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.
Chief of Staff & Senior Vice President, Industry Engagement
Ashley Hood-Morley has worked in the plastics industry for nearly 20 years. She currently serves as Chief of Staff and Senior Vice President, Industry Engagement for the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS). As a member of PLASTICS’ executive leadership team, Ashley helps drive the association’s strategic priorities and works closely with staff, industry leaders, and volunteer leadership to advance the organization’s mission. She also oversees membership engagement, industry relations, leadership development, workforce initiatives, and strategic partnerships.
Ashley has served in a variety of roles at PLASTICS, spanning more than a decade in total, where she has led efforts in membership growth, sustainability, recycling, events, workforce development, and industry collaboration. Throughout her tenure, she has helped shape key programs and initiatives that support the success and advancement of the plastics industry.
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 supporting Eastman’s Specialty Plastics business. She later served on Eastman’s Corporate Sustainability team, leading efforts to integrate sustainability into business strategy and supporting the company’s Circular Economy platform.
Ashley is a proud Appalachian and University of Kentucky Wildcat. Born and raised in Eastern Kentucky, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kentucky in 2007. She remains passionate about supporting future leaders through mentoring, leadership development, and student engagement initiatives, and is committed to helping cultivate the next generation of talent for both the plastics industry and her alma mater.
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, 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.
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, Communications
Executive Vice President and Chief Integration Officer
Patrick Farrey serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Integration Officer for the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), where he is responsible for supporting the integration of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) into PLASTICS and helping align the organizations’ programs, operations, and member services.
Prior to the merger with PLASTICS, Patrick served as Chief Executive Officer of SPE for more than eight years. SPE is a global professional society serving plastics professionals through technical education, professional development, publishing, events, and industry connections. His career includes more than three decades of executive leadership in professional societies, trade associations, association management, publishing, and business consulting.
Patrick previously held executive leadership roles with Kellen, a global association management company, and was a founding partner of Landon, Farrey & Associates. He holds the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation and the American Management Association’s Certified Professional in Management™ credential.
|
The 2026 Size and Impact Report is now available. Log in to access your exclusive member copy. |
Popup Modal: Get the plastic industry’s most important developments delivered to your inbox. (7-7)
Get the plastic industry's most important developments delivered to your inbox.