of Directors for over 10 years and would like to continue to serve the members of SPE in the future.

Charles “Chuck” Christ

 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Postdoctoral Associate

University of Florida Ph.D. Inorganic Chemistry

Cedarville College B.A. Chemistry with Honors

Tronox Holdings plc 2020-present

Director R&D and Technical Services

I would like to be a candidate because I think I can offer a good perspective for the board and the organization and I will be able to bring new ideas and support existing initiatives and the overall mission of the organization.

Betty Puckerin (Incumbent)

BS, Chemistry

MBA

 

Ampacet Corporation

I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with the CAD Board of Directors to provide education and networking opportunities for people interested in color and plastics. The last 2 years have been challenging for everyone and I would like to continue working with the team.

Mark Ryan

(Incumbent)

BA Chemistry, 1993, Saint Louis University

MBA, 1999, Univ. of Missouri at St. Louis

Mark Ryan is the Marketing Manager for Shepherd Color.  Mark is involved in market and product development of Shepherd Color’s highly-durable and heat-stable standard pigments and enthusiastically enjoys presenting about them.

I think that the SPE-CAD division is the world’s premier organization for the coloring of plastics because of all the people that it brings together at the RETEC. I have been proud to serve on the SPE-BOD for the past six years. I think that the SPE-CAD division is the world’s premier organization for the coloring of plastics because of all the people that it brings together.

Doreen Becker (Incumbent)

Bachelors Degree- Analytical Chemistry

Masters in Fine Arts

Ampacet

A. Schulman

BASF

The Color & Appearance Division  has contributed greatly to developing my successful career in plastics.  I would like to be re-elected so that I can continue to serve this community and mentor young men and women who are essential to our future.

Chuck DePew (Incumbent)

Bachelor’s of Psychology Degree from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana

Chuck has been the Operations Manager for Holland Colours Americas, Inc. (HCA) since early 2020. He joined HCA in 2002. During his tenure he has held the roles of Purchasing Manager, Logistics Manager, and in early 2018 also added the role of Supply Chain Manager within the organization.

I have over 20 years of experience in the colorant industry. I have been a member of the Society of Plastics Engineers since 2002 and have attended the previous 20 CAD Retec conferences. I have served on the CAD Board for the past 4 plus years and would appreciate the opportunity to continue expanding my involvement in the board activities.

Jim Figaniak

(Incumbent)

B.S. Chemical Engineering and Inorganic Chemistry – Drexel University 1990

Vice President – Americhem Engineered Compounds 2014-present

President – LTL Color Compounders, Inc 1990-2014

President – Dongguan LTL Color Compounders 2003-2015

Continue leading the CAD Technical Program Committee – dedicated to providing educational and professionally rewarding Regional Technical Conferences (RETEC) which supports not only our current membership but future color professionals.

Bruce Howie

(Incumbent)

Honours Degree, Chemistry with Colour Chemistry, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland.

PhD, Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Current – DCL Corporation, Global Product Marketing Manager, Toronto, Canada

Historical – R&D & Lab Manager, EC Pigments, UK

Bruce Howie has been involved in the colour industry for 25 years, since embarking on his studies for an Honours degree in Colour Chemistry in his home country of Scotland, where he also completed his PhD in Synthetic Organic Colour Chemistry.

Ann Smeltzer

(Incumbent)

B.S. General Management – Purdue University

M.B.A. University of Pittsburgh

Part of the Plastics Industry for 22 years.
Present – Pigments Technical Sales Representative – Heubach as of 1/3/2022 upon their acquisition of Colorants Solutions (Clariant Pigments) after working for Clariant Pigments since 5/2012.

I have been member of the CAD Board of Director’s for 16 years which has included the five year commitment of rotating through the chairs starting with secretary, finance, chair elect, chairperson, and past chair.

Edward Tucker (Ed)

 

MBA – Rensselaer Polytechnic institute (RPI), Troy, NY
BS Chemistry – Radford University, Radford, Virginia.

President & CEO, Plasticoncentrates, Inc. 21 years.

Past Responsibilities spanning 16 years:
• Global Color Technology Leader – GE Plastics
• North American Color Technology Manger – DSM Engineering Plastics.
• Color Chemist, Lab Manger, Color Technology Manager – Allied Signal, Inc. (Now known as Honeywell)

I served as a member of the BOD from 1999 and stepped down in 2009 to support my family’s move overseas. During my time on the board I was CAD Chairperson for ANTEC 2003 and Co-chaired RETEC, and served on various committees. 

Christine Gehres

Current – Business Development Director, Heubach Ltd.

Prior – Marketing Manager-Pigments, Hoechst Celanese

I joined CAD in 1993 after starting my first job in the US as a marketing manager pigments for plastics at Hoechst Celanese.

Although my career has involved many global and multi regional sales, marketing and technical roles, I have remained US based. My path has also always led me back to color. I am currently the director business development for Heubach Ltd.