t’s hard to believe it’s been almost two years since we rolled out the updated IAPD Three Pillar Strategy. This framework continues to guide our direction and reflects the three core strategic priorities of our organization:

• Grow and advocate for the performance plastics industry
• Improve the knowledge, performance and capability of IAPD members
• Make the distribution channel the path of choice

When we updated our strategy, we asked company leaders to tell us what mattered most to them. The top priorities were clear: workforce development, sustainability and government relations.

Since then, the executive committee, board of directors, and IAPD staff have used the Three Pillars, together with this member feedback, to prioritize everything we’ve worked on.

As we approach the IAPD Annual Convention + connecX, here’s a quick update on some of the high-impact initiatives currently underway:

Our newly formed Workforce Development Task Force, chaired by Danica Chin and board liaison Chris Corona, is building on the foundation laid by the previous group that created the career videos and hiring tools many members are using today. The taskforce is now focused on how to get those tools in front of our target audience: future employees of the performance plastics industry.

The task force is working closely with the IAPD Marketing Committee, led by Sherrie Bloom and Alison Damery, in developing a strategy to reach potential candidates through social media, outreach to universities and trade school and targeted messaging. A new section of the IAPD website is also in the works, designed as a go-to destination for people interested in careers in performance plastics.

In response to member feedback, we’ve launched a Sustainability Task Force to address this critical and complex topic. While our previous Recycling Task Force did excellent work researching and creating resources that are available on the IAPD website and in the Member Resource Hub, this new effort is designed to go further.

The current task force is focused on three key areas:

• Creating consistent messaging for our members to use when talking about the sustainable advantages of performance plastics
• Sharing best practices across our membership
• Developing a resource guide highlighting sustainable materials

Government relations continue to be a top priority. The Government Relations Committee, in partnership with our advocacy team at OGR, is actively building strong relationships with lawmakers in Washington, D.C. We’re making sure that decision-makers hear our message about the many benefits performance plastics bring to the world, both today and in the future.

Susan Avery outlined our legislative agenda in her article in the April/May 2025 issue of the magazine. Avery, along with Leah Konrady, Sher’ron Underwood and Bryan Davis, visited some of our key contacts on the hill in March. IAPD then hosted a successful Congressional Fly-in in June with a group of a dozen IAPD members.

Stay tuned for more news from these activities and the follow-up meetings.

Another strategic initiative is the need to continuously create meaningful value for our members. The Board of Directors decided to start a focus group of Board members, led by Jim Richards, to tackle this important topic.

At this year’s Leadership Development Conference in June, we hosted a workshop focused on what IAPD membership means to different member categories. The feedback from that session, combined with insights gathered by Jessica Bokath, our Director of Membership and Sales, who has been personally connecting with members across the association, has been incredibly valuable.

We’re now reviewing all of that input and determining our next steps. This initiative will continue well into 2026 and is central to ensuring we remain relevant and responsive to our members’ evolving needs.

This has purposefully been a very high-level overview of these initiatives. We will be diving into all of these topics in much more detail at the convention in Chicago.

Our convention preview begins on page 25 of this issue. Be sure to check out everything we have planned.

I hope to see you there and encourage you to join the conversations that are helping shape the future of the performance plastics industry.