The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) announced the results of the recent election for new members of its executive board, whose terms will begin July 1. As of that day, board members will be: Jason Lyons, president; Jaime Gómez, past president; Bruce Mulholland, president-elect; Patrick Farrey, CEO; Conor Carlin, VP sustainability; and James M. Waddell, VP business and finance, whose term begins immediately.
Lyons, who is the business manager for Arkema Inc., was elected to serve a term that will run from 2021-2022. He has been with Arkema since 2006, and before that he was a research engineer for NovaComp Inc.
Lyons served on the SPE Engineering Properties & Structure Division board of directors, holding that seat from 2010 to 2018. Since 2016 he has served both on the SPE Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing Special Interest Group Board of Directors and the SPE Executive Board as VP of divisions. He has also been an Annual Technical Conference (ANTEC) moderator since 2010.
Lyons received his Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering from Drexel University and his Bachelor of Science degree in Textile Engineering from Philadelphia University
Mulholland, who worked for Celanese from 1986 until he retired earlier this year as the company’s global color technology fellow, will hold the role of president-elect from 2021-2022, when he will become president.
Mulholland holds 15 patents in color and appearance technologies and has presented more than a dozen technical papers at ANTECs.
He has been active in SPE, being a member of the SPE Color and Appearance Division (CAD) since 1985, and past chairman of CAD in 2001. Since 2002 he has been CAD’s treasurer.
His accolades include being an SPE Fellow Awards recipient, an Honored Service Member and a recipient of the SPE President’s Cup.
Waddell, managing partner for Plastic Concepts & Innovations LLC, will serve as SPE’s VP of business and finance. His term is effective immediately, and he will serve through 2023.
He spent 32 years in consulting and manufacturing in heavy-gauge thermoforming with Curd Enterprises, and also served as executive VP at Multiplastics. Over the years he has taught and consulted at companies around the world, including in China, Finland, Ecuador and Australia.
Waddell served as a member of the board of directors for SPE’s Thermoforming Division for 32 years. He has served as chair for the Thermoforming Division’s Annual Conference twice, and was technical chair for several SPE ANTECs. He has also been moderator for many technical conferences.
Waddell earned a BA at the Citadel and continued his graduate studies in business there.
Eastman, a global key account manager with Henkel, was re-elected to serve another three-year term as VP – chapters, a position he will hold until 2024.
Prior to his role with Henkel, Eastman was technology/program manager and polymeric materials engineer with United Technologies Research Center. He has been granted eight patents, and he has published in 10 peer-reviewed publications.
Eastman began his SPE membership in 2006 and has served in a variety of roles, including VP – sections and sections committee member. He also helped facilitate the first SPE Roundtable at ANTEC 2019 that was organized to bring chapter leaders together to share common experiences.
He earned a Ph.D. in polymer science and engineering from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst and a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.
Pearson, the director of polymer science and engineering graduate program and professor of materials science and engineering at Lehigh University, was re-elected to serve as VP — publications for a three-year term that will run through 2024.
He developed an online distance-education program in polymer science and engineering at Lehigh, and expanded course offerings and graduate student recruiting for the university’s on-campus master’s and Ph.D. programs.
Pearson’s industrial experience includes four years with General Electric’s corporate R&D center, and three years at GE Plastics Europe. He co-wrote a Dutch patent on Easy Flow PC/PBT Blends in 1986.
He has served in multiple positions with SPE, including VP – publication and VP – education and Technology. He has also been director of the Additive Manufacturing Technical Division, and is councilor for the Lehigh Valley chapter.
