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P U B L I S H E D B Y T H E N A T I O N A L W O O D E N P A L L E T & C O N T A I N E R A S S O C I A T I O N NWPCA STAFF President/CEO Brent J. McClendon, CAE, brent@palletcentral.com @NWPCA Vice President, Advocacy and External Affairs Patrick S. Atagi, patagi@palletcentral.com @NWPCA_Policy Senior Director, Business Partnerships Mark A. Barford, CAE, mbarford@palletcentral.com @MarkaBarford PDS and Membership Services Manager Susan Cheney, scheney@palletcentral.com PDS Structural Engineer Kristen DeLack, kdelack@palletcentral.com Communication and Education Director Annette Ferri, aferri@palletcentral.com @PalletCentral Director of Science and Technology Integration Brad Gething, PhD, bgething@palletcentral.com @NWPCATech Director of The Pallet Design System™ John A. McLeod III, jmcleod@palletcentral.com Vice President of Operations and Events Isabel ("Mimi") Sullivan, msullivan@palletcentral.com PDS Software Engineer Curtis Wilkes, cwilkes@palletcentral.com Advertising: To advertise in PalletCentral, contact Annette Ferri at 703-519-6104 or aferri@palletcentral.com Address changes and subscriptions: To update your mailing address or to subscribe to PalletCentral, call 703-519-6104 or email info@palletcentral.com. Reprints and back issues: To order article reprints or request reprint permission, please e-mail info@palletcentral.com. Order back issues by calling 703-519-6104. PALLETCENTRAL, Volume 16, Number 5. © Copyright 2016 by NWPCA. All rights reserved. The views expressed in all articles, editorials and advertisements appearing in PalletCentral are solely those of the author and advertiser, respectively, and do not necessarily represent the views of NWPCA. NWPCA palletcentral.com PalletCentral • September-October 2016 9 Fall Plant Tour: Monterey and Salinas, California As you read this edition of PalletCentral, we will be just a few weeks away from our fall plant tour from October 11-12, 2016 in Monterey and Salinas California. We have another sold out event, and want to thank Frank, Cindy, and Lindsey Shean of Valley Pallet for their gracious offer to host this year's event and make it such a success. Tours are also scheduled for farm and processing plant to see how pallets are used in the transport of fresh food and produce. The area is known as "the salad bowl of the world" because the marine climate is ideal for the grape vineyards and vegetable growers. Look for the next PalletCentral for photos and recap of the event! On the Road August was a busy travel month for NWPCA staff as they reached out to forest association executives, state senators and representatives from across the country, and state plant board regulators from over 30 states and U.S. Territories. • National Council of Forestry Association Executives (NCFAE) July 26-29, Lexington, Kentucky: NWPCA represented the wooden pallet and container industry at the annual meeting of CEOs and executives from state and national forestry companies and associations. It was a great opportunity to maintain, renew, and develop relationships with high-level executives. The meeting included a tour and discussion with the Freeman Corporation, Hardwood Veneer Operation, on the import-export market. The group also discussed supply chain issues and there was an educational session on "Small Business and Best Practices for Partnerships." • National Plant Board, August 1-4, Wilmington Delaware: The National Plant Board is a non-profit organization of the plant pest regulatory agencies of each of the states. Patrick Atagi, NWPCA vice president of advocacy and external affairs, attended the meeting and took advantage of the opportunity to meet with plant pest regulators and enforcement officials from across the country. The meeting focused mainly on commodities, biotechnology, seed and horticultural products (live woody plants). Atagi asked many state and border protection officials about any heightened awareness or focus on wooden pallets and containers. The response from those asked, wooden pallets and containers were not a high priority for plant pest enforcement officials at this time. Kristen DeL ack Joins NWPCA Staff NWPCA is pleased to announce the hiring of former Genesis Oil and Gas Consultants and TECHNIP engineer, Kristen DeLack. Kristen joins NWPCA as one of our new structural engineers to advance the Pallet Design System™ program. Kristen most recently managed the subsea engineering business unit of Genesis Oil in Perth, Australia. Her business group was able to win and execute the design of the Shell Prelude subsea structure and provide the expertise necessary to secure the first suction pile design and fabrication project in the region. Kristen also holds a patent for 'stab and hinge-over pipeline and terminal assembly.' She is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a Master of Science in Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Ocean Engineering and Aerospace Engineering, graduating Summa Cum Laude. PC