Chief Executive Officer
Matt was appointed CEO of PLASTICS in April of 2022. Prior to that, he was the association’s Vice President of Government Affairs, leading the advocacy effort on behalf of PLASTICS at all levels of government. He entered that role after having served as executive director for the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance, a self-funded division of the Plastics Industry Association made up of companies committed to policies that promote and protect the plastic retail bag industry. Matt led their advocacy efforts to promote sustainable use and prevent the regulation and taxation of the industry’s products.
Chief Financial Officer
Wayne is the chief financial officer (CFO) at PLASTICS, overseeing the association’s financial operations.
Before taking on his current role, Wayne spent ten years serving as interim CFO for a number of trade associations and not-for-profit organizations. Prior to his decade of consulting with companies in transition, he was a partner at Tatum, LLC, a national executive services firm where he focused on the firm’s nonprofit practice and emerging growth company segments.
Wayne, who holds a Master of Business Administration from the Darden School at the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts in History from The Citadel, also served as CFO or director of finance at four emerging growth companies in the high tech and alternative energy industries. He worked in corporate finance at MCI in the 1990s and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy for eight years before embarking on a career in business.
Chief Economist
As the Chief Economist of Plastics Industry Association, Perc Pineda serves as the organization’s primary staff expert on economics, statistics and industry research. His views on the economy have been widely quoted in the media, and his works have been published in peer-reviewed economic and trade journals.
Perc Pineda received his Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Philosophy in Economics from the New School of Social Research in New York, NY. He also holds a Master of Arts in Economics from the American University in Washington, D.C. and a Master in International Management from the University of Maryland.
Before joining PLASTICS, Perc Pineda was the Senior Economist of the Credit Union National Association, where he tracked macroeconomic trends, conducted economic research, wrote articles for industry publications, and interfaced with the media. His over 20 years of experience includes academia, international financial institution, and trade association work. As an economics professor, he taught macroeconomics at the St. Francis College in New York, NY and microeconomics, finance, and economics of regulations and the law at the City University of New York. Prior to a stint in academia, he was at the International Monetary Fund, and the U.S. Dairy Export Council working on market access and regulatory affairs.
Senior Vice President, Sustainability and Policy
Patrick Krieger is the Senior Vice President, Sustainability and Policy at the Plastics Industry Association. He leads the association’s efforts in advocating for the growth of the plastics industry in a sustainable way by working with its members and the leadership of the Sustainability Advisory Board. He works to promote the recycling of plastics through demand-side projects in the New End Market Opportunities program as well as advocating for policies that strengthen US mechanical and advanced recycling. He also oversees the international plastic resin stewardship program, Operation Clean Sweep. He joined the PLASTICS in March 2015 and previously worked for the Animal Health Institute. He graduated from Texas A&M in 2007.
Senior Vice President, Industry Engagement
Ashley Hood-Morley has worked in the plastics industry for over 15 years. She currently serves as the Plastics Industry Association’s (PLASTICS) Senior Vice President of Industry Engagement. As part of PLASTICS’ senior team, Ashley leads strategy on membership acquisition and retention as well as oversees industry relationships and programs for PLASTICS stakeholders and key strategic partners.
Ashley has served in a variety of roles at PLASTICS, spanning a combined seven years, where she gained experience in new business development and managed PLASTICS’ portfolio of recycling, sustainability, and material initiatives across the organization.
Ashley started her career in plastics at Eastman in Kingsport, Tennessee, where she worked as an engineer in new product development, manufacturing, quality assurance, and product stewardship roles, all of which supported Eastman’s Specialty Plastics business. She also had the opportunity to serve on Eastman’s Corporate Sustainability team as Strategic Initiatives Manager, where she led the advancement of sustainability integration into business strategies and supported the success of the Circular Economy platform.
Ashley is a proud Appalachian and University of Kentucky Wildcat. She was born and raised in Eastern KY and graduated from UK where she received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in 2007. She currently serves on UK’s Young Alumni Philanthropy Council and as a mentor for the PLASTICS’ Future Leaders in Plastics program.
Vice President, Events and Marketing
Apryl serves as the PLASTICS Vice President of Events and Marketing overseeing the event and marketing strategy across the organization while supporting revenue growth across the organization. With more than fifteen years of strategic leadership and event execution experience, Apryl is a strong believer in the power of events to move an industry. She brings an extensive background in event strategy, audience engagement, adult learning strategies, brand. trade show and exhibits development, and marketing strategy to each project she works on.
