If you’re a woman in print who has been considering seeking a board of directors seat as a means to further your executive leadership skills and/or give back to the industry, the Paper and Packaging Board (P+PB) call for nominees may be a good place to start. (And, yes! You can nominate yourself.)

The P+PB, which promotes the use of paper products and paper-based packaging through the industry-funded, national marketing campaign www.howlifeunfolds.com, is seeking three experienced paper industry professionals to serve on its Board of Directors for a three-year commitment beginning on January 1, 2025 and ending December 31, 2027.

According to P+PB, the ideal candidate is one who can “bring deep industry knowledge to the board’s deliberations and represent a range of product sectors including containerboard, paperboard, kraft and printing, writing paper and office paper.”

Women are especially encouraged to apply as PB+B states it is looking for “diverse candidates” who can “bring different perspectives and ideas to the board’s deliberations and discussions.” There is also a special regional qualification: one of the three seats must represent the US South, defined as: AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA and WV. The other two board members may be from anywhere in the US.

Nominations opened April 15, 2024 and the deadline to apply is May 24, 2024. For more information or to receive a nomination form, interested candidates can contact P+PB directly by phone at (703) 935-5386 or by email at info@paperandpackaging.org.

Additionally, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers the organization as a commodities “check off” program, can provide info. Reach out to Samantha Mareno, USDA Marketing Specialist, at (720) 827-4907 or by email at samantha.mareno@usda.gov for details.