t is a privilege to serve as the incoming president of IAPD — The Performance Plastics Association. I want to thank Peter DelGado for his leadership and dedication as president, his steady guidance over the past two years has strongly positioned IAPD for the future. Now, it’s my goal to carry that momentum and continue strengthening the value IAPD delivers to every member.

My focus as your president this coming year is driving value forward, ensuring that IAPD continues to be relevant and resilient in a changing world.

Over my 40 years with PLASKOLITE, I’ve often heard the same question that many of you may ask: What’s the value of membership? Why should my company do more than attend the convention or an occasional event?

I’ll encourage you to consider why; the more engaged we are as an association, the greater the impact we will have on the critical topics that you have told us matter most. It doesn’t take a large time commitment to get involved. I can tell you firsthand, the relationships you build, the insights you gain and the changes you can influence through IAPD are extremely gratifying both personally and professionally.

I would like to recognize all those who are currently volunteering with an IAPD committee, task force or council — thank you.

To all those who are not currently volunteering, you have a wonderful opportunity to get involved and be a part of impacting the future of our industry. If you’re interested, reach out to me or any of our IAPD staff — together we will continue to drive our association into the future!

Now, let’s take a closer look at the value of IAPD.

IAPD’s strategic focus areas — Sustainability, Workforce Development and Government Relations and Advocacy — came directly from you, our member company leaders. These are the priorities you told us matter most to your businesses.

Let me share how we will continue to move forward in each of these areas.

This year, the Government Relations Committee and our members worked to ensure that our industry has a seat at the table in Washington, D.C.

Through meetings with legislators and their congressional staff, regulatory meetings, legislative site visits to our member companies and PAC contributions to political campaigns, IAPD:

• Created and nurtured relationships with key legislators and regulators
• Gave faces, names and voices to our segment of an industry that is more often a foe than it is a friend
• Engaged IAPD members who had never participated in the advocacy process before, showing them that being an advocate for the industry is not only achievable, but relatively easy

Advocating for the performance plastics industry is not just the work of the Government Relations Committee. It is the responsibility of all of us. Advocacy is stronger when more companies, more leaders and more employees are engaged.

Throughout 2025 the Sustainability Task Force has been reshaping how we tell the story of performance plastics. Their work is setting the stage for long-term impact.

Key initiatives include:

• Expanding the IAPD Source Guide to include searchable sustainability attributes such as recycled content, biobased materials and recyclability. The print version will appear in the October/November 2025 issue of Performance Plastics, with a searchable digital directory launching on the IAPD website.
• Launching a new Sustainability Landing Page on the IAPD website. This page will evolve into part of our new site at performanceplastics.org, dedicated to external audiences.
• Building a storytelling campaign that will highlight performance plastics by industrial markets & applications, as well as polymers, showcasing how our products enable sustainable solutions across industries. Early in 2026, we will launch Phase 2 of the campaign and begin to tell the sustainability stories of IAPD member companies and the incredible work they are doing in recycling, operational efficiencies, ESG frameworks and other sustainability initiatives.

The message will be driven by a joint social media campaign between IAPD and its members, targeted to reach broader audiences and amplify impact. We want you, our members, to join in this effort. Share your company’s stories, sustainability wins and innovations. The more voices we raise together, the stronger our message will be.

IAPD is investing heavily in workforce development, including a new Careers in Performance Plastics website, launching this November. This platform will serve as a central hub for students, veterans and job seekers who may not yet know our industry but are looking for meaningful career opportunities.

A dedicated social media campaign will drive traffic to the site, but its success depends on you, our members.

• Share it with your HR teams
• Post it on your company websites
• Promote it on social media
• Connect with local schools, trade programs and community colleges

This is how we show resilience as an industry — by building a pipeline of talent that will carry us forward.

This year, IAPD created the Membership Model and Trends Focus Group, a board-level initiative tasked with examining how member needs are changing and how IAPD’s business model must evolve in response.

Using membership engagement data, structured interviews and discovery workshops, the group has been gathering insights from across all member segments. Together, this data provides one of the most comprehensive pictures we’ve ever had of how members see value in IAPD and where they want us to go next. Early findings have revealed important differences in how each group defines value:

• Small Distributors and Fabricators value networking and manufacturer access but seek more regional and virtual engagement options.
• Midsized Distributors appreciate GenerationNext and technical education but want more benchmarking and business development tools.
• Large Distributors value engagement with the Board, Executive Committee and strategic networking offered by IAPD, but want IAPD to deepen its focus on advocacy, workforce development and global trends.
• Smaller Manufacturers value the visibility they get from the trade show and the advertising opportunities IAPD offers. But they believe IAPD is too reliant on sponsorships and that suppliers’ perspectives are overshadowed by distributors’ perspectives.
• Midsized Manufacturers value Private Supplier Meeting rooms at the convention. They also value the visibility they get from advertising with IAPD. However, they have identified a level of diminishing influence and are looking to IAPD for more curated buyer access.
• Larger Manufacturers value connecX Trade Show booths, Private Supplier Meeting Rooms and event/program sponsorships. They also noted that they value advertising opportunities, paying a particular note that IAPD has made the leap into the digital space; though, they want clearer ROI metrics and more global opportunities.
• Manufacturers’ Representatives and Associated Product & Services value visibility and relationships but want IAPD to do more to enhance their strategic positioning.

These insights confirm that membership value is not one-size-fits-all. Our challenge — and our opportunity — is to deliver personalized, measurable value to every member type.

More than half of our members did not respond to the initial surveys, and we’re committed to closing that gap. If your company hasn’t shared its feedback yet, we want to hear from you. Your input will help shape how IAPD evolves to meet the needs of tomorrow’s performance plastics community.

Another key initiative that will look very different in 2026 is the Women in Plastics program.

The Women in Plastics program, which used to be distinctly separate events, will now be a comprehensive leadership development program that includes both virtual and one in-person facilitated training, designed specifically for women in the performance plastics industry.

Under the new concept, participants will register at the beginning of the program, in the early first quarter of 2026, and progress through a virtually delivered curriculum.

• Participants will start with a virtual leadership curriculum that will consist of three to five progressive sessions over the course of the spring and summer.
• After the virtual curriculum, participants will finish with an in-person Signature Leadership Development Event, which will be in August 2026.

This new format is designed to build skills, strengthen networks and empower women across the industry to grow into leadership roles. It’s about developing talent — wherever it’s found — and ensuring that our industry benefits from the best people and perspectives.

Each of our initiatives ties back to a simple truth: IAPD exists to drive value for its members.

We are delivering new tools, like the IAPD GPT — an exclusive AI-powered research and sales assistant for members. We are providing value-added benefits that help our members remain competitive. We are ensuring that IAPD remains both relevant and resilient through changing times.

But driving value is not something the board or staff can do alone. It is something we must do together.

I am honored to serve as your president this year. I thank the IAPD Executive Committee, the Board of Directors and all our committees and task forces for their leadership. I thank our staff for their tireless efforts and, most of all, I thank you, our members.

Together, we will drive value forward. Together, we will ensure that IAPD — and the performance plastics industry — remain relevant, resilient and ready for the future.