Krieger’s work honors family, education roots

After three years of medical school, Patrick Krieger decided that it was not the right fit for him, so he changed his major.

"At the time, that felt like the biggest disappointment, that I wasted so much time and was letting down my parents — maybe they were looking forward to getting free medical advice," Krieger, 34, who is the director of regulatory and technical affairs for the Plastics Industry Association, said in his Rising Stars survey. "But the failure was actually the pivot I needed … into finding [a] new degree, without which I would not have obtained the internship that led to my first job in D.C. and where I am now."

Krieger said this "failure" ended up teaching him two things. First, "failure is not an end as much as it is the opportunity to find a new way forward." And second, "trust your feelings and do the things that are right for you and not what you think others want/expect, because you'll be happier and that's ultimately what the people who love you want."

He graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor's degree in agricultural leadership and development.

He worked at the Animal Health Institute as the manager of regulatory affairs, where he served as the primary AHI staff support — both technical and organizational — to the veterinary biologics section and as the project manager and AHI liaison for electronic data interchange and market share special projects.

Krieger joined the Plastics Industry Association in March 2015. His responsibilities include managing the activities of the Bioplastics division and Organic Peroxide Producers Safety division, which includes coordinating the committee work, planning and holding meetings, and presenting at industry events.

He said he was most drawn to the challenge of running two divisions that are "very different groups" because they leveraged a different part of his skill set.

Krieger was born in McAllen, Texas, and his family was active in ranching. His father and grandfather both worked in the petroleum industry. He said working in plastics, bioplastics particularly, is "a unique intersection that enables me to honor my roots in both agriculture and petroleum."

"Working in bioplastics is great because it is such a hotbed of innovation," he said. "More broadly, smart polymers that react to external stimulus provide such promise for new applications in a broad array of markets."

He said those outside the industry perceive plastics as "a problem that should be solved," but "when you get down to their root concern, plastics are often part of the solution."

"Plastics are used in the medicine to save and improve lives, in packaging to make food last longer and improve our lives in many more — often invisible — ways," Krieger said.

He added that people should be proud to be working in plastics: "You are a part of an industry that has so many positive impacts on the world."

Krieger is involved in the National Fire Protection Association and ASTM for standards activities as well as the American Society of Association Executives.