Prior to PLASTICS, Apryl served as the Senior Director of Conferences and Events for the Association for Talent Development, driving a $17M+ event portfolio, including the organization’s signature citywide program, the ATD International Conferences & Exhibition, and developing and producing twelve distinct virtual conferences in 2020-2022. Apryl served five years with SmithBucklin, where she led the Washington, DC Event Services team, managing 35+ clients and over 100 annual events, providing perspective and insight across multiple industries. Her prior experience includes events for AdvaMed & The MedTech Conference, New Balance, the Technical Association for the Pulp and Paper Industry, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Apryl holds an MBA in Public and Nonprofit Management & Leadership and Organizational Development from Boston University and an undergraduate degree in International Business and Marketing from the University of South Carolina. She continuously maintains her Certified Association Executive, Certified Meeting Professional, and Digital Event Strategist credentials.
Vice President, Human Resources
Executive Director, NPE
Angela Mealy has over 20 years of experience working in the hospitality and tradeshow industry with the last 13+ years spent at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) where she most recently served as Senior Director, Event Services.
Angela’s past roles within the association included overseeing a team that handled a variety of exhibition services, such as registration, housing, meeting management and exposition services for all of AEM’s tradeshows, including North America’s two largest shows, CONEXPO-CON/AGG and The Utility Expo. Prior to AEM, she served in hotel sales management & hospitality.
Angela is a member of the International Association of Expositions and Events (IAEE) and is CEM certified.
Vice President, Public Affairs
Stephanie is the Vice President of Public Affairs for the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), which represents the entire plastics supply chain, and nearly one million workers in the $468 billion U.S. Plastics Industry. She previously served as the Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.
Stephanie has over two decades of communications, strategic and public affairs experience within the private sector, in the non-profit arena and at both the state and federal levels of government. Steph has worked on Capitol Hill as the Public Affairs Liaison for the U.S. Congressional Budget Committee, as a Presidential Appointee at the United States Department of Labor as public liaison for the Office of the Secretary, Director of Federal Affairs for the United States Chamber of Commerce and as a fundraiser both in the political and not-for-profit sectors.
Stephanie is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin with a Degree in behavioral science and law and attended through the U.W. school of music as a full opera performance scholar. In 2019 Stephanie completed a Washington D.C. Buckley to Burke regional fellowship for the National Review Institute and in 2022 she received professional certification through Cornell University in Public Relations and Crisis Communications. She resides in Bethesda, Maryland with her three young sons.
Vice President, Government Affairs
Christopher Rager has over 20 years of distinguished experience in advocacy and policy, adept at navigating the complex landscapes of state and federal government affairs. He has a proven track record of influencing legislation, regulations, and elections, leveraging his expertise from the highest levels of government, including the White House, to local municipalities across the nation.
Currently, Chris serves as the Vice President of Government Affairs for the PLASTICS Industry Association, where he spearheads the organization’s strategic government relations initiatives. His leadership ensures that the association effectively engages with policymakers, stakeholders, and industry partners to advocate for policies that support the growth and sustainability of the plastics industry.
Previously, Chris was the Director of State Government Relations at the American Petroleum Institute (API). In this role, he was instrumental in helping lead API’s nationally integrated advocacy program, advancing local, state, and federal issue campaigns in support of the oil and gas sector.
Before his tenure at API, Chris represented the National Rifle Association as a regional lobbyist, where he managed the association’s legislative, regulatory, grassroots, and PAC agendas. His strategic acumen and coalition-building skills were key in driving the NRA’s policy objectives.
Chris’s federal government service is marked by several key roles. He held presidential appointments under President George W. Bush, including Deputy Associate Director for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Director of Legislative Affairs with the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service, and Appropriations Congressional Liaison for the U.S. Agency for International Development. Additionally, he represented the White House during advance trips across the country.
His legislative career began on Capitol Hill as a Legislative Assistant and Legislative Correspondent for U.S. Representative Todd R. Platts. Throughout his career, Chris has been actively involved in numerous state, federal, and presidential campaigns, demonstrating his deep understanding of the political process and electoral dynamics.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, graduating cum laude from Lycoming College.
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Nominations for the PLASTICS Sustainability Innovation Awards have been extended until February 14—submit your impactful innovation here! |
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