FSCT elects new Board of Directors: elections by membership held for first time.

The Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology recently announced the results of the election of members to its Board of Directors. This marks the first time in its history that the FSCT has held elections by its membership. In all, 1,098 ballots, representing over 25% of the membership, were submitted from all corners of the world.

The following Directors will join President Rose Ann Ryntz, of Visteon; Vice President Yasmin Sayed-Sweet, of Alberdingk Boley; and Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Pontoski, FSCT Controller, on the 2006 FSCT Board of Directors.

BOB AHN 

Mr. Ahn is a member and Past-President of the Los Angeles Society. He is currently Vice President--Key Accounts of E.T. Horn Co., La Mirada, CA. Previously, Mr. Ahn worked with Kronos as Senior Account Manager and as an Account Manager for Dow Chemical. He holds a B.S. Degree in Biology and Business Administration from the University of Southern California, and was awarded an MBA from Claremont Graduate University. A veteran of 20 years in the coatings industry, Mr. Ahn served on the FSCT's Structure and Governance Committee.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

LARRY BRANDENBURGER

Dr. Brandenburger is Vice President-Research & Development at The Valspar Corporation, Minneapolis, MN. He has been in the paint industry for 36 years. Previously, he worked as a paint chemist for Lilly Industries and a polymer chemist for Inmont. A member of the FSCT Structure & Governance Task Force, Dr. Brandenburger is also a member of the Northwestern Society, for which he has served as President and for 13 years as the Society's Representative on the FSCT Board.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

CHRIS HARDING

Mr. Harding is Technical Director at Waterlox Coatings, Cleveland, OH. Involved in the industry for 32 years, he previously worked as a research chemist with Coatings Research Group, Inc., and as Technical Director with both Akron Paint & Varnish and Devine Paint & Varnish. Formerly a member of the FSCT Board of Directors, Mr. Harding also served on the FSCT's Nominating Committee and its Membership Task Force. He received an FSCT award citation in 2001 for gaining the most members in a large Society. Active in the Cleveland Society, Mr. Harding was Chair of its Membership Committee, and is a member of the Society's Technical, Symposium, and Website Committees. He received the Society's Award of Appreciation in 1998, Award of Merit in 1999, and the Dr. Frank Selden Award--the Society's highest honor--in 2000. He was also the 2005 recipient of the President's Award.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

THOMAS E. HILL

Mr. Hill began his career in the coatings industry with Mary Carter Paints in 1970, later joining Harris Paints in 1973, both in Tampa, FL. In 1975 he left to join Pratt & Lambert, Buffalo, NY, as a formulating chemist and rose through a variety of increasingly responsible positions to Vice President, R & D. Shortly following the acquisition of Pratt & Lambert by The Sherwin-Williams Company, Mr. Hill spent two and a half years as a consultant before starting The Coatings Alliance, in Buffalo, at which he holds the positions of President and CEO. Mr. Hill has served the FSCT as President (1997-1998) and on its Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and Nominating Committee. During his tenure as President, he lent significant effort to the development of the organization's first strategic plan. Mr. Hill was recently awarded the FSCT Heckel Award--the organization's highest honor--at its 2005 Annual Meeting. As a member of the (former) Western New York Society, Mr. Hill served on its Scientific and Executive Committees, and as its representative on the FSCT Board of Directors from 1983-90. He was a member of the Society's Program and Educational Committees. He also holds membership in the American Society of Quality and the American Productivity and Quality Center. A member of the coatings industry for nearly 35 years, Mr. Hill was educated at West Virginia University and the State University of New York at Buffalo.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

NATU C. PATEL 

Mr. Patel has held the position of Technical Manager of Ace Hardware's Paints Div., Matteson, IL, since 1985. Previously, he was employed as a chemist with Standard T Chemicals and Enterprise Companies. He has been in the coatings industry for 30 years and received a B.S. Degree in Chemistry and an M.S. Degree in Organic Chemistry from Gujarat University in India. A member of the Chicago Society since 1979, Mr. Patel has served the Society as its Director to the FSCT Board (2002-present), as President in 1995, and on numerous committees within the Society. He received the Society's Outstanding Service Award in 1998 and the award of excellence for commitment to growth of CSCT in 2002. Active on the NPCA AIM Steering Committee since 1998, he is interested in staying updated on VOC regulations and new technology. Mr. Patel is also a member of SSPC and the Chicago Paint & Coatings Association.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

