Teddy Piepkow, President
Serving as sales director, Americas at Nordson Corp., Teddy Piepkow oversees the international sales, engineering and field service teams that support the company’s powder line of business. He manages a team of six sales and engineering managers in U.S. and Mexico, guiding a broader organization of capital equipment sales executives, technical sales representatives, and field and application engineers. Although Teddy has spent four years on PCI’s board of directors, this is his first year as president.
“My goal for 2026 is to ensure we establish a strong pipeline of future leaders for the association. The board is comprised of tenured and dynamic leaders that have provided strong financial stewardship for years for PCI. We have opportunities to engage emerging leaders from the association at the committee level, which is critical for success over the next five years. Enhanced member benefits this year include the Leadership Growth Summit and the Custom Coater Scholarship.”
Jeff Hale, VP
Jeff Hale is the director of marketing at Gema with 39 years of service. He has held a variety of positions within the company including engineering, product management, territory sales, sales and distribution management and marketing. Throughout his career, Jeff has given many presentations as well as written several articles on the powder coating process for various societies and trade publications. Jeff is a 1987 graduate of Purdue University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering technology. Jeff is also a recipient of a U.S. patent.
“I hope to help advance PCI’s mission to deliver practical, high-value education and resources that strengthen member success and reinforce PCI’s role as the global authority on powder coatings. By that, I mean helping PCI develop and deliver programs that not only advance the technology but also support both members and non-members who apply powder coatings—so they can make better business decisions, build stronger operations and see real value from engaging with PCI.
Marty Sawyer, Secretary/Treasurer
Marty Sawyer is CEO and owner of Trimac Industrial Systems, which manufactures turnkey finishing systems, thermal processing ovens and parts washers. Specializing in infrared technology, Marty has been in the powder coating industry for 23 years and is a frequent speaker and content contributor within the powder coating industry.
“What I want to bring to the industry? My focus is to increase the reach and contribution value of PCI to the entire industry. As the source for powder coating knowledge, we can keep increasing our ROI by delivering more education and opportunities to custom coaters, OEMs and suppliers. Specifically, I want to get the new website up and running to support our ever-growing online content as well as to help make our new Business Leadership Summit a best-in-class event.”
Bob Cregg, Past President
Bob Cregg is the business director for Powder Coating Resins at Covestro LLC, where he also has responsibilities as sector head for Automotive and Industrial Coatings on the liquid side. Bob’s career in powder coatings extends back 40 years and includes 29 years with The Sherwin Williams Co. He has served on the board of PCI twice for a total of 12 years and has served as president on two separate occasions.
“Over the past several years, our board of directors has worked diligently to enhance the value of PCI membership. This year, my goal is to continue partnering with the board to identify and develop new programs and offerings that further benefit our members.”
Chris Beninati, Director
As vice president at Elcometer and a 20-year veteran of the company, Chris Beninati has more than 15 years of experience as a technical support lead and manager, supporting the industrial powder coatings industry. Through his career, Chris has provided expert technical guidance and hands-on problem-solving support to applicators and OEMs, helping improve coating performance, quality and consistency.
For more than 10 years as a trainer and presenter for PCI 101 and 202 workshops, Chris has played an active role in educating industry professionals and advancing technical knowledge across the powder coatings community. His background includes the implementation of quality control applications and testing procedures designed to support compliance, efficiency and process optimization.
“I hope to grow industry engagement through education, training programs and professional development opportunities that can be applied in both personal and professional life.”
John Cole, Director
Parker Ionics President John Cole has over 50 years of experience in the finishing industry and is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Michigan and North Carolina. Not only is John a long-time member of the PCI board of directors and has served as president twice, he is a frequent speaker and writer, recognized and respected as a subject-matter expert. John, also known as “The Ground Fanatic,” is also an expert in the significance of a proper ground to successful powder coating.
“I have many PCI ideas in progress and would like to see them fully realized. We are close to rolling out the PCI scholarship program tied to attending PCI 101 and 202 training classes, as well as our new Total Rewards Program, which promises to help member companies, custom coaters and smaller corporate members find cost-effective insurance alternatives for their businesses. Both programs have PCI board support and are valuable PCI member benefit opportunities. Successful navigation of the management of PCI is also high on my list.”
Sean Hubbard, Director
Sean Hubbard is president/CEO at Rush Powder Coatings Inc. where he oversees corporate operations, direct manufacturing operations, product development and 3D CAD operations. He also manages budgeting, installation scheduling and trade show execution while providing direction and support for domestic and international sales.
“As a PCI board member, my primary goal for the year is to lay the foundation for a comprehensive education platform that serves the production floor—the true heart of our industry. While I recognize this initiative cannot be fully completed within a single 12‑month term, it is the reason I sought a position on the board. My vision is to create a structured, accessible training program that properly educates everyone from new hires to highly experienced staff. Ultimately, my long‑term goal is to elevate powder coating to be recognized and respected as a skilled trade. When the time comes for me to step away from the industry, I want to know that we have helped create a pathway where powder coaters are trained, certified and valued for the technical expertise they bring to manufacturing.”
John Sudges, Director
As systems specialist at Midwest Finishing Systems Inc., John Sudges has over 30 years of experience in the finishing industry and has been with the company for more than 25 years. John has actively participated in the PCI Education, Promotions, and Membership Committees and currently serves as chairman of the Education Committee. Additionally, he has gone through the executive board rotation and has had the honor of serving as PCI president twice.
“My goal is to prioritize strengthening PCI’s educational programs by offering more accessible, high-quality resources for businesses at all levels. This includes online training, webinars and certification programs to help businesses, particularly small and mid-sized operations, stay up to date with the latest technologies, safety standards and best practices in the powder coating field. Building on PