PRINTER news

Greg Wayne, director of manufacturing for California Offset Printers (COP) in Glendale, CA, was the winning finalist in the third annual GATF/SGI Web Press Skills Competition. Sponsored by the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation, Sinapse Graphic International and MAN Roland, the contest used the SIR Heatset Web Offset Training Simulator, a virtual press, to present problem solving exercises. The competition took place during the Web Offset Association's annual conference.

Negotiating traffic jams and finding parking spots will likely became much more enjoyable pursuits for one Metropolitan Fine Printers client. As the winner of the Vancouver-based printer's Segway contest, Laura Rioux of Rethink Communications is now the owner of a Segway Human Transporter. The prize marks the culmination of a year-long promotional effort by Metropolitan in support of its new stochastic screening capabilities.

Randolph Camp, president of Monroe Graphics in Monroe, GA, has been elected chairman of the board of directors of the Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation (GAERF). Other elected officials include: Vice Chairman David Reny, vice president and managing director, Standard Finishing Systems, Andover, MA; and board members David Branch, president, printing division Branch-Smith Inc., Fort Worth, TX; Stanley Freimuth, executive vice president and COO, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Elmsford, NY; J. Kenneth Garner, president, United Litho, Ashburn, VA; and Dwight Vicks, president, Vicks Lithograph, Yorkville, NY.

Steven Neal has accepted an account executive position with ColorDynamics in Allen, TX. He has worked for firms such as Vertis Inc., Meredith Burda and Nevada Web Graphics during his 20-year career.

International Paper has announced the winners and finalists of its second annual "The Best Ideas on Paper" Awards. They include: Writing, Text and Cover—Corporate ID: Metropolitan Printing, Portland, OR; Writing, Text and Cover—Annual Reports/Financial: P.E.G. Solutions, Oakland, CA; Writing, Text and Cover—Collateral: Oliver Printing, Twinsburg, OH; Carolina Coated Cover—Collateral: Quality Color Graphics, Elk Grove Village, IL; Carolina Coated Cover—Packaging/POP: Structural Graphics, Essex, CT; Carolina Coated Cover—Direct Mail: Structural Graphics, Essex, CT; Accent Opaque: House of Printing, Burtonsville, MD; Williamsburg: Tropical Printing, Sarasota, FL; and Springhill or BriteHue: Extra! Extra! Graphics, St. Petersburg, FL.

Alex Smith has been named president and CEO of Kaye-Smith Enterprises. Smith, formerly COO, is son of the Seattle-based company's founder Lester Smith, who will continue as chairman, operating in an advisory role.

Monroe Litho, Rochester, NY, has added David Reininger to its marketing and sales division in the role of account executive. David Snyder has joined the company as an estimator. Also, David Turner has been appointed director of government printing, and will seek out government entities with printing needs.

Rider Dickerson, Chicago, has named Bill Gibson vice president of sales. He is the former president of Gibson Graphics, acquired by Rider Dickerson three years ago.

Hopkins Printing, Columbus, OH, took home 16 awards in the 2003 Printing Industries of Northern Kentucky and Ohio (PIANKO) Print Excellence Awards.

Keller Crescent, of Evansville, IN, has promoted Tim Riess to production manager in the company's production services department.

Custom Printing, Oxnard,CA, has promoted Michael Jones to manager of the imaging department.

Printing Industries of America and the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) have appointed Dr. Mark Bohan as director of integrated technology. Joining PIA/GATF's research team, Bohan will head the JDF certification program and will also serve as principal scientist on several projects. Bohan joins PIA/GATF from the School of Engineering at the University of Wales Swansea where he served as lecturer and research manager of the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating.

The board of directors of E. John Schmitz & Sons, a commercial printer located in Sparks, MD, has elected Charles McAree to the office of vice president of sales.

Lynn Brewton has been appointed executive vice president of business development for Phoenix-based UnigraphicsUSA.

Cadmus Communications, Richmond, VA, announced two new hires in its Publisher Services Group—Alison Harrison, senior director of editorial production services (EPS), and Jane Burke, sales director.

Accu-Print, San Antonio, TX, won "Best in Show" for its quality printing in the annual Certified Printers International (CPrint) printing competition in Chicago recently. Accu-Print had entered a full-color brochure that it had printed for Corona Beer's Key West promotion.

Moonachie, NJ-based APT Digital Marketing Solutions announced that William Wells has joined the company as business development manager for digital solutions.

Banta Corp. Chairman, President and CEO Stephanie Streeter has been named to the 11-member United States Olympic Committee Board of Directors. Streeter is one of four independent directors selected by a four-person Nominating and Governance Committee chaired by Indiana Supreme Court Justice Theodore R. Boehm. The committee reviewed approximately 200 nominations for the four independent director positions. The three others selected were Peter Ueberroth, former president of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee and former Baseball Commissioner, who was also named chairman of the new board; Alliant Energy CEO Erroll Davis; and Dr. Harold Shapiro, president emeritus and professor of economics and public affairs, Princeton University.

Quad/Graphics has awarded college scholarships to 349 children of employees through its Windhover Scholar Program this year. The students were selected by an independent committee of educators to receive scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000. Monies can be used to pay for tuition, books and other fees at any accredited university or college. Students can reapply annually for the scholarships for up to five years.

Proforma, based in Cleveland, has announced several personnel changes. Mike Paulus has been named chief marketing officer; Greg McCurley is now serving as chief business development officer; Bruce Sprague has been hired as manager of database marketing; and Erin Wells is the new marketing communications specialist.

The Worldwide Printing Thermographers Association (WPT) has announced the election of its officers and directors for 2004-2005 including: Joel Fridgen as president; Fred Cunningham as vice president; and Amy Sterling as secretary-treasurer. Fridgen is president of Regency Thermographers, Waynesboro, PA; Cunningham is owner of Ink & Paper Magic Makers, Arlington, TX; and Sterling is president of DOT Thermography, Addison, TX.

Terrence Luckett has been hired as vice president of information technology for St. Louis-based Group360 Inc.

Robert Tapella has been promoted from Deputy Chief of Staff to Chief of Staff at the Government Printing Office (GPO) in Washington, DC.

Triangle Printers, in Skokie, IL, reports that Judy Portman, data specialist, recently celebrated her 25th anniversary with the company.

Milwaukee-based Visual Systems Inc. (VSI) has hired Jenny Wilson as a customer service representative.