The Right IAPD President at the Right Time:
Reflections on Twenty Years of Volunteer Leadership
by Susan Avery, CAE
IAPD CEO
efore I started at IAPD, my predecessor, Deborah Hamlin, CAE, gave me a piece of advice that I did not fully understand at the time.
“Susan, these IAPD presidents, you have their hearts in your hands. Be careful with them.”
Twenty years later, I understand exactly what she meant.
One of the questions I get asked often is, “Who was the best IAPD president?” Sometimes the question is phrased a little differently. “Did you have a favorite?” Or perhaps, “Was there one you didn’t like?”
My answer is always the same.
The right IAPD president always seems to show up at the right time.
Over the past twenty years, I have worked alongside fourteen IAPD presidents. They came from different companies, different markets and different backgrounds. Some were visionaries. Some were consensus builders. Some were strategists. Some were relationship builders. None led exactly the same way. Yet somehow, the process always works.
The more I have reflected on that over the years, the more I have come to realize that it is not because every president is the same. It is because no single president is bigger than the association.
The membership elects the IAPD Board of Directors. The Board of Directors elect the IAPD President. The IAPD Board hires the CEO. The IAPD Board sets the vision and strategy, and the CEO is a partner in developing that strategy. The president serves as the leader and facilitator of the board. The CEO and staff, along with the volunteer committees, execute the strategy. Together, they move the association forward. The strategic plan outlives any one president. The association outlives any one CEO.
One of the first major issues I encountered was the long-running debate over whether fabricators should be allowed into IAPD membership. The issue had consumed the association for years. Under Fred’s leadership, we brought in an outside facilitator to work with the Change Committee, created a structured process and reached consensus. We learned something surprising along the way: many of the distributors we thought of as distributors had already become fabricators. The industry had evolved while we were still debating whether it would.
Fred taught me that leadership is not about avoiding difficult conversations. It is about creating an environment where difficult conversations can be resolved.
Tom Garrett, Total Plastics, taught me humility.
Before my first performance review with Tom, I was convinced I was walking into one of the most intimidating reviews of my career, as Tom had a reputation as being tough as nails in performance reviews. Instead, it became one of my best.
I learned that Tom believes that no single person is more important than the organization. He recognized in me, the same value system, and that is why we got along beautifully.
He also reminded me not to take myself too seriously. During his presidency, the board pulled a prank on him at his last meeting. They showed up with the famous “Impeach Tom Garrett” buttons and bumper stickers and it became one of the funniest moments of my early years at IAPD. Tom laughed harder than anyone.
IAPD launched the Marketing Committee and its first webinars and engaged a third-party marketing firm to study the perceptions of engineers, designers and specifiers about performance plastics.
Pat Foose, GEHR Plastics, Inc. taught me vision.
Pat became the first manufacturer president in IAPD history. Historically, presidents had always come from distribution.
Pat’s credibility, integrity and relationships made that transition possible. People trusted him. During Pat’s presidency, IAPD purchased its headquarters building in Kansas City, bringing clarity to questions that had lingered for years about whether the association should remain in Kansas City or relocate to Washington, D.C.
Pat also challenged IAPD to think beyond serving members and begin promoting the broader performance plastics industry.
Under his leadership, the association launched the Expo and began engaging engineers, designers, specifiers and end users.
While the specific programs evolved over time, the mindset remained.
Pat helped move IAPD from being solely a membership organization to becoming a true industry association.
He taught me that great leaders help organizations see what they can become.
Howard was one of the youngest presidents IAPD ever had and one of the most unforgettable. If you knew Howard, you were his friend. He was funny, energetic and endlessly curious.
One of my favorite Howard stories took place during an Executive Committee Meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which involved snow skiing. As I skied down the mountain in what I thought was a perfectly respectable one-piece ski suit, Howard spotted me from the chairlift and yelled that I looked like a grape. He spent the rest of the evening reminding me of it. Before my next ski trip, I had an entirely new ski wardrobe.
Howard’s expensive tastes and good-natured teasing eventually made me buy new golf clubs and a watch.
That was Howard.
Under his leadership, IAPD launched initiatives that would eventually shape the association for years to come, including environmental efforts, industry research and marketing initiatives. Howard taught me that organizations have to be willing to experiment.
Years later, cancer took Howard from us far too soon. Today, his legacy lives on through the scholarship that bears his name.
Howard taught me that leadership is measured not only by what you accomplish, but by the impact you have on the people around you.
Bob Bacon, Harrington Industrial Plastics, taught me stewardship.
Bob cared deeply about what it meant to be a good industry citizen. He constantly reminded people that manufacturers, distributors and fabricators all have responsibilities. He believed that every participant in the supply chain had an obligation to create value.
