Anyone who has seen It's a Wonderful Life remembers that famous line "Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings." At TAPPI headquarters, every time the President's Bell rings, we welcome a new TAPPI member! Tim Leopold and Warren Shoemaker are the newest members to join the TAPPI community.

Tim Leopold is the Eastern Regional Manager with Western Polymer Corporation of Moses Lake, Washington. They are the largest coating, wet-end cationic potato starch and specialty starch supplier to the paper industry in the Northwest. In addition, WPC supplies and services paper mills throughout the United States. When Tim was asked about his TAPPI experience, he said "I used to be a member of TAPPI but dropped my membership a few years ago. I have seen tremendous improvements in TAPPI from a couple years ago and am proud to join again!"

Warren Shoemaker is in the Business Development unit at Cobalt Technologies. They are a leading developer of innovative technologies that enable the next generation of biofuels. By bringing together leaders in microbial physiology, strain improvement, fermentation and separation technologies, Cobalt is pioneering science that makes possible a new generation of fuels that burn cleaner, are more cost-effective, and have a smaller environmental impact. Warren told us, "I've been looking to get connected with the pulp & paper industry and TAPPI has been incredibly helpful and effective with introductions and insights. Membership has already been well worth the investment."

Please join us in welcoming Warren and Tim (back) to TAPPI! You can connect with them at tleopold@westernpolymer.com and warren.shoemaker@cobalttech.com. To learn more about Western Polymer visit www.westernpolymer.com. For more details on Cobalt Technologies, please visit www.cobalttech.com.

We get a kick out of seeing our members, so if you're in the Norcross, Georgia area, please stop by and ring the bell and you could be featured in the next Over the Wire issue.

And remember there are two types of people: TAPPI members and those who should be!

Until next time,
Larry N. Montague
TAPPI President & CEO

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Recognizing all that he had received from the members who joined before him, Ian Journeaux, Ph.D., became a TAPPI member nearly 25 years ago to help "pay it forward." He says it was the ease of seeking out and engaging colleagues and peers that convinced him of the value of TAPPI membership, and what it might mean to a new generation of engineering stars.

Currently a Process Technology Manager with NewPage Corporation, he oversees process optimization, process troubleshooting and new technology evaluation. Ian says that TAPPI members were always a go-to resource when there were pressing problems to solve, and remain so to this day. He considers membership one of the most important investments that industry professionals can make in their careers – no matter what stage they are in. Find out the reasons why by reading this month's Member Spotlight.

Spotlight participants are recommended by fellow members and staff. If you would like to nominate a member (or even yourself!) just send their name (or names) to MemberSpotlight@tappi.org. We will forward a Spotlight Questionnaire to fill out and return.

We look forward to seeing you in the Spotlight!

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TAPPI is holding its popular TAPPI Essentials of Market Pulp course on April 30 this year -- just before the opening of the PaperCon 2011 convention May 1-4, 2011. There's no reason to miss it!

This course offers the most comprehensive overview available of today's market pulps worldwide. It is designed expressly to prime your knowledge of pulp markets in preparation for the convention, by helping you:

- Gain a broad understanding of current pulp trends in the global marketplace
- Understand the unique nature of pulps through study of a large cross-section of samples from all over the world - Initiate a simple, efficient evaluation process for smart pulp selection
- Network with others and discuss issues one-on-one with experienced instructors

You also will receive with your registration your own copy of the World Market Pulp CD Book - a $295 value - supplemented with new marketplace data and analytical insights. The World of Market Pulp books are sold around the world and are key reference materials in many libraries, laboratories and companies. (See a sample) [http://www.tappi.org/content/press/womp.pdf] of this valuable book online.

Be sure to register by April 1 to receive the discounted early-bird rate for this one-day course!

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Join your colleagues one day prior to the start of the ICE SHOW for the 2011 TAPPI PLACE Flexible Packaging Symposium, April 5, 2011 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida USA.

Attend this Symposium for a comprehensive, state-of-the-art overview of the latest biopolymer materials, additives, processing technology, applications, environmental aspects and market trends. This is your opportunity to experience a real-time dialogue with industry experts and colleagues about the collective sustainability challenge.

By participating in this Symposium, you will learn:

• how to integrate sustainable practices throughout your manufacturing process
• best practices for successfully and cost-effectively extruding biopolymers
• how to progressively achieve your sustainability goals.

At the end of this symposium you will understand the latest developments in renewable source resins, films and structures, and be able to employ sustainable flexible packaging practices for resource efficiency.

View the complete schedule for this not-to-miss event!

Register now or download the faxable registration form.

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Jack McAneny, Associate Director Global Sustainability for Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G), will give the keynote address at the welcome session for TAPPI's annual PaperCon Conference on Sunday, May 1, 2011, at 5 p.m. PaperCon will take place May 1-4 in Covington, KY at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center, located across the river from Cincinnati, Ohio. The welcome session is hosted by the TAPPI Coating and Graphics Arts Division.

