SPRINGFIELD, MA - The judges have recently been selected to adjudicate this July’s three-day North American Paperboard Packaging Competition at PPC headquarters in Springfield, MA. With diverse backgrounds in the packaging industry, the group of eight experts represent some of the most experienced leaders and designers in the packaging field.

They are as follows: 

Richard Garber: Rich has been an industry leader for 39 years, 23 of which were spent at Green Bay Packaging, Inc. as Vice President/General Manager of their folding carton division. He has also been a PPC committee chairman and board member and in 2009 was the first recipient of PPC’s Volunteer Leader Award.

Wendy Vowell: Wendy has more than 25 years of experience in various aspects of the industry, from design to project management for packaging and displays. She is currently director of project management at Ardent Displays and Packaging, a turnkey design and fulfillment organization.

Luis Lee: Luis started his career as a package designer and moved on to become Director of Packaging at Hiram Walker & Sons in Canada. For the past 30 years, Luis has operated his own design firm, with clients such as Häagen-Dazs, Pillsbury, National Distillers, Unilever, and Friendly’s Ice Cream.

Richard DePaul: Dick has worked in both the converting and consumer product sides of the paperboard packaging industry and has consulted with many companies who purchase or produce paperboard packaging. During his 50-year career, he has designed packaging in virtually every end-use category and has helped develop a variety of packaging systems. He has also authored and illustrated both editions of PPC’s Ideas and Innovation Handbook.

Gary Miller: Gary is a retired packaging executive with over 40 years experience in the industry and has held managerial positions in both procurement and in manufacturing, sales, and marketing. For the past five years he has also judged the Paperboard Packaging Alliance’s Student Design Challenge.

John Lyons III: As the former associate publisher of Package Design magazine, John brings the consumer/brand identity perspective to the ever-evolving packaging industry, especially as it relates to eco-friendly packaging.

Jim Peters: Jim has over 25 years experience as a writer, educator, and consultant. His most recent project was to co-author of the book Creating Value Through Packaging, which demonstrates how packaging integrates into an overall business management strategy. Jim has been Executive Director of the Packaging Education Alliance and Director of Education for the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP). He is also a writer, association manager, speaker, and conference organizer.

Bill Wynkoop: Bill is the lead creative director for Excelsus Solutions, a Rochester, NY-based large-format digital printer. He is also a contributing writer to Package Design magazine and an adjunct professor in packaging at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

“Throughout the intensive three-day judging process, the judges are consistently engaged and thorough as they closely analyze each entry,” said Director of Marketing and Communications Kim Guarnaccia. “To listen in on their insightful discussions is by far the most rewarding aspect of this process for me.”

Competition winners will be announced at PPC’s Fall Meeting and Leadership Conference, October 23-25, 2013 in Dallas, TX.