Jerry Welcome is the new president of the Reusable  Packaging Association (RPA).
  Formed in 1999, the RPA (formerly the  Reusable Pallet and Container Coalition)
 a trade association dedicated  to advancing the adoption of reusable packaging systems.
"This has been a great year for the RPA," says Fred Heptinstall, the  RPA's chairman
 of the board says, "We adopted a new strategic  direction for the association focused
 on increasing the growth   of reusable packaging systems and we are pleased to report 
an  accelerated adoption of reusable systems in the marketplace.  Additionally, we have
 seen continued interest and steady growth in our  membership. With a solid group of 
industry volunteer leaders and a  president with proven association management experience,
 knowledge of  the packaging industry, legislative and regulatory advocacy  experience,
 I am confident that we will see a stronger, more focused  and successful RPA."   
 RPA's new president has more than 16 years of senior-level association  management 
experience including president and COO of the International  Fresh-Cut Produce Industry
 (IFPA); executive vice president for the  United Fresh Produce Association and vice 
president of the Packaging  Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI).  "I am very excited
 to be  back working for a packaging-related association, especially one that  is on the
 cutting edge of supply chain issues and leading a revolution  in packaging that is 
focused on bringing innovation to the marketplace  that are reusable, sustainable, 
good for the environment, and helping  to reduce greenhouse emissions," Welcome says.
        Welcome has a combined 13 years of legislative and regulatory  experience 
including serving as a senior lobbyist for the American  Meat Institute and eight 
years of Capitol Hill experience where he  served as a senior legislative assistant
 to the House Committee on  Agriculture.