Linda Whelan
Whelan spent 15 years in production, sales and marketing managerial posts at Penton Publishing in Cleveland, prior to joining Plastics News as promotion manager in November 1988. She oversees the newspaper's promotion, marketing and trade-show activity and was promoted to marketing manager in January 1995 and to marketing director in December 1999. She assumed responsibilities for the company's Plastics Encounter trade shows in July 2000.

Margy Prochaska
As promotion manager for Plastics News, Margy is responsible for the design, development and project management of advertising, sales support materials, direct mail, media kit content and trade show promotions. She joined PN in November of 2003 as marketing coordinator, and was promoted to her current position in January of 2008. Prior to joining PN, she spent four years as marketing coordinator at Austin Co., an architecture & engineering firm in Cleveland. Margy holds a bachelor of arts degree in advertising/public relations with a minor in marketing from Marietta College.

Aimee Leporis
Aimee Leporis rejoined the Plastics News staff in March 2005 as promotion coordinator; she was previously employed by the publication from Oct. 2000-Oct. 2001. She is responsible for the design and coordination of promotion materials including sponsor and exhibitor communication, Plastics News Web site ads and giveaways for the Plastics News-sponsored trade shows and conferences. Prior to joining Plastics News, she spent over three years as the Marketing & Communications Specialist for the Summit County Port Authority, an economic development organization in Akron, Ohio. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Nancy Parks
Nancy Parks joined Plastics News in 1994 as secretary to the publisher, rejoining the work force after a four-year period of being a stay-at-home mom. Prior to that she'd worked for 15 years as a legal secretary. In July 2000 Nancy was promoted to trade show assistant with wide ranging responsibilities for Plastics Encounter trade shows. She attended Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, OH.

Robert Grace
Grace has been editor of Plastics News since its launch in March 1989. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from Ohio University in 1979 and began his career with Crain Communications Inc. in Akron, Ohio, in 1980 as an associate editor on Rubber & Plastics News. The following year, Crain posted him to London, where he directed the editorial relaunch of the monthly European Rubber Journal and helped start Urethanes Technology magazine. He returned to Akron in fall 1988 to help launch Plastics News. He was named associate publisher in October 1999 and Plastics Encounter conference director in July 2000.

Don Loepp
Loepp joined Plastics News in 1991 as a reporter, was promoted to news editor in mid-1993, and became managing editor two years later. After earning a journalism degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 1983, he worked as a reporter for eight years for the Milwaukee Journal and for the Daily Press and Times-Herald daily newspapers in Newport News, Va., before relocating to his native northeastern Ohio to join Crain.

Jeannie Reall
Reall, a 1980 Ohio State University journalism graduate, was one of Plastics News' original reporters. She became a copy editor in 1990, was promoted to senior copy editor in 1996 and was named assistant managing editor in 1997. She joined Crain in January 1989 from the Vindicator daily newspaper in Youngstown, Ohio, where she had been a general assignment reporter. Prior to that, she served as United Press International's Akron, Ohio, bureau manager, and also had covered the West Virginia Statehouse for the State Journal weekly newspaper in Charleston.

Lisa Sarkis
Sarkis was an editorial assistant with Plastics News when the publication started in March 1989. She joined Crain from the University of Akron, where she had taught English composition for three years after earning a bachelor's degree in philosophy. She also has a 1985 master of fine arts degree from Washington University in St. Louis. Neaville became a copy editor at Plastics News in 1990, and then worked for two years as a reporter until returning to the copy desk in February 1997. She was named assistant managing editor in 1998.

Bill Bregar
Bregar had five years of daily newspaper reporting experience and had been an assistant editor of Restaurant Management magazine before joining Plastics News as a reporter prior to the publication's launch in 1989. A 1983 journalism graduate of Ohio University, he was promoted to senior reporter in January 1996.

Frank Esposito
Esposito joined Plastics News in April 1997. He graduated from Ohio's Bowling Green State University in 1992 with an English degree and has four years of newspaper reporting experience -- first for Suburban News Publications in Columbus, Ohio, and then for the Medina County Gazette in Medina, Ohio. He was promoted to senior reporter in January 2007.

Nina Ying Sun
Nina Ying Sun joined Plastics News in 2005 as a reporter and Asia specialist with dual master's degrees in journalism and international affairs from Ohio University. The Chinese native previously earned her bachelor's degree in journalism, with a minor in economics, from Beijing's Renmin University of China. She has worked as a reporter for Hong Kong's Chinese-language newspaper Ta Kung Pao and was a front-page editor of the overseas edition of People's Daily, China's largest newspaper.

Rhoda Miel
Miel joined Plastics News in January 2000, assuming the automotive and office-furniture beats. The 1984 graduate of Central Michigan University worked for 15 years as a daily newspaper reporter in Michigan, including the past 11 at the Saginaw News.

