TAPPI Selects Fellows and Outstanding Young Professionals for 2020

ATLANTA (March 19, 2020) – TAPPI is pleased to announce it will bestow the title of Fellow on nine members and name five individuals as this year’s recipients of the Young Professional of the Year award.

Fellow is an honorary title bestowed upon a small percentage of TAPPI’s membership and is given to individuals who have made extraordinary technical or service contributions to the industry and/or the Association.

The following individuals have been named 2020 TAPPI Fellows.

• John Bergin, Owner, Technical and Investor Consulting, LLC
• Fernando Bertolucci, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Suzano
• Jim Brewster, Former Senior Project Advisor, Irving Pulp & Paper, Limited.
• Donald Haag, Vice President of Manufacturing Services, Packaging Corporation of America
• Mark Lewis, CEO of Sustainable Fiber Technologies (SFT) and Phoenix Pulp and Polymer and recipient of the 2020 Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award
• Przemyslaw Pruszynski, Ph.D., Consultant, Pruszynski Paper Chemistry Consulting, LLC.
• Jack Tippett, Ph.D., Consultant, EnTech Engineering, PC
• Roland J. Trepanier, Ph.D., President, OpTest Equipment Inc.
• Angela Wensley, Ph.D., P.E., Former Consultant, Angela Wensley Engineering Inc.

Each year, the Association may elect members as TAPPI Fellows in recognition of meritorious service to the Association and the industry. The title Fellow is also conferred upon TAPPI Board chairs, vice chairs, and directors at the end of their terms of office, and upon Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Awardees and Herman L. Joachim Distinguished Service Recipients.

The Young Professional of the Year is an annual contest that identifies aspiring young leaders in the global forest products, pulp, paper, tissue, packaging and associated industries. Eligible nominees are age 35 or younger with less than 10 years of industry experience.

The winners of the 2020 TAPPI Young Professionals of the Year awards are:

• Peyton Clifton, Mechanical Project Engineer, Domtar
• John DeJarnette, Senior Researcher, WestRock Corporation
• John Edwards, Operations Superintendent, Domtar
• Natasha Melton, Senior Researcher, WestRock Corporation
• Nika Wanserski, Shift Supervisor, Neenah, Inc.

The award recognizes Young Professionals who have made significant contributions to the forest products industries in the following areas: Leadership, Community Service, and Problem-Solving Contributions to Scientific or Engineering Projects.

Winners are recognized in TAPPI’s various publications and online. In addition, they are granted one full year of TAPPI membership and are invited to attend their division specific TAPPI conference during 2020 to receive their award.

About TAPPI:

TAPPI is the leading association for the worldwide pulp, paper, packaging, tissue and converting industries and publisher of Paper360°, Tissue360° and TAPPI Journal. Through information exchange, events, trusted content and networking opportunities, TAPPI helps members elevate their performance by providing solutions that lead to better, faster and more cost-effective ways of doing business. It has provided management training and networking to the industry’s leaders for more than 100 years. For more information, visit TAPPI’s website.

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