Anthony J. Eagan
Eagan joined Plastics News in February 1989,
just prior to the newspaper’s launch, as Philadelphia-based
eastern regional sales manager. He relocated to Akron
after being promoted to national sales manager three
years later. In October 1993 he became publisher, and
in May 1995 was named a Crain Communications Inc. vice
president. Prior to joining Crain, Eagan worked in sales
and sales management for more than 12 years with Centcom
Ltd., the sales organization responsible for all advertising
in the American Chemical Society publications, including
Chemical & Engineering News.
Linda Whelan
Whelan spent 15 years in production, sales and marketing
managerial posts at Penton Publishing in Cleveland,
prior to joining Plastics News as promotion manager
in November 1988. She oversees the newspaper’s promotion,
marketing and trade-show activity and was promoted to
marketing manager in January 1995 and to marketing director
in December 1999. She assumed responsibilities for the
company's Plastics Encounter trade shows in July 2000.
Cari Kasner
Prior to joining Plastics News as promotion coordinator
in January 2000, Kasner was employed as a communications
specialist for six years with the Akron Public Schools.
Kasner has worked for a printing company, advertising
agency and community newspaper. She earned a Bachelor
of Arts degree in Communications from the University
of Akron, graduating summa cum laude.
Nancy Parks
Nancy Parks joined Plastics News in 1994 as secretary
to the publisher, rejoining the work force after a four-year
period of being a stay-at-home mom. Prior to that she'd
worked for 15 years as a legal secretary. In July 2000
Nancy was promoted to trade show assistant with wide
ranging responsibilities for Plastics Encounter trade
shows. She attended Baldwin Wallace College in Berea,
OH.
Robert Grace
Grace has been editor of Plastics News since
its launch in March 1989. He graduated with a bachelor’s
degree in journalism from Ohio University in 1979 and
began his career with Crain Communications Inc. in Akron,
Ohio, in 1980 as an associate editor on Rubber &
Plastics News. The following year, Crain posted
him to London, where he directed the editorial relaunch
of the monthly European Rubber Journal and helped
start Urethanes Technology magazine. He returned
to Akron in fall 1988 to help launch Plastics News.
He was named associate publisher in October 1999 and
Plastics Encounter Conference Director in July 2000.
Don Loepp
Loepp joined Plastics News in 1991 as a reporter,
was promoted to news editor in mid-1993, and became
managing editor two years later. After earning a journalism
degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern
University in 1983, he worked as a reporter for eight
years for the Milwaukee Journal and for the Daily
Press and Times-Herald daily newspapers in
Newport News, Va., before relocating to his native northeastern
Ohio to join Crain.
Jeannie Reall
Reall, a 1980 Ohio State University journalism graduate,
was one of Plastics News' original reporters.
She became a copy editor in 1990, was promoted to senior
copy editor in 1996 and was named assistant managing
editor in 1997. She joined Crain in January 1989 from
the Vindicator daily newspaper in Youngstown,
Ohio, where she had been a general assignment reporter.
Prior to that, she served as United Press International's
Akron, Ohio, bureau manager, and also had covered the
West Virginia Statehouse for the State Journal
weekly newspaper in Charleston.
Lisa Sarkis Neaville
Neaville was an editorial assistant with Plastics
News when the publication started in March 1989.
She joined Crain from the University of Akron, where
she had taught English composition for three years after
earning a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. She also
has a 1985 master of fine arts degree from Washington
University in St. Louis. Neaville became a copy editor
at Plastics News in 1990, and then worked for
two years as a reporter until returning to the copy
desk in February 1997. She was named assistant managing
editor in 1998.
Bill Bregar
Bregar had five years of daily newspaper reporting experience
and had been an assistant editor of Restaurant Management
magazine before joining Plastics News as a reporter
prior to the publication's launch. A 1983 journalism
graduate from Ohio University, he was promoted to senior
reporter in January 1996. Bregar now is responsible
for covering the news related to plastics machinery
and equipment markets, products and companies.
