Washington — Steve Russell, the longtime head of the plastics division of the American Chemistry Council, is retiring from ACC in early February, the association announced Dec. 5.
Russell, who joined ACC in 1995, had led the plastics division as an ACC vice president for more than a decade. Prior to that, he led its efforts on chemical management issues in state, federal and international arenas, and had served as senior legal counsel for the trade association.
Washington-based ACC said Russell was "an early and leading voice for advancing plastics sustainability and solutions to plastic waste" and played a crucial role in helping to launch the Alliance to End Plastic Waste early this year.
ACC's new President and CEO Chris Jahn, who took over the association this year, praised Russell's "unparalleled" industry knowledge and relationships and said his role in forming the AEPW was "an extraordinary achievement in an exceptional career."
ACC said he oversaw the plastics division's sustainability programs, scientific research and public outreach, and was instrumental in forming the World Plastics Council, an umbrella group of plastics associations worldwide, and in expanding the Global Plastics Alliance.
The executive search firm Korn Ferry has been retained to help find Russell's successor. He will step down after ACC's Feb. 7 board meeting.