Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, - Nine industry leaders were formally inducted into the Ben Franklin Honor Society of Printing Industries of America at a black-tie induction and awards ceremony November 9, 2012, at Printing Industries' Fall Administrative Meetings held in Spokane, Washington.

William English-Mr. English began his career at Superior Business Solutions in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He served as a sales representative and IT Director in 1977 and later went on to become President in 1994. Superior Business Solutions, originally Superior Business Forms, is a third-generation printing solutions reseller. He was a member of the Young Presidents Organization from 1994 to 2004, and served as its Chapter Forum Officer from 2002 to 2003. He served on the Document Management Industries Association's Board of Directors from 2000 to 2003, receiving its President's Award in 2008; and on the Print Education and Research Foundation's Board of Trustees from 2006 to 2012, where he was its Vice Chairman from 2007 to 2008 and Chairman from 2008 to 2012.

Gary Garner-Mr. Garner was first exposed to the printing industry in 1969 with a printing class at Columbia Heights High School. He quickly became the teacher's assistant and in his senior year, at the age of 17, he began working for a local building supply company to help produce its wholesale, loose-leaf lumber catalog. He later began working for a small printing company in Minneapolis and, over the years, gained experience in printing sales. In 1984 he and two partners founded General Litho Services (GLS). Today, he serves as president and has served on its Board of Directors and as Chairman. Mr. Garner was also inducted into Printing Industries of America's Board of Directors.

Mary Garnett-Ms. Garnett has been working with Printing Industries of America's members for more than 19 years. She brought creativity, fresh new ideas, and her programs have brought honor and distinction to Printing Industries of America as well as accolades from attendees. Mary also serves as the publisher of The Magazine and is the co-author of Social Media Field Guide: A Resource for Graphic Communicators. Prior to joining Printing Industries of America, her professional experience has been with universities and colleagues in U.S. military educational programs in Korea, Germany, and the United States.  

Ara Izquierdo-Ms. Izquierdo began her career when she joined the Printing Industries Association, Inc. of Southern California more than 42 years ago. She quickly became the office manager and a key staff member. During an extended disability leave of then-manager, Henry Henneberg, she effectively ran the association. She pioneered work in developing the association's educational foundation, RAISE, which organized a focused effort to assist secondary-level graphic arts educational programs. Printing Industries of America presented her with its Educator Award of Excellence in 2006 and the Naomi Berber Award in 2008, an award recognizing outstanding women in the graphic arts industry. She also played a vital role in developing the Choose Print campaign, an ongoing campaign supported by Printing Industries of America and almost all of its affiliates, and she is now in discussion with the leaders of CANAGRAF to extend Choose Print to Mexico.

Michael Keene-Mr. Keene has served as president of The John Roberts Company since 1986 and as Chief Executive Officer since 1994. He has been a driving force behind the sustainability efforts of The John Roberts Company. He is a long-serving member of his local affiliate board and was recognized in 2007 as The Outstanding Graphic Arts Industry Leader of the Year for Printing Industry Midwest. He was also recognized with the Vision Award from the Web Offset Association and is a member of Printing Impressions/RIT Hall of Fame. Nationally, he has served as Chairman of the Web Offset Association, Chairman of the Presidents Conference Committee, and is the immediate past chairman of Printing Industries of America's Board of Directors.   

Stuart Margolis-For more than 30 years, Mr. Margolis dedicated time and resources to the establishment of trusted benchmarks for growth and advancement in print. He has donated his time, professional services, and expertise to virtually every affiliate across the country, their boards of directors, SIGs and sections, and other industry associations and members. He has been a member of the Economic and Research Committee since 1990 and has provided professional financial service to The Ratios, the industry's premier benchmarking tool by Printing Industries of America. In 2009 PINE honored him with The Most Influential Person of the Year Award, for his outstanding service to the printing industry.

Katherine O'Brien-Ms. O'Brien has been writing and editing for almost 20 years and has written a wide variety of prepress, press, postpress, and management articles for industry publications. She is one of the most respected editors in our industry. Currently, she serves as the senior editor of American Printer. Prior to joining the magazine in 1997, she was the managing editor of Surface Mount Technology and Advance Packaging, trade magazines serving the electronic manufacturing industry. She also worked in the corporate communications department of Aon Consulting, a Chicago-based human resources and employee benefit consulting firm. She is the winner of a 2000 Midwest Region award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) in the Signed Editorial category. She is the 2006 recipient of the Tom McMillian Editorial Excellence Award.  

Peter J. Schaefer-Mr. Schaefer is a partner of New Director Partners in Valley Forge, PA. He has worked exclusively in the printing industry since 1993 by providing valuation for mergers and acquisitions. In doing so, he has helped hundreds of printers become more profitable, efficient, and gain critical mass through consolidation, valuations, and consulting advice. A frequent presenter at association events, he has worked with industry peer groups and commercial printers ranging in size from $1.5 million in revenues to more than $1.0 billion and has worked in nearly every segment imaginable. He is a candidate member of the American Society of Appraisers and is a member of the NAPL's Soderstrom Society.

Stephen L Whitman-Mr. Whitman is President & CEO of Whitman Communications, Inc. in Lebanon, NH. He has had a long career in the printing industry, dedicated to the betterment of both the industry and those serving it. He has been extensively involved with the activities of his affiliate, PINE, and Printing Industries of America throughout his career of more than 40 years. He has served on PINE's board of directors and as its treasurer, and has dedicated his time to a wide variety of personal local community organizations and countless national committees.

The Ben Franklin Honor Society of Printing Industries of America recognizes and honors industry leaders who have made lasting contributions to advancing the printing and graphic communications industries. This includes, but is not limited to, Printing Industries of America and its affiliates and the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF). Industry visionaries who have rendered outstanding or meritorious service to those associations or the industry are eligible for membership.