***ReMA PSI President's Message*** | |
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PSI's Busy, Productive 2024
Tamara Mayberry
PSI Chapter President
Pioneer Industries International
As the end of the year approaches, it's a great time to look back and reflect on the ReMA PSI Chapter's highlights in 2024. Here's a summary of the chapter's "greatest hits" over the past year:
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■ Following ISRI's rebranding as the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) at its annual convention in April, our chapter officially became the ReMA Paper Stock Industries (PSI) Chapter, with a new logo (shown at the top of this email) and new brand typefaces as well as new primary and extended color palettes. | |
■ PSI awarded $50,000 to 19 students in its annual scholarship program, setting records yet again for the total funds awarded and the number of student recipients. This year’s scholarship total included one $5,000 grand-prize scholarship and 18 $2,500 merit scholarships. Special thanks to the many donors who made PSI's scholarship success possible. (Click HERE to view a list of the 2024 recipients and donors or to learn more about the PSI scholarship program.)
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■ PSI's current membership stands at 84 member companies, including the following 12 new members this year: ASP International, BE Equipment, IMABE, Jules AI, MP North America, National Fiber Supply, Nexus Circular, Pinpoint Wire Technologies, Potential Industries, Synergy Waste Management, UsedCardboardBoxes, and Waste Connections.
■ PSI held a productive all-member meeting Feb. 19 during the Southeast Recycling Conference & Trade Show in Miramar Beach, Fla. At that meeting, PSI elected its officers for the 2024-2026 term, including myself as PSI President, Kathy DeLano of Texas Recycling as Vice President, and Ed Tucciarone of Graphic Packaging International as Secretary/Treasurer. PSI also elected two directors-at-large: Rick Post of Pratt Recycling and Krystina Smith of WestRock. Immediately after the meeting, PSI held a cocktail reception for members.
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■ As usual, PSI had a high-profile presence at the Paper and Plastics Recycling Conference (PPRC), held in October in Chicago, beginning with a PSI reception, where we socialized and celebrated the great success of the PSI scholarship program in 2024.
At PPRC, PSI also had a joint membership-promo booth with ReMA national and sponsored a panel session titled “High Hopes for High Grades." PSI member Kelly McNamara of Numera Analytics moderated that informative session, which examined the future of high-grade recovered paper in the face of declining generation. Special thanks to our panel speakers Adam Holt of Allan Company, Andrew Dunbar of Waste Management, and Stephane Dube of Cascades Recovery+.
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Also at the PPRC event, PSI gave Joel Litman, president and co-owner of Texas Recycling Inc. (Dallas), the PSI Lifetime Achievement Award in memory of Phil Alpert, which recognizes individuals for their outstanding leadership, achievements, and contributions to the PSI Chapter and the paper recycling industry. In his 40-year career, Joel has been an exemplary leader in his business, his community, our industry, our national association, and our chapter, including serving as PSI President from 2012-2014. Joel is the eighth recipient of this PSI award, which previously honored his late father Stan Litman as well as other past PSI leaders.
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■ PSI's Linkedin page, which is now about two years old, grew 35% to 252 followers in the past year. The page communicates PSI-related news and announcements to a social media audience. (Click HERE to access the PSI Linkedin page, and select “Follow” under the ReMA Paper Stock Industries Chapter logo and name on the opening page.)
■ PSI distributed a “ReMA PSI Safety Message” throughout the year, covering important safety topics such as heat-related illnesses, hearing loss, and OSHA violations while also promoting noteworthy safety-related events such as National Safety Month and OSHA's Safe + Sound Week.
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