Paramus, N.J., April 3, 2008 -- NAPL, the not-for-profit management association for business excellence in the printing and graphic communications industry (www.napl.org), has named Benjamin Y. Cooper the recipient of its 2008 Technical Leadership Award. The 72nd annual award recognizes Cooper’s tireless advocacy on behalf of the U.S.printing industry as its chief lobbyist.  He received the award at NAPL’s Top Management Conference in Orlando, Fla., on March 10, 2008.
 
“As a dedicated champion and eloquent spokesman for the print media, Benjamin Cooper has made paradigm-shifting contributions to the advancement of the graphic communications industry, while serving as the impetus for historic change within our industry,” explained Joseph P. Truncale, NAPL president and CEO.”  His groundbreaking and innovative, coalition-building, visionary leadership and creative problem-solving have been instrumental in addressing critical issues such as postal reform, pollution prevention and the growth of our industry.”

Cooper is a principal of Williams & Jensen, one of the nation’s leading, independently owned government affairs firms.   For nearly 28 years, Cooper has served as the chief lobbyist of the Printing Industries of America and recently served as executive vice president and head of the Washington, D.C. office.  Currently he heads the Mail Moves America effort and is working tirelessly to preventing the passage of Do Not Mail legislation in various states across the nation.  He has also founded and served as treasurer of PrintPAC, the industry political action committee.
 
Cooper has been actively involved in a range of issues including the environment, health care, taxes, intellectual property, trade and postal issues.  He also created and chairs the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service, an alliance of more than 50 associations and businesses organized to promote passage of the first postal reform law in 35 years. He created small business amendments to the Clean Air Act which resulted in the establishment of a Small Business Ombudsman program at EPA and in every state and helped develop legislation to improve the ability of small companies to avoid needless litigation in Superfund sites.
 
Cooper’s alliance with the Environmental Defense Fund and the Council of Great Lakes Governors resulted in the creation of the largest pollution prevention program ever undertaken for a single industry.  Known as the Great Printers Project, the program still serves as a model for alternative regulatory initiatives.  He also serves as the executive director for the Print Counsel, an industry-wide marketing program.
 
Cooper earned an M.A. in government from the College of William and Mary and a B.A. from the University ofAlabama.
 
The NAPL Technical Leadership Award is presented annually to an individual in the graphic communications industry in recognition of a definable achievement in some area of technical endeavor that can be broadly characterized as technical leadership. This leadership may be demonstrated through work in associations, through practical technological achievement and/or invention including the unique application of technology, or in graphic communications education.