What I appreciated most about Bob was that he rarely viewed issues through the lens of what was best for one segment of the industry. He viewed them through the lens of what was best for the channel as a whole. That perspective was invaluable.
Bob could become intensely passionate about a subject one minute and laugh so hard his face turned purple the next. He had one of the greatest belly laughs in IAPD history (he’s not gone, just retired).
Bob taught me that leadership is often about advocating for the health of the entire ecosystem rather than your individual interests.
Jane showed up as IAPD president at a time when I was learning the difference between how to have thicker skin and wearing defensive armor all the time. Jane’s leadership style was always delivered with a softer touch, people first. Yet, no less effective. It was beautiful to watch in action, inspiring.
It was the start of a lifelong friendship between the two of us. One that I cherish.
During Jane’s presidency, IAPD launched councils that helped distributors and manufacturers work together more effectively. The Membership Engagement Dashboard and Top 26 Markets framework also emerged during this period and are still used today.
Kevin Short, Laird Plastics, taught me transformation.
During Kevin’s presidency, IAPD underwent one of the most significant governance transformations in its history.
Board terms changed. Leadership structures changed. Decision-making changed.
Kevin was also instrumental in helping launch IAPD’s Government Relations program. Together, we traveled to Washington, D.C., interviewed lobbying firms and made the case to the board that IAPD needed its own voice on issues unique to the performance plastics industry.
Perhaps most significantly, Kevin facilitated the strategic planning session that ultimately gave us the term “Performance Plastics.”
For years, the industry had used different terms to describe itself. Engineering plastics. Industrial plastics. Various other labels. None fully captured who we were as an industry.
Those two words unified distributors, fabricators and manufacturers. They became the foundation of our advocacy, workforce development, sustainability efforts, marketing and membership. It remains one of the most important accomplishments in IAPD history.
Kevin taught me that transformation begins when someone is willing to challenge assumptions and ask whether there is a better way.
Mitch Opalich, Indelco Custom Products (Indelco Plastics), taught me clarity.
During Mitch’s presidency, IAPD changed its strategic planning methodology and adopted its first Three Pillar Strategy. While the strategy has evolved over time, its framework remains recognizable today.
Mitch also oversaw the launch of IAPD’s first learning management system, which revolutionized the way IAPD delivered its online education.
During Mitch’s presidency, he also guided the association to begin rethinking the future of the Expo model.
He taught me that strategy is only useful if it creates clarity.
Mitch is direct, collaborative, funny and never afraid to make decisions. He is loyal to his friends, a quality that I admire greatly about him. He won’t just tell you what you want to hear, and I appreciate that too.
By the time Rick became president, IAPD had a governance structure, strategic plan and growing list of priorities. What we needed was execution and a way to measure success. Rick brought decades of executive leadership experience and a bias for action that helped move initiatives forward.
Rick helped us translate the strategy and goals into an executable strategy.
He helped me keep focused on the endgame and build the discipline to see it through.
Never at a time in IAPD’s history had we had so many moving pieces, initiatives and working groups developing and executing at one time. It was a new stretch for me, and Rick’s leadership and support helped grow me as a leader.
Wayne Gono, Regal Plastics Supply Company Inc., taught me the power of connection.
Wayne had a gift of helping people feel like they belonged. More importantly, he understood that people connect through being in the same space and talking about what is on their mind.
For years, IAPD struggled to engage smaller independent distributors and fabricators. Wayne and I experimented with a new program that eventually became the Independent Distributor + Fabricator Roundtables.
Today, those roundtables remain one of the most valued benefits for smaller member companies.
Wayne reminded us that community is built one conversation at a time.
Craig Saunders, North American Plastics, taught me the power of collective impact.
Long before sustainability and workforce development became IAPD strategic priorities, Craig recognized that some challenges were too large for companies to tackle alone.
Craig was the first leader of IAPD task forces for member companies to collaborate on issues such as, California Proposition 65, then transportation and freight issues, then recycling.
Craig led IAPD to ask a different question: What can members accomplish together, better, than we would accomplish on our own?
That question continues to shape IAPD today.
Craig also happened to serve during one of the most difficult periods in the association’s history.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted businesses, supply chains, travel, meetings and nearly every aspect of the association and our industry.
There is no one else I would have rather had serving as president during that period.
Craig was unflappable.
When my stress level was through the roof, Craig was the person I called. He was a confidant, advisor and strategic partner. He could have me laughing within seconds of him picking up the phone and still impart sage wisdom within minutes.
Under his leadership, IAPD not only survived the pandemic, but came out stronger.
Craig taught me that some of the greatest accomplishments happen when people decide to solve problems together.