Matt Griswold
Griswold joined Plastics News in October 2005 after working for three years as a business reporter on the Bradenton Herald daily newspaper in Florida. Before graduating in 2002 in communications from the University of Toledo in Ohio, Griswold served as a part-time correspondent for the Quad-City Times in Davenport, Iowa, and was editor-in-chief of his university paper, The Independent Collegian.

Dan Hockensmith
Hockensmith joined Plastics News in January 2008 from WKSU-FM, a Kent, Ohio-based National Public Radio station where he hosted and produced a nightly news program. A 1996 graduate of Wright State University, Hockensmith worked as a television news producer in Cincinnati and then as a reporter and anchor for Clear Channel Radio. In 2001 he moved to the Times Herald daily newspaper in Port Huron, Mich., where he served as a reporter, assistant city editor and columnist. He then moved to Akron and joined Rubber City Radio Group as an anchor and reporter before joining WKSU in December 2005.

Steve Toloken
Toloken rejoined Plastics News in January 2008 as a staff reporter and Asia bureau chief in China. After serving for nine years as PN’s Washington reporter, Toloken moved in 2006 to Hong Kong, where he contributed regularly as a freelance correspondent. In his full-time post in Guangzhou, China, he is helping to expand and direct PN’s Asia coverage while continuing to contribute regular stories and columns. He is a 1991 journalism graduate of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. His career includes stints with the Chicago Tribune, the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights, Ill., and the Daily Press in Newport News, Va.

Mike Verespej
Verespej, a journalism veteran, joined Plastics News in 2006 as its Washington-based staff reporter. He began his career in 1970 as a reporter for The News-Herald daily newspaper in Lake County, Ohio, and spent more than two years with the Associated Press. He then joined IndustryWeek magazine in Cleveland as an assistant editor in 1973 and spent the next 28 years there, serving as news editor, special projects editor and finally senior editor. He also was editor-in-chief for Advanstar's Frontline Solutions, a magazine covering supply-chain management, and editor-in-chief of Reed's Purchasing magazine. Most recently, he was deputy news editor of Transport Topics, a national weekly business publication in Alexandria, Va. Verespej, a Cleveland native, earned a journalism degree from the University of Detroit.

Marvin Brown
Brown joined Plastics News as a copy editor on Sept. 22, 1997. He previously had been editor at the Medina County Gazette daily newspaper in Medina, Ohio, near Akron. He joined that paper in 1991 as intern, after graduating from Bowling Green State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism. During his time at the Gazette, he was promoted to copy editor, and then assistant city editor, before becoming city editor.

Nick Gehring
Gehring joined Plastics News in early 2007, after spending more than a year at The Times-Reporter daily newspaper in New Philadelphia, Ohio, as the assistant weekend news and Web editor. He earned a bachelor's degree in print journalism from Kent State University in 2004. Gehring also has had stints as an intern at the Medina County Gazette daily in Ohio in 2003, a freelance writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer's business section from 2003-04 and a freelance Web designer for Washington CEO magazine in Seattle.

Hollee Keller
Keller comes to Plastics News from pipe and tube fittings maker Swagelok Co., where she was information systems/network administrator in research and development. As PN editorial research coordinator, she plays a lead role in gathering and maintaining the information published in our six annual processor rankings and "Market Data Book" lists.

Kathie Case
Case is a graduate of Lakeland Community College in Mentor, Ohio. She joined Plastics News in February 2005, bringing strong computer and secretarial skills and a diverse background in office management.

Jeff Williams
Williams brought 15 years of plastics industry experience with him when he joined Plastics News as regional sales manager for the northeastern and southeastern United States in January 1994. He had worked in sales and management positions at Advanstar Communications since 1979. While there he sold advertising space for and eventually became national sales manager of Plastics Machinery & Equipment, Plastics Compounding and Plastics Design Forum magazines. He became PDF's associate publisher in 1989. Based in Simsbury, Conn., Williams was promoted to national sales manager of Plastics News in March 1995, and he still retains sales responsibility for the territories noted above.

Penny Dunn
Penny Dunn joined Plastics News in September 2001 from Reed USA/Cahners Business Information's Manufacturing.net online portal, where she was a district sales manager. She has sold both print and electronic ad space for most of the past decade, working for both Reed and McCarthy Media Inc. in Indianapolis. Her sales and marketing experience also includes stints with Motorola Inc., Executone Communications and Xerox Corp. She has a degree in marketing from Ball State University. Dunn covers the North Central region from her home in Fishers, Ind.

Earl Harris
Earl Harris brought more than 20 years of advertising sales experience with him when he joined Plastics News as a Midwest district sales manager in May 1993. His previous jobs included eight years as Midwest regional sales manager for Hitchcock Publishing's metalworking monthly Machine and Tool Blue Book, and two years as national sales manager of the municipal market edition of G.I.E. Publishing Co.'s Recycling Today monthly magazine. Harris, who lives in Eastlake, Ohio, works out of Plastics News' Akron, Ohio, headquarters office.