RENEE D. SHREVES

Ms. Shreves is Sales/Marketing Manager for Quaker Color, in Troy, MI. Previous positions include National Account Manager for Bayer Corp., Sales Engineer for Binks Manufacturing, and a member of the GM Advanced Engineering Staff. Formerly a member of the FSCT Board of Directors, she has chaired the FOCUS Conference for the Detroit Society. Additional industry service includes president of the Advanced Finishing Processes for SME, and Conference Chair for the Engineering Society of Detroit. Ms. Shreves received a B.S. Degree in Industrial Engineering from GMI Engineering and Management Institute, and an M.S. Degree in Industrial Engineering from Wayne State University. She has been involved in the industry for 19 years.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

FRITZ WALKER

The immediate Past-President of the FSCT, Dr. Walker is a Research Associate for Air Products & Chemicals' Performance Materials Technology Div., Allentown, PA. As Chair of the Structure and Governance Task Force, he led the FSCT's efforts to reform the Bylaws, and streamline the organization's system of governance. He also has served as Chair of the Professional Development Committee. He is a member of the Philadelphia Society. Dr. Walker was a recipient of the Roon Award (first place, 2001) and is a member of the FSCT Publications Committee and JCT RESEARCH Editorial Review Board. A well-known author, lecturer, and patent holder, he received a B.A. Degree from Bloomfield College, and M.S. and Ph.D. Degrees from Yale University. Prior to joining Air Products, Dr. Walker was with Rohm and Haas Company's Pioneering Research Group, was Director of the Michigan Polymer Laboratory for Akzo Coatings, and was employed at Henkel Corp.'s Research Laboratory. He is a member of the American Chemical Society and SSPC--the Society for Protective Coatings.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

JOSEPH P. WALTON

A Past-President of the FSCT (1994-95), Mr. Walton has also served the FSCT as the Chair of the Executive, Manufacturing, Nominating, and Finance Committees. He is a former Trustee of the Coatings Industry Education Foundation. Mr. Walton received the FSCT's Merit Citation in 1987 and its Distinguished Service Award in 1995. A member of the Cleveland Society since 1984, Mr. Walton was Chair of the Manufacturing and Directory Committees and received the Society's Award of Merit. He currently serves as CEO of Jamestown Paint Company and Jamestown Powder Coatings, in Jamestown, PA. In other industry service, Mr. Walton is currently a member of NPCA's Board of Directors (2000-present), a co-author of the NPCA Benchmark Survey, and has served on the organization's Membership and Manufacturing Management Committees. He has also been President of the Cleveland Paint & Coatings Association and served on its Executive Committee from 1981-2001, receiving the CPCA's Distinguished Service Award in 1983 and 1997, and its Merit Citation in 1989 and 1994.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

JAMES A. WASIK

Mr. Wasik, Development Associate, has been employed by PPG Industries, Springdale, PA, since 1989. With 36 years of experience, his previous employers include Olympic Stain/Lucite Paint, Ameritone Paint Corporation, and DeSoto, Inc. He serves as a technical advisor with the Fallingwater Restoration project. He has an extensive background in research and plant activities with specialties in architectural finishes, color technology, and computer sciences. A 25-Year member of FSCT, Mr. Wasik was recognized in 1998 for achieving the greatest increase in membership for a large Society, and in 2001, with the Society Secretaries Award. He has been active in several FSCT Constituent Societies, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Pacific Northwest, and Pittsburgh. He served as Yearbook Chairman for the L.A. Society, and progressed through the chairs of the Pittsburgh Society, having served as President, as well as Membership Chair, Newsletter Editor, and Yearbook Editor. A member and chair of the Bylaws Committee, Mr. Wasik also served on the Society's Scholarship Committee. He received a B.S. Degree in Chemistry from the University of Illinois. He also facilitates the continual learning program within the PPG Architectural Finishes department. Mr. Wasik is active in the evaluation of Graduation Projects completed by seniors at the high school in his community and is an active member of the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The first meeting of the new Board of Directors will be held May 19-20, 2006 in Orlando, FL.