Joseph Pryweller
Pryweller, who spent his first three years with Plastics
News as its Detroit-based reporter, was named senior
reporter in December 1999 and relocated to the Akron
office. He continues to cover the mold-making industry
while handling broader reporting assigments, including
electronic commerce and special projects. Pryweller
holds a bachelor's degree in communications/business
from Michigan State University, and earned a master's
degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.
His journalism experience includes stints as a business
and entertainment reporter at the Daily Press in Newport
News, Va., and as a senior editor and writer for the
American Society of Interior Designers in Washington.
Jinida Doba
Doba joined Plastics News in September 1999,
assuming the packaging, recycling and recycled-resin
pricing beats. She graduated from Ohio's Kent State
University in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in Pan African
Studies and with heavy coursework in journalism. During
her time at Kent, she worked as an intern with National
Public Radio in Washington, was a production assistant
at public radio station WKSU-FM, and was editor for
a year of Uhuru Magazine, a student publication.
Her experience includes work as a correspondent for
the Akron Beacon Journal in Ohio, and as a staff
writer at the Wilmington Star-News in North Carolina.
Frank Esposito
Esposito joined Plastics News in April 1997 to
handle the materials beat and virgin thermoplastic resin
pricing. In that role, he covers news about materials
markets and technology as well as resin producers, distributors
and compounders. Esposito, who graduated from Ohio’s
Bowling Green State University in 1992 with an English
degree, has four years of newspaper reporting experience
-- first for Suburban News Publications in Columbus,
Ohio, and then for the Medina County Gazette
in Medina, Ohio.
Angie DeRosa
DeRosa, a May 1999 graduate of Kent State University,
most recently was Internet editor for GIE Media Inc.
in Cleveland, where she worked primarily for a lawn
and landscape site. She also was an assistant editor/communications
specialist for Matrix Essentials Inc. in Solon, Ohio.
Rhoda Miel
Miel joined Plastics News in January 2000, assuming
the automotive and office-furniture beats. The 1984
graduate of Central Michigan University worked for 15
years as a daily newspaper reporter in Michigan, including
the past 11 at the Saginaw News.
Steve Toloken
Toloken, who joined Plastics News in January
1997 at Crain’s Washington office in the National Press
Building, covers the medical beat as well as matters
related to legislation, trade, politics and industry
associations. A 1991 journalism graduate of the University
of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, he later that year
served as a reporter intern in Washington for the Chicago
Tribune. He then returned to Illinois, where he
worked for two and a half years as a correspondent for
the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights and for
a suburban bureau of the Chicago Tribune. He
moved back to the East Coast to be a staff reporter
for the Daily Press in Newport News, Va., and
then assistant editor of two newsletters in Washington
covering the telecommunications industry.
Mark A. Bednar
Bednar joined Plastics News from the daily Willoughby
News-Herald in suburban Cleveland, where he was
assistant copy desk chief. Before joining that newspaper
in April 1998, he worked for 4½ years at the Kent-Ravenna
Record-Courier in Ohio as wire editor and music
/entertainment editor. He graduated in journalism from
Kent State University in 1992.
Marvin Brown
Brown joined Plastics News as a copy editor on
Sept. 22, 1997. He previously had been editor at the
Medina County Gazette daily newspaper in Medina,
Ohio, near Akron. He joined that paper in 1991 as intern,
after graduating from Bowling Green State University
with a bachelor's degree in journalism. During his time
at the Gazette, he was promoted to copy editor,
and then assistant city editor, before becoming city
editor.
Sheri Gregg
Gregg, who graduated from the University of Akron in
1989 with a bachelor’s degree in English, left her job
as a proofreader at the Medina County Gazette
to join Plastics News in 1993 as a part-time
editorial indexer and administrative assistant. She
was promoted to assistant copy editor in May 1994 and
to copy editor in January 1996.
Tom Robinette
Robinette graduated in August 1999 with a degree in
journalism and mass communications from Kent State University.
He then worked as a copy editor for the Middletown
Journal in Ohio, designing that daily newspaper's
sports section, television page and weekly feature section,
while also editing copy, writing headlines and creating
graphics.
