Paramus, NJ –  Stephen L. Johnson, President, RR Donnelley-State, Columbia, S.C., has been named the 50th Walter E. Soderstrom Award recipient by the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL). Johnson, a former Chairman of NAPL, will be honored at NAPL's annual Soderstrom Society Dinner on Saturday, Oct. 2, at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Chicago, prior to the opening of Graph Expo 2010 the following day.

"We are very pleased to present this award to someone who has given so much of his time and energy to advancing our industry and the educational aims of NAPL. Steve has exemplified the leadership ideals of the Soderstrom Society throughout his career, both in his business activities and his passionate dedication to industry education, and he is truly deserving of this industry-wide recognition," said NAPL President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph P. Truncale in announcing the award. "On behalf of the NAPL Board of Directors, our members, staff, and all the members of the Soderstrom Society, I congratulate him on this significant honor."

Johnson began his industry career working in operations at RR Donnelley & Sons in Mattoon, Ill., while attending Eastern Illinois University, where he received a B.S. Degree in Education. He went on to earn a Master's Degree in Printing and Industrial Management from Clemson University. An active Clemson alumnus, he serves as Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Clemson Graphic Communications Program and a member of the Senior Advisory Board for the Clemson College of Business and Behavioral Science.

Johnson's career has included positions with R.L. Bryan Company in Columbia, S.C., where he served as Plant Manager; Washburn Graphics in Charlotte, N.C., where he was Vice President; and William Byrd Press in Richmond, Va., where he became General Manager of the Specialty Publications Division. In 1995 he became President of State Printing in Columbia. In addition to serving as Immediate Past Chairman of NAPL, he is a Director of the Graphic Arts Show Company and Chairman of the Board of the Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation.

Society Inductees
Named for the late Walter E. Soderstrom, one of the founders of NAPL, the Soderstrom Society is an honors organization that recognizes the contributions of industry leaders, including printing company owners, equipment manufacturers, educators, journalists, and consultants. This year 10 such leaders will be inducted as members of the Society at its Oct. 2 Dinner:

D.J. Burgess, Chief Executive Officer and President, Burgess Industries, Plymouth, Minn.
Gary Cone, Vice President, Litho Craft, Inc., Lynnwood, Wash.
Kevin Cushing, Chief Executive Officer, AlphaGraphics, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah
Gregg Davies, President, Action Printing, Fond du Lac, Wis.
John Foley, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, InterlinkOne, Inc., Wilmington, Mass.
Carl Gerhardt, President, Allegra Network, LLC, Northville, Mich.
Dave Leskusky, Group President, Printing Impressions, Philadelphia, Pa.
William Oliveri, President, The Flower City Group, Rochester, N.Y.
Martin Rego, President, King Lithographers, Inc., Mount Vernon, N.Y.
Gina Testa, Vice President, Graphic Communications, Xerox Corporation, Webster, N.Y.

"The Soderstrom Society Dinner gives us a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with some long-time industry friends and honor those who have made important contributions to our industry," said Truncale. "With this year's outstanding class of inductees, I know it will once again be a highlight of NAPL's participation in the annual Graph Expo show."