Long before she became president, she helped build IAPD’s Government Relations program. As a longtime Government Relations Committee member, committee chair and PAC Board Chair, she helped transform an emerging initiative into one of the association’s most important strategic programs.
Her presidency and personal life was tested by significant challenges, yet she remained steady, principled and kind. Through it all, Deborah remained steady. She never compromised her values. She never sacrificed dignity for expediency.
She reminded all of us that leadership is not about reacting emotionally to every challenge. It is about staying true to your principles.
Deborah taught me that character matters most when it is tested.
Peter DelGado, Curbell Plastics, Inc., taught me ownership.
During Peter’s presidency, I experienced two of the most significant personal losses of my life. Within a matter of months, I lost my mother and then lost my longtime career mentor/friend. At the time, I convinced myself I was doing fine. Looking back, I wasn’t.
I was incredibly fortunate that Peter was president.
Because of his years of service on both the IAPD Board and as Membership Committee Chair, along with deep knowledge of the association, Peter was uniquely positioned to step in during the first year of his two-year term, when I was not operating at one hundred percent. He didn’t take over. He simply carried a significant part of the load. That is a gift I will never forget.
He also made sure that he never forgot to recognize the staff. After events and major initiatives, he made a habit of thanking staff and acknowledging the work happening behind the scenes.
My staff felt seen.
During his presidency, IAPD launched the IAPD GPT, updated the Three Pillar Strategy, launched the Sustainability Task Force, relaunched Workforce Development efforts and created the Member Resource Hub, as well as launched the Membership Model & Trends Focus Group.
The significance of what we accomplished in Peter’s two years as president can’t be understated. There is a reason why Peter and his team are known in Curbell and IAPD for getting things done. Absolutely well-deserved reputations.
One of my favorite memories from Peter’s presidency came as he and then, Vice President Jim Richards prepared to welcome members back to Louisville for our 2024 Annual Convention. After hearing concerns from some members who remembered the pandemic-disrupted convention in 2021, Peter and Jim flew to Louisville with a camera crew and IAPD staff to film promotional videos.
The videos were hilarious.
More importantly, they reflected something both leaders had in common.
Neither was content to simply govern the association.
They were willing to roll up their sleeves and help tell its story.
Jim Richards, PLASKOLITE, is teaching me insight.
People immediately see Jim’s humor, energy and personality. For those who may not work or do business with him and only socialize with him at IAPD receptions, what they may not see right away, is just how smart and strategic he is. Jim understands the changing structure of the industry, its effects on distribution and manufacturing, the impact of private equity, consolidation, evolving member expectations and the growing demand for measurable return on investment.
In many ways, Jim has become my translator. Even after twenty years in the industry, some of my most valuable lessons continue to come from conversations with him.
Jim is the current IAPD President, and his story is still being written. He is chairing the Membership Model & Trends Focus Group. The board group that is studying the needs, trends and membership model for the future. The recommendations that will come out of this group will define the membership value proposition for years to come.
It is pretty clear what his legacy will be.
Peter, is the immediate past president, and still serving on the Executive Committee, and serves on the above group with Jim. Deborah, is the PAC Board Chair and still serves on the Government Relations Committee. Pat, is the Scholarship Committee Chair. These past presidents still continue to serve and lead.
I watched member companies produce lifesaving products during a global pandemic.
I watched competitors become neighbors after hurricanes and natural disasters.
I watched companies come together to solve problems that none could solve alone.
But some of my favorite moments happen in much smaller rooms.
At every Independent Distributor + Fabricator Roundtable, there are first-time attendees who arrive unsure about the value of the association. Then something happens. They begin talking with peers. They share challenges. They exchange ideas. The lightbulb comes on.
By the end of the meeting, the response is usually the same:
“This is exactly what I was looking for.”
Past President Ralph Meyer once told me that the roundtables are the closest thing to the original purpose of IAPD that he has ever seen.
I think he is right.
Because at its core, IAPD has never really been about meetings, committees or strategic plans.
IAPD is about two things: Performance Plastics and People
And when one of us leaves us too soon, we find a way to honor them.
We named a scholarship after Howard Natal.
We donate our time. We raise money.
We award that scholarship to young people pursuing their own futures and possibilities.
In a small way, we help create the next Howard Natal.
That is what communities do. That is what associations do.
And that is what IAPD does at its best.
When I reflect on twenty years of volunteer leadership, what strikes me most is not how similar these leaders were. It is how different they were.
None of them led the same way. None of them approached challenges the same way.
And that may be the greatest lesson of all.
Leadership does not come in a single package.
But it always starts the same way.
Someone raises their hand and decides to serve.
And for twenty years, I have watched the right IAPD president show up at exactly the right time.