ATLANTA, GA - The TAPPI Board of Directors recently approved the following individuals for the top TAPPI honors in 2015. 

Charles P. “Chuck” Klass of Klass Associates Inc. has been awarded the Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award. The TAPPI Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award is the highest honor that the Association can bestow upon an individual. Established in 1928, the Gold Medal is granted to those "who have made preeminent scientific and engineering achievements of proven applied benefit to the world’s pulp, paper, board, and forest product industries.”

Jonathan C. Kerr of Paper Science and Engineering Foundation at Miami University has been awarded the Herman Joachim Distinguished Service Award. Established in 1983, the TAPPI Herman L. Joachim Distinguished Service Award is the highest honor the Association can bestow upon an individual for exemplary leadership that has significantly contributed to the advancement of the Association.

Elizabeth Etheridge of RockTenn has been awarded the Paul Magnabosco Outstanding Local Section Member Award. The Paul W. Magnabosco Outstanding Local Section Member Award was established to recognize outstanding leadership and exceptional service to one or more Local Sections and which have resulted in significant and demonstrable benefits to Local Section members. The nominee must be an individual whose outstanding leadership and exceptional service in Local Section activities have resulted in significant and measurable benefits to Section members.

In addition to the awards above, the Association elects members as TAPPI Fellows in recognition of meritorious service to the Association and the industry. The title Fellow is also conferred upon TAPPI presidents and directors at the end of their terms of office, and upon Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Awardees and Herman L. Joachim Distinguished Service Recipients. The TAPPI Board of Directors has also selected the following members of the 2015 TAPPI Fellows Class:

• Michael Exner, Retiring Director and TAPPI Member since 2011
• Kerry Figiel, International Paper, TAPPI Member since 1993
• Carl Houtman, US Forest Products Laboratory, TAPPI Member since 1998
• Seyhan Nuyan, Metso Automation, TAPPI Member since 1987
• Gary Nyman, International Paper, TAPPI Member since 1988
• Todd Popson, Technidyne, TAPPI Member since 1993
• Clayton Teague, Retiring Director and TAPPI Member since 2011
• Junyong Zhu, US Forest Products Laboratory, TAPPI Member since 1994