2022 Association Awards
Congratulations to TAPPI's 2022 Association Award Winners
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.
Peter Hart, Ph.D.
Director-Research and Innovation, WestRock
Dr. Hart, a TAPPI Fellow, is one of the association’s most prolific authors, having published more than 100 peer-reviewed technical articles and edited and co-authored three textbooks for TAPPI PRESS.
A TAPPI member since 1981, he has been in the leadership ranks of both the Southeastern and Gulf Coast Local Sections. He served in every leadership position on the Alkaline Pulping and Bleaching Committee and on the Pulp Manufacturing Division.
A TAPPI Journal (TJ) Editorial Board Member for 20 years, he served one term as TJ Assistant Editor and recently completed his second of two terms as the journal’s Editor-in-Chief. Hart also served on TAPPI’s Board of Directors.
Herman L. Joachim Distinguished Service Award
Established in 1983, the TAPPI Herman L. Joachim Distinguished Service Award is the highest honor that the Association can bestow upon an individual for exemplary leadership that has significantly contributed to the advancement of the Association.
John Neun
Consultant, John Neun LLC.
John Neun holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY.
He has worked in the paper industry since 1979, first as a Research Engineer with Albany Felt Company, followed by a long tenure at Kadant - AES, where he was a Product Manager and Design and Development Manager. His first boss at Albany Felt, Ed DeCrosta, was an officer of the TAPPI Engineering Division and introduced Neun to TAPPI in 1980.
Neun served as an officer and ultimately chairman of the Water Removal Committee, the Papermaker’s Committee, and the Paper and Board Division. He has written and presented many conference papers and has lectured in TAPPI courses for decades. He has played some role in every annual conference since 1990. Currently, Neun serves on the TAPPI Journal Editorial Board.
Neun has received the Leadership and Service Awards from both the TAPPI Engineering Division and Paper and Board Division, as well as the TAPPI Engineering Division’s Technical Award.
He holds six U.S. patents and has published many technical papers for TAPPI, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), SME, and the U.S. National Bureau of Standards.
TAPPI/PIMA Executive of the Year Award
The TAPPI/PIMA Executive of the Year Award is presented to a senior-level executive in the pulp, paper, or converting industries for excellence in management and outstanding contribution to the industry as a whole.
William “Will” Kress
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Green Bay Packaging Inc
William “Will” Kress, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Green Bay Packaging Inc. (GBP), has been named TAPPI/PIMA Executive of the Year.
GBP is a family-owned, vertically integrated manufacturing company consisting of corrugated container plants, a folding carton facility, recycled and virgin linerboard mills, pressure-sensitive label roll stock plants, specialty converting operations, timberlands, and a sawmill facility. GBP’s footprint expands across 37 locations in 16 states.
In making the announcement, TAPPI President and CEO Larry N. Montague said, “Under Will’s guidance, Green Bay Packaging continues to uphold it’s longstanding commitment to the community and the environment. Their new Green Bay mill recently achieved Net-Zero Water in its production of 100% recycled containerboard with the first-of-its-kind, circular reclaimed water system, significantly reducing the environmental footprint of the operation.”
Paul W. 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 which has resulted in significant and demonstrable benefits to Local Section members.
Micki Meggison
Process Improvement Black Belt with Sappi North America in Westbrook
Meggison is a Process Improvement Black Belt with Sappi North America in Westbrook, ME, the mill she has worked at her entire career.
She has held a variety of engineering and operations positions including: technical engineer, first line supervisor, process control and E&I engineer, pulping asset manager, coating operations manager, manufacturing operations manager, and technical director.
She served on Sappi’s Sustainability Council from 2010 to 2022, collaborating with colleagues to develop and execute strategic goals and objectives. Meggison was the first Engineer-in-Residence at the University of Southern Maine and served on the university’s Engineering Advisory Board from 2012-2021.
Michael von Grumbkow
Instrument’s Global Solutions Team – Paper and Board, BTG
Michael von Grumbkow is part of BTG Instrument’s Global Solutions Team – Paper and Board. He joined Lake States TAPPI/North Central PIMA in 2007 and served as Chair of the Local Section’s Executive Board from 2017 to 2021. A TAPPI member since 2012, he also served on several committees for both PIMA and TAPPI.
von Grumbkow earned diplomas in mechanical engineering and process engineering from the University of Braunschweig in Germany. He has been in the paper industry for over 28 years, initially with Voith Paper in numerous positions, and in recent years with BTG, where he is developing and supporting multi-component solutions to improve the efficiency and product quality in paper mills globally.
Young Professionals of the Year
The Young Professionals of the Year Award recognizes aspiring, young leaders in the global forest products, pulp, paper, packaging, tissue, and related industries. Eligible nominees are age 35 or younger with less than 10 years of industry experience. For 2021, TAPPI has chosen two recipients based on their outstanding leadership, community service, and problem-solving contributions to scientific or engineering projects.
Jessica “Jessi” Spadaccino
Communications Manager of Mica Corporation
Communications Manager of Mica Corporation, a global supplier of water-based primers and coatings, which offer adhesion or other properties to paper, metal and plastic surfaces in continuous web applications.
In her current role, Jessi is responsible for creating and executing Mica’s global digital, content, events, and social strategy, as well as protecting and enhancing the business’ brand and reputation.
Kirk Carlson 
Project Engineer, Clearwater Paper Corp.
During his time at Clearwater Paper's Lewiston, Idaho mill, Kirk delivered solutions to improve energy efficiency, increase production, and reduce chemical usage costs. His efforts resulted in over $170,000 in utility energy rebates and over $340,000 in combined cost savings for the mill. Kirk has been a TAPPI member since 2019 and that membership has played a key role in broadening his knowledge of papermaking. He holds a Six-Sigma Green Belt and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota.
TAPPI Journal Best Research Papers
Application of foamed additives to the surface of wet handsheets
Co-authors: Terry Bliss, Mingxiang Luo, and Matthew Nicholas