New positions handle community development, research support, communications

Fairfax, Virginia - With the creation of five new staff positions, the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) has expanded its outreach to the industry, SGIA President & CEO Ford Bowers said today.

“Two-way communication is key to serving our membership and the industry at large,” he said. “These new positions are all about that dialogue.”

Community Development Managers Joyia Marshall and Sarah Perkins are tasked with bringing the sense of community within each market segment to life. They serve as liaisons to SGIA committees, fostering conversation and supporting surrounding initiatives.

Marshall has served SGIA in a range of roles since joining the staff in 2006, most recently as Conference Services Manager. She’s liaison to the Industrial, Printed Electronics, Ink and Chemical, and Sustainability, Safety, Health and Personnel committees.

Perkins, who’s new to the Association, brings industry experience that includes marketing and inside sales for Marabu North America.

“At Marabu, I came to value SGIA as an organization, so it’s very exciting to play a role in the association and strengthen the communities in our industry,” Perkins said. She is liaison to the Garment, Graphics Production, Digital Textile and Installer committees.

Also joining the staff are Kate Achelpohl, Sr. Manager of Public Relations, and Sidney Davis, Social Media Associate. Achelpohl returns to SGIA after time with PMMI, which owns the PACK EXPO trade shows, and as a freelance writer and editor.

“I’m excited to be back and helping to expand SGIA’s voice in the printing industry,” she said. “SGIA is dynamic and changing, and it’s great to be part of it.”

Davis has a background in communications and social media. “Community needs ongoing communications, and social media is an essential place for those conversations,” he said.

Research Coordinator Olga Dorokhina will be investigating the industry through data collection; she’s responsible for market research, benchmarking analysis, survey design and performance metrics development. Dorokhina has a long history of gathering and analyzing data in Russia, Canada and the United States.

“This is a valuable opportunity for me to apply my skills and knowledge to an exciting industry,” she said.

SGIA also welcomes Jessica Maimon as a Meeting Planner for its Convention Department. She’ll be handling customer service for exhibitors and attendees, Expo sponsor benefits and other SGIA Expo-related tasks. Maimon comes to SGIA from the Food Marketing Institute, where she ran peer-to-peer share group meetings.