GenerationNext

ccording to Dale Delmage of Redwood Plastics and Rubber and Board Liaison to the GenerationNext group:

I am excited to be the new Board liaison for the IAPD GenerationNext. This group was established with the following goals in mind, to:

• Create a forum where young professionals can network to share ideas and experiences
• Align topics important to young professionals with IAPD’s vision for the future
• Promote IAPD’s Member companies’ career opportunities to young professionals
• Share experiences and insight from seasoned members with young professionals
• Have fun connecting with peers and industry leaders

My introduction to GenerationNext was the Virtual Happy Hour with a Halloween inspired theme. IAPD staff sent Halloween beverages to the dozen or so young professionals who signed up, and we spent an hour mixing drinks and sharing experiences in a fun and relaxed forum.

IAPD’s young professionals are the future of the leadership of IAPD and each of IAPD’s member companies. They hold many of the same priorities as us “seasoned members,” but they also have many ideals that may not always align with how we view our industry. It’s important that today’s leaders build an industry that is inclusive of all member companies’ ideals if we are to remain relevant for the long term.

I urge the leaders of IAPD member companies to encourage your young team members to get involved, and I equally encourage those in the performance plastics industry who are 35 or younger to reach out to IAPD staff for future GenerationNext events where you can get involved.

From left to right: Victoria Kohn, Martino Marketing Group; Bryan Robinson, Mitsubishi Chemical Group — Engineered Shapes & Solutions; Kailee Canty, IAPD; and Alex Peters, Arkema.

GenerationNext makes a difference!

I am a sales engineer for Mitsubishi Chemical Group, previously Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials. My role is to work with customers on technical questions and applications in the performance plastics industry.

This year, I attended the IAPD Northeast Charitable Golf Tournament on August 11th along with a few of my colleagues. I have attended this event in the past and made some great connections. However, the difference with attending the event this year vs. previous years is that I am now a member of the GenerationNext group. Being a member of this group has made all the events and connections so much better. I used to have a small circle of connections until the other members of the GenerationNext group started introducing me to their circles.

The organizers of the GenNext group and IAPD staff are a blast to work with. They know so many people and bring so much energy to the events.

From left to right: Victoria Kohn, Martino Marketing Group; and Alex Peters, Arkema.

It’s turbocharged my networking!

GenerationNext has become such an integral part of my networking as a young professional coming up in the plastics industry! This group has helped me connect with so many people in my age group and I am always so excited to reconnect with them at every IAPD event. While traveling, it is always comforting to know I have a few friends in the same stage of life to connect with and share encouragement as we evolve in our careers. GenerationNext truly bridges the knowledge gap, develops strong mentor relationships and creates lifelong friends.

Inspiring podcasts

The Performance Plastics Podcast is another phenomenal way for members of GenerationNext to learn from industry experts. Hearing directly from seasoned professionals fosters a more personalized learning environment and opens avenues for networking. Each episode brings unique perspective while engaging young minds in the performance plastics industry. The podcast inspires career growth within our industry and extends talent for years to come.

Spooky sips and career tips

The virtual happy hour was such a fun event! After mixing our spooky cocktails, we got to interact with other peers our age in the industry and hear why they want to be a part of GenerationNext. We also heard from Dale Delmage about his career path and journey. It was a great way to connect and begin building our own network together!