Print Council Elects Board
ALEXANDRIA, VA—The Print Council, a business development alliance dedicated to promoting the greater use of print media, has elected a five-member board of directors. The new leaders include:
* Niels Winther, president and CEO, Heidelberg USA;
* Paul Reilly, chairman, president and CEO, Mail-Well;
* Yves Rogivue, CEO, MAN Roland;
* Roy Grossman, president and CEO, Sandy Alexander; and
* J. Kenneth Garner, president, United Litho.
The first order of business for the board, reports Grossman, is to find a chairman or CEO to help get The Print Council off the ground, with the board serving in an advisory role. Much of the structure of the upstart group will be left for the new leader to build. Grossman says the board is looking for someone with considerable stature in the industry, and that it is in the process of putting a short list of names together.
"If we do this right, (The Print Council) will be the single most important initiative in our entire industry," Grossman contends. "What we are doing here is fighting for our turf and our rightful place. Ink-on-paper has such a powerful story to tell—and we have not done a very good job of telling it."
He feels that other mediums have done a far better job in dealing with ad agencies, corporate executives and media decision makers on how to influence the spending of media budgets.
"We are the most effective means of any form of communication, but we need to give our industry the tools to make that point at all levels," Grossman maintains. "That is the goal here."
Through education, awareness, market development, advocacy and research, The Print Council hopes to serve the industry by developing, maintaining and increasing the market for printed goods. Both printers and graphic arts suppliers are welcome to join. The Council can be contacted at (703) 519-8100, or on the Web at www.theprintcouncil.org.