Holly Keller
Keller comes to Plastics News from pipe and tube
fittings maker Swagelok Co., where she was information
systems/network administrator in research and development.
As PN editorial research coordinator, she plays a lead
role in gathering and maintaining the information published
in our six annual processor rankings and "Market Data
Book" lists.
Connie Copeland
As editorial administrative assistant, Copeland helps
manage the data gathered as part of our six annual North
American processor rankings projects and our "Market
Data Book" lists. She joined Plastics News in
September 1997 after working as a secretary and customer
service representative for several organizations since
1980.
Jeff Williams
Williams brought 15 years of plastics industry experience
with him when he joined Plastics News as regional
sales manager for the northeastern and southeastern
United States in January 1994. He had worked in sales
and management positions at Advanstar Communications
since 1979. While there he sold advertising space for
and eventually became national sales manager of Plastics
Machinery & Equipment, Plastics Compounding
and Plastics Design Forum magazines. He became
PDF's associate publisher in 1989. Based in Simsbury,
Conn., Williams was promoted to national sales manager
of Plastics News in March 1995, and he still
retains sales responsibility for the territories noted
above.
Donald A. Dasburg
A graduate of the Wharton School of Business, Dasburg
has over 30 years of experience in trade publication
advertising sales, with 27 of those years being spent
in the plastics market. Prior to joining Plastics
News in 1989, Dasburg was National Sales Manager
for Plastics World and held sales management
positions with Penton's Materials Engineering
and Cahners' Building Design and Construction.
Dasburg current sales territory includes 19 Midwestern
states and Western Canada. He works from his home in
Barrington, IL.
Earl Harris
Earl Harris brought more than 20 years of advertising
sales experience with him when he joined Plastics
News as a Midwest district sales manager in May
1993. His previous jobs included eight years as Midwest
regional sales manager for Hitchcock Publishing's metalworking
monthly Machine and Tool Blue Book, and two years
as national sales manager of the municipal market edition
of G.I.E. Publishing Co.'s Recycling Today monthly
magazine. Harris, who lives in Eastlake, Ohio, works
out of Plastics News' Akron, Ohio, headquarters
office.
Gary Judy
Gary D. Judy joined Plastics News as southern
regional sales manager in April 1995. He had served
as publisher of Advanstar Communications' Plastics
Compounding magazine and as district manager for
its Plastics Machinery & Equipment, Plastics
Design Forum and Advanced Composites publications
from 1988-92. From 1992-95 Judy was district manager
for Putnam Publishing's Chemical Processing and
Food Processing magazines, and prior to his stint
with Advanstar, he was a regional sales manager for
the Journal of Commerce newspaper, Board Converting
News and European Converting News. He works
from his home in Easton, Md.
Edward C. Neely
Edward C. Neely became Plastics News' regional
sales manager for the Mid-Atlantic territory in October
1995. Prior to joining PN, Neely had 14 years of sales
experience in plastics industry and other business publishing.
From 1992-95, he was district sales manager for Cahners
Publishing's biweekly magazine Design News. From
1987-92 he worked for another Cahners publication, Industrial
Distribution, covering the Mid-Atlantic region and
New England. From 1984-87 Neely served as a Mid-Atlantic
district sales manager for Plastics Design Forum
and Plastics Compounding magazines, as well as
Plastics Compounding's "Redbook" annual directory.
Prior to that stint with what then was Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich Publications, Neely was advertising sales
manager for the New York-based publication Modern
Paint and Coatings. Neely works from his home in
Summit, N.J.
Jason Mitchell
Jason Mitchell joined Plastics News in November
1999, after working for one year for sister publication
Rubber & Plastics News. He was responsible for
telemarketing, including products such as Literature
Spotlights, Web site banner advertisements and enhanced
listings in the Web Watch directory. In July 2000 he
was named sales representative for the Plastics Encounter
trade shows. The native of England has a bachelor's
degree, with honors, from Southampton University. After
graduating, he worked in London selling display advertising
space for two government publications before relocating
to the United States to join the RPN staff.
Ed Rich
Rich has 20 years of sales and managerial experience
and joined Plastics News in February of 1996.
