Paper Tech Foundation holds annual meetingOct. 8, 2010 KALAMAZOO--The Paper Technology Foundation at Western Michigan University is celebrating its 51st annual meeting Thursday, Oct. 14, and has planned a full day of activities focusing on paper engineering and paper science students. Each year the PTF meeting attracts high-profile paper industry executives from across the county. This year's gathering is no exception and will feature keynote speaker David J. Abood, managing director, Sustainability Services North America, for Accenture. Abood will speak during the event's annual banquet Thursday evening. Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, helping clients achieve high performance. As managing director of Accenture's Sustainability Services North America, Abood works with Fortune 500 companies in the resources industry to help them address the business opportunities and challenges related to the evolving global position on climate change and the move toward the low-carbon economy of the future. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, Abood has 18 years' experience leading business and technology change initiatives from strategy through solution design, planning and implementation. He plays a lead role in developing several of Accenture's new-business initiatives related to climate change and provides counsel to a number of non-profit organizations in the same area. He is also active in Accenture's internal sustainability initiatives focused on corporate citizenship and employee engagement. The Paper Technology Foundation, which has a long tradition of providing scholarships to students, will showcase fall 2010 recipients at a scholarship luncheon from noon to 1:30 p.m. Other events during the day include the foundation's committee meetings at 9 a.m., followed by the PTF Board of Trustees meeting from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The foundation's annual meeting runs from 3:30 to 4 p.m. followed by the PTF Meet and Greet social hour and the annual banquet. Guests will be treated to an after-dinner performance by the WMU Gold Company before an awards ceremony and remarks from 8 to 9 p.m. All activities are in the WMU Fetzer Center. A new Student Mentoring Program is being initiated with the fall 2010 paper engineering and paper science student body in conjunction with the PTF Board of Trustees meetings. The mentoring program is designed to enhance students' knowledge of the industry and allow them to gain professional career advice from board members related to their industry exposure. Designated opportunities at both the fall and spring meetings have been created to encourage student-mentor engagement and participation. The PTF Meet and Greet has been designed for students and mentors to chat informally and mingle before and during the social hour. This creates another student engagement opportunity and allows for increased connectivity with students and board members. Together, the Student Mentoring Program and the PTF Meet and Greet are expected to strengthen student-member bonds and communication throughout the school year and increase students' preparedness as they enter the workforce. Established in 1958, the Paper Technology Foundation supports and enhances the internationally known paper programs offered by the WMU Department of Paper Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Imaging. To register or obtain more information, contact John F. Bergin, foundation managing director, at (414) 364-4399 or john.f.bergin@wmich.edu, or Jennifer Johnson, foundation administrative assistant, at (269) 276-3964 or jen.johnson@wmich.edu. Media contact: Mark Schwerin, (269) 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu WMU News |