Gary Judy
Gary D. Judy joined Plastics News as southern regional sales manager in April 1995. He had served as publisher of Advanstar Communications' Plastics Compounding magazine and as district manager for its Plastics Machinery & Equipment, Plastics Design Forum and Advanced Composites publications from 1988-92. From 1992-95 Judy was district manager for Putnam Publishing's Chemical Processing and Food Processing magazines, and prior to his stint with Advanstar, he was a regional sales manager for the Journal of Commerce newspaper, Board Converting News and European Converting News. He works from his home in Easton, Md.

Edward C. Neely
Edward C. Neely became Plastics News' regional sales manager for the Mid-Atlantic territory in October 1995. Prior to joining PN, Neely had 14 years of sales experience in plastics industry and other business publishing. From 1992-95, he was district sales manager for Cahners Publishing's biweekly magazine Design News. From 1987-92 he worked for another Cahners publication, Industrial Distribution, covering the Mid-Atlantic region and New England. From 1984-87 Neely served as a Mid-Atlantic district sales manager for Plastics Design Forum and Plastics Compounding magazines, as well as Plastics Compounding's "Redbook" annual directory. Prior to that stint with what then was Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publications, Neely was advertising sales manager for the New York-based publication Modern Paint and Coatings. Neely works from his home in Berkeley Heights, N.J.

Jason Mitchell
Jason Mitchell joined Plastics News in November 1999, after working for one year for sister publication Rubber & Plastics News. He was responsible for telemarketing, including products such as Literature Spotlights, Web site banner advertisements and enhanced listings in the Web Watch directory. In July 2000 he was named sales representative for the Plastics Encounter trade shows. In October 2004, he added responsibilities for classified advertising sales. The native of England has a bachelor's degree, with honors, from Southampton University. After graduating, he worked in London selling display advertising space for two government publications before relocating to the United States to join the RPN staff.

Gary Lindenberger
Gary Lindenberger has his own rep firm and has been selling advertising space since 1975, mostly in the plastics industry. He joined Plastics News in September 2000 from Injection Molding Magazine, where he had been since that publication was launched in 1993. Lindenberger started his career with Cahners, selling for various publications including Plastics World in the late 1970s. He joined Advanastar Communications in 1980, selling for Plastics Design Forum, Plastics Compounding, Advanced Composites and Plastics Machinery & Equipment. He holds a degree in business administration and covers the South Central region from Houston.

Ed Rich
Rich has 20 years of sales and managerial experience and joined Plastics News in February of 1996. Before coming to Plastics News he worked for Roadway Global Air as manager of the Cleveland Ohio Air Logistic Center. Rich is a graduate of the University of Akron and brought plastics experience with him. He sold industrial shrink film, stretch film and plastics grocery bags for Mobil Chemical Co. from 1981-86. Prior to Mobil he sold supermarket and industrial films for the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. More recently, he served as branch manager for the TNT Express Worldwide and for MCI Telecommunications in Cleveland.

Charla DeVoe
Charla DeVoe joined Plastics News in December 1999 as sales assistant. She previously was employed by an Akron construction company as office manager and administrative assistant. She has also worked in sales for an engineering firm and in the restaurant business. Charla assist the Plastics News staff and is the contact for media kit information.

Mary Whitman
Mary Whitman became production manager for Plastics News in January 1999. Prior to that she was production manager for sister publications Rubber & Plastics News and Tire Business. Before joining Crain Communications in 1996, she was in the ad agency business for 10 years.

J. A. Lewellen
Lewellen joined the Detroit office of Crain Communications, Inc. in the fall of 1994 and served in a variety of circulation marketing roles, including subscription manager of Plastics News. In April of 1998, he relocated to Akron and assumed duties as manager of web and research projects. In July 2000, J. A. assumed the new position of sales manager for the Plastics Encounter trade shows. In 2002, he added responsibility for display advertising sales in the western United States. Lewellen is a 1990 graduate of Alma College with degrees in business administration and political science.

Ronald Shinn
Ronald Shinn rejoined Plastics News in July 2000 in the newly created position of business development manager. He served as the newspaper's managing editor from its launch in March 1989 until July 1995, when he left to become managing director of PolySort Inc. in Akron. He left PolySort in 1996 and joined Denver-based Injection Molding Magazine as special projects director in Akron. Prior to 1989, he held several editorial positions during 13 years at the Akron Beacon Journal. In his current position, Shinn identifies and develops business opportunities, from conferences to Web-related products. He also works extensively with the company's Web sites. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina.

Eugene Bukhman
Bukhman joined Plastics News in April 2007 as a part-time website coordinator and was promoted to a full-time status in January 2008. His main responsibilities include website-related sales support, online ad placement in collaboration with clients, ad agencies and IT department, and maintenance and update of various online client databases. Bukhman is a native of Moscow, Russia and received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Marketing from Cleveland (Ohio) State University.

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