Before coming to Plastics News he worked for
Roadway Global Air as manager of the Cleveland Ohio
Air Logistic Center. Rich is a graduate of the University
of Akron and brought plastics experience with him. He
sold industrial shrink film, stretch film and plastics
grocery bags for Mobil Chemical Co. from 1981-86. Prior
to Mobil he sold supermarket and industrial films for
the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. More recently,
he served as branch manager for the TNT Express Worldwide
and for MCI Telecommunications in Cleveland.
Doug Sifft
Sifft joined Plastics News as a classified sales
representative in March 1998. He graduated from Kent
State University in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in
criminal justice. He previously was the supply account
manager for the Xerox Corp. in Milwaukee.
Michael A. Billings
Michael A. Billings, 28, joined Plastics News Sept.
18 as a classified sales representive from a sales job
within the plastics industry. A 5-year U.S. Navy veteran,
Billings since October 1995 has worked in Akron as sales
manager for LarSan Chemical Co., which distributes plastic
resins as well as Z Clean purging compounds. Prior to
that, he worked as a legal assistant for an Akron law
firm, following his Navy stint. Billings served for
more than three years as an administrative assistant
aboard the Norfolk, Va.-based USS Theodore Roosevelt,
and then nearly two years as a paralegal and office
manager at the Naval Legal Service Office in Washington.
At LarSan, he sold the polyethylene, polycarbonate,
polyacetal and acrylic resins distributed by LarSan.
Charla DeVoe
Charla DeVoe joined Plastics News in December
1999 as sales assistant. She previously was employed
by an Akron construction company as office manager and
administrative assistant. She has also worked in sales
for an engineering firm and in the restaurant business.
Charla assist the Plastics News staff and is
the contact for media kit information.
Mary Whitman
Mary Whitman became production manager for Plastics
News in January 1999. Prior to that she was production
manager for sister publications Rubber & Plastics News
and Tire Business. Before joining Crain Communications
in 1996, she was in the ad agency business for 10 years.
J.A. Lewellen
Lewellen joined the Detroit office of Crain Communications,
Inc. in the fall of 1994 and served in a variety of
circulation marketing roles, including subscription
manager of Plastics News. In April of 1998 he
relocated to Akron and assumed duties as manager of
web and research projects. In July 2000, J.A. assumed
the new position of sales manager for the Plastics Encounter
trade shows. Lewellen is a 1990 graduate of Alma College
with degrees in business administration and political
science.
Ronald Shinn
Ronald Shinn rejoined Plastics News in July 2000
in the newly created position of business development
manager. He served as the newspaper's managing editor
from its launch in March 1989 until July 1995, when
he left to become managing director of PolySort Inc.
in Akron. He left PolySort in 1996 and joined Denver-based
Injection Molding Magazine as special projects director
in Akron. Prior to 1989, he held several editorial positions
during 13 years at the Akron Beacon Journal.
In his current position, Shinn identifies and develops
business opportunities, from conferences to Web-related
products. He also works extensively with the company's
Web sites. He is a graduate of the University of North
Carolina.
Aimee Leporis
Aimee Leporis joined the Plastics Encounter staff in
October 2000 as promotion coordinator. She is responsible
for marketing the Plastics News-sponsored trade
shows and conferences. She most recently was marketing
specialist for ASW Services Inc. a logistics, warehousing
and transportation company in Mogadore, Ohio. Before
that, she was transportation specialist for Group Transportation
Services in Hudson, Ohio. She received a Bachelor of
Science degree in Marketing from Miami University in
Oxford, Ohio.
Debbie Zadravec
Debbie Zadravec is administrative assistant to Publisher
Tony Eagan and assists Plastics Encounter Conference
Director Robert Grace in coordinating speakers and related
arrangements. Debbie also works with Linda Whelan, marketing
director, in various projects relating to Plastics
News and the Plastics Encounter trade shows. Prior
to joining Plastics News in October 2000, Debbie
was the assistant to the general manager and payroll
administrator at the Hilton Inn in Independence, Ohio.
Previous experience includes her own typesetting business
and executive administrative assistant responsibilities.
