An election is underway to fill two (2) Member-at-Large positions on the TAPPI Corrugated Packaging Council (CPC), the governing body of TAPPI’s Corrugated Packaging Division that develops strategic plans, press products and events. Voting is open until close of business on September 5, 2025.

 

The open position is for a three-year term. Voting results will be announced on September 8, 2025, prior to TAPPI CorrExpo 2025, October 20-22, at the Savannah Convention Center in Savannah, GA.

Current TAPPI Corrugated Division members are asked to vote via the official online ballot for two of the following candidates to serve as Member-at-Large:

 

Mike Kohler – Vice President, Kohler Coating, specializing in rod-metering systems for water decks, coaters, and glue units. Active TAPPI member since 2016 with multiple leadership roles, including CPC Member-at-Large. Named TAPPI Young Professional of the Year in 2018.

 

Joe Slattery – Midwest Region Sales Manager & Corporate Accounts Manager, Fosber America, managing solutions across 100+ corrugator projects in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. TAPPI member for 15 years; serves on the CPC, Chicago TAPPI Board, and Supplier Advisory Committee.

 

Gokul Gopakumar – Vice President of Technology & Business Development, SUN Automation Group. Leads global growth, new product development, and the Helios IIoT platform. Over a decade of engineering leadership with international experience in Asia and the Middle East.

 

Ian S. Carlton – Manager of Technical Service, Stafford Corrugated Products, overseeing a $3M territory in the Northeast U.S. 45+ years of industry experience across machinery and box-making. 20+ year TAPPI member, patent holder, former AICC Ambassador, and contributor to BoxScore magazine.

 

Michael Bernhard – Enterprise Solutions Director, AssetWatch, consulting on 100+ condition monitoring systems in corrugated facilities. TAPPI member for 2 years; specializes in predictive maintenance technology and plant reliability optimization.

Isaac Rivera Lopez – R&D Director, Grupak, with 18 years in packaging innovation and leadership. TAPPI member for 14 years; holds a Ph.D. in Electronics and owns Innoludic, focusing on data-driven innovation and cross-functional team leadership.

 

John Meyer – Midwest Regional Manager, JM Fry Printing Inks, managing $10M in corrugated ink sales and visiting 80–100 converting plants annually. 1-year TAPPI member; serves as Recruiting Chairman for Chicago TAPPI and provides on-site training for operators, sales, and customer teams.

 

 

The CPC includes appointed members from Georgia-Pacific, International Paper, Smurfit WestRock, PCA, Pratt Industries, Arvco Container, Southern Missouri Container, Menasha Packaging, Niagara Sheets, Coastal Container, and Greif.

 

Elected members represent Fosber America, BW Papersystems, Haire Group, and JB Machinery.

The council also includes the Technical Committee Chairs, the Young Professionals Liaison, and the Supplier Advisory Committee Chair.

 

 

Voting for these positions closes on September 5, 2025. To vote, simply use the official online ballot. Contact Sarah Lunceford, TAPPI Corrugated Division Manager, via email with any questions.