Letter from the president.

Like our industry, our Association is facing profound change, and is evolving for the good of the industry and the betterment of our members. As the needs of our companies and our individual members change, TAPPI must also change. Our companies and our individual members need TAPPI's solutions-those that exist, and those that we haven't invented yet. Our companies need leaders and TAPPI members will be those leaders. TAPPI remains the best place to find reliable knowledge, people of technical strength, leaders with well-rounded management skills-the best people in the industry. TAPPI is the one place where people regardless of location, affiliation, or corporate position can come to exchange ideas, seek answers, and enhance their professional knowledge. In our future, we will concentrate our precious volunteer time on creating value. Members will think of TAPPI as a source of knowledge, learning and development.

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I challenge you to get to know the people of the Association-to meet your counterparts in other companies, to meet and draw on those who do what you want to be doing in five or ten years, to learn from those who know about what you wonder about, who are skilled in areas in which you want to develop. The best way to build your network is to get involved in a technical committee or local section. I invite and encourage you to talk to other TAPPI members, use the newly updated TAPPI website, and contact me to be a part of achieving this vision of TAPPI's future--one that will benefit you professionally, and advance your employer and the entire industry. I also urge you as members and member leaders alike to reach out to those who need your knowledge, information and skills--it's the TAPPI way.

At the TAPPI Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony on May 4, I presented the president's annual State of the Association speech and described the vision in greater detail. The full text of my remarks is available on TAPPI's website under the About TAPPI link. You will also find inspiration in the remarks and perspectives of our Distinguished Service Award and Nicholson Gold Medal winners.