Ben Franklin Honor Society Inducts Six Industry Notables

PITTSBURGH—Nov. 12, 2010—Six industry leaders were formally inducted into the Ben Franklin Honor Society of Printing Industries of America at a black-tie induction and awards ceremony held today in San Francisco. The six honorees include:

• Kenneth Kaufman of Omniprint Inc and Printing Industries Past Chairman—Since 1973, Kaufman has been involved with his local affiliate of Printing Industries, serving as President of the Printing Industry of Metropolitan Washington in 1989–90. He also was the recipient of its Distinguished Service Award in 1991.

Kaufman is president of Omniprint, a print and mailing firm in Lanham, MD. In business since 1971, the company specializes in the production and distribution of newsletters published by businesses, political advocates and trade associations in the Washington, DC market.

• Diane Koch, retired from Printing Industries of America—Koch served Printing Industries of America for 25 years in a variety of capacities. Recently, she served as the director of education with major responsibilities for managing numerous programs, such as the Ben Franklin Honor Society, Presidents Conference, Executive Development Program (EDP), SkillsUSA, Print Industry Financial Executives (PIFE), and the Printing Executives Network (PEN), to name a few.

Through EDP, Koch was instrumental in influencing the educational development of numerous young printers who would later become leaders not only in their own companies, but also within the printing industry at large. She has effectively served each chairman who served on the board of directors, as well as three CEOs during her tenure.

• Robert Lindgren, PIA of Southern California—Lindgren is the president and CEO of the Printing Industries Association of Southern California (PIASC). He has spent a lifetime in the printing industry, beginning with the Neely Printing in Chicago. In 1982, Lindgren became president and CEO of PIASC. During his tenure, the association has grown to 1,460 member firms and 73 staff members. Today, PIASC is the largest local printing industry association (out of 25) in the United States. Lindgren was named PIASC's Executive of the Year in 1991.

• David Pitts, Classic Graphics—Pitts has served for 12 years on the PICA Board of Directors and as chairman in 2002. Since that time, he has continued to be active in PICA activities and serves as a lifetime Trustee of the PICA Educational Foundation. Pitts is also often called upon as an industry speaker for his local affiliate. He was inducted into the NAPL Hall of Fame (2009) and was a winner of the NAPL Management Plus Award for 13 consecutive years. Classic Graphics was also honored with the Printing Industries of America's Best Workplace Award.

• Jim Tepper, President of PINE—Tepper is the President of PINE, a 400-member affiliate of Printing Industries of America covering the New England states. Since joining PINE in 1977, Tepper has held the positions of education director and associate executive director before being appointed president in 1984. Since then, PINE has grown from 125 members with a staff of five to 400 member companies served by a staff of 12.

• Doug Yeager of Alcom Printing Group—Yeager is currently the chief operating officer and assistant chairman of Alcom Printing Group in Harleysville, PA, a company he has worked with for more than 33 years. Yeager began his career with Alcom while still a junior in high school, working under a cooperative education program with the local vocational technical school. Upon graduating high school, he continued his education at Rochester Institute of Technology, earning a BS degree in Printing Management. Yeager became a member of the Alcom Board of Directors in 1989. He is currently chairman of the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF).

The Ben Franklin Honor Society of Printing Industries of America recognizes and honors industry leaders who have made lasting contributions to advancing the printing and graphic communications industries. This includes, but is not limited to, Printing Industries of America and its affiliates and the PGSF. Industry visionaries who have rendered outstanding or meritorious service to those associations or the industry are eligible for membership.

About Printing Industries of America
Printing Industries of America is the world’s largest graphic arts trade association, representing an industry with approximately one million employees. It serves the interests of 10,000 member companies. Together with its nationwide affiliate network, Printing Industries delivers products and services that enhance the growth, efficiency, and profitability of its members and the graphic communications industry through advocacy, education, research, and technical information.

Source: Press release.