"P&G has developed many Sustainable Innovation Products that have a significantly reduced environmental footprint without tradeoffs in price or performance," according to McAneny. "We recently announced a new long-term sustainability vision that includes increasing our efforts to develop products that have an improved environmental profile. This vision also includes a goal of using 100% renewable or recycled materials for all products."

McAneny helps to coordinate the implementation of P&G's sustainability strategy and leads several cross-functional and cross-business unit teams that focus on key sustainability issues. Procter & Gamble is the largest consumer products company in the world and has had formal sustainability programs in place for over a decade. As P&G's efforts have evolved, they have come to recognize sustainability as both a responsibility and an opportunity, with their current programs closely linked to their Purpose-inspired Growth Strategy. This session will provide an overview of P&G's current sustainability efforts, their long term sustainability vision, and highlight issues that may be particularly relevant for the pulp and paper industry.

Prior to joining P&G, McAneny worked for the Federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration as an Industrial Hygiene Compliance Officer. He holds a B.S. in Biology from Duke University and a master's degree from the University of North Carolina School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering.

"Sustainability is a very important issue for TAPPI, our industry and its customers," notes James P. (Jim) Niemiec, PaperCon 2011 Conference Co-Chairman and Senior Manager, Product Development for NewPage Corporation. "Sustainability continues to expand as more and more companies realize that being a profitable and efficient business goes hand-in-hand with being a good steward to the environment."

The annual PaperCon Conference is the largest conference of its kind in the world. It is the annual conference for three major groups in TAPPI (Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry): PIMA (Paper Industry Management Association), TAPPI Papermakers Division and TAPPI Coating and Graphic Arts Division. The theme for the 2011 event is "Rethink Paper: Lean and Green." The conference will also feature a Sustainability Forum and Tissue Forum. The Recycled Paperboard Technical Association has also joined the conference this year with their Production-Technical seminar running concurrently. More is available at the website.

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The deadline to submit an extended abstract for the 2011 International Pulp Bleaching Conference has been extended. Authors interested in presenting a paper should upload their extended abstract to TAPPI's Speaker Management System by April 15, 2011. Abstracts should be 1-2 pages in length.

Authors will be notified of acceptance by April 29, 2011 and must provide a full text manuscript by July 15, 2011. This event provides you with a unique opportunity to hear from researchers and operations specialists from around the world. Unlike other conferences with multiple tracts, this conference is very focused, and there are no competing sessions. Adequate time is allocated for questions and the exchange of further information. The format allows ample networking opportunities for attendees to have one-on-one exchanges with the presenters and other conference attendees in a relaxed atmosphere.

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This is your chance to improve your Linerboard/Medium and Corrugated Box Manufacturing skills - in just two days of your time. A new course - T APPI Linerboard Medium and Corrugated Box Manufacture Course - will be held April 6-7, 2011 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA.

How You'll Benefit

This course will help strengthen your understanding of the corrugating process, and linerboard and medium performance properties and manufacture. The course content is intended to help improve overall corrugating box performance and runnability. It is ideal for both corrugators and pulp and paper mill employees.

What You'll Learn

After completing this course, you'll earn 1.4 CEUs and be able to:

- Explain how linerboard and medium properties and tests relate to the final box performance
- Identify and describe what happens in the corrugator, and some variables that affect the final product
- Increase recognition of - on a mill wide basis - the effects of fiber raw materials, pulp mill and recycling processes, stock preparation, chemical additives, headbox and wet end operations, pressing and drying, calendering and size press operations on performance tests and properties.

Register before March 4 in order to save on course fees. Be sure not to hesitate long because this course will sell out at only 25 registrants.

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Get some relief at the Shipping, Receiving and Warehousing Workshop and learn ways to improve your bottom line.

Be a part of this dedicated group of mills, carriers, warehouses and printers as they establish standards to reduce in-transit damage to rolls of paper. You can't learn by sitting in your office! Attend the Shipping, Receiving and Warehousing Workshop, in Nashville, April 12-13, 2011, and learn new ways to improve your bottom line.

Program Highlights:

• Results from the qMetrixTM pilot project, providing real-time roll damage reports to printers, carriers and paper mills.
• Review of claims processing procedures to assure fast processing and prevention of future damage.
• Workshop on warehouse operations, covering best practice product handling and loading of rail cars and trailers.
• Hear how Verso Paper has achieved a dramatic reduction in damage claims.
• Membership Special - register for SRW and join TAPPI at a 60% savings!

Registration for this information-packed event is only $265. And for an additional $65 (total of $330) you can become a member of TAPPI - normally $174. TAPPI Membership entitles you to news, publications, conference discounts and a directory of members - the most influential people in the pulp, paper, converting and allied industries.

Learn more about TAPPI's Shipping, Receiving and Warehousing Workshop.

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