Davis-Standard is pleased to announce that Rich Kanarski has been elected to serve as a Technical Program Chair for the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), Extrusion Division. In 2014, Kanarski was recommended by a mentor to serve on the SPE Board of Directors as a young professional, several years later being elected to serve on the Board in a traditional governing role. In addition to presiding over technical programs, he also serves as the division’s Membership Chair. His SPE responsibilities coincide well with his leadership position at Davis-Standard where he manages the company’s converting system technical product team. 

“I am honored to serve as the Technical Program Chair. My fellow board members are incredible people who consistently inspire members to challenge themselves personally and professionally,” explained Kanarski. “We have a common commitment to the betterment of our industry, which is a fundamental value within SPE. Sharing knowledge and strengthening skills is a collaborative effort among our professionals worldwide.”

In his TPC role, Kanarski will support technical conferences, including ANTEC^® 2021 to be held via live-stream beginning May 5. ANTEC is a top priority for Kanarski as it one of SPE’s largest technical conferences. As a TPC, with the support of the technical paper review committee, is responsible to review and organize all the technical content submitted by the extrusion division members who wish to voice and present their developments to their peers, compiling it into an effective program for ANTEC.  ANTEC offers a platform for members and students to share and discuss the latest developments in plastic processing and polymer science. A key experience of ANTEC, is the presentation of technical papers that highlight timely subjects and processing expertise within all areas of the plastics industry.

SPE is at the forefront of advancing extrusion innovation and best practices within the global plastics industry. The organization represents more than 22,500 members from 84 countries, connecting scientists, engineers, technical personnel and senior executives. For more information about SPE’s technical conferences, visit www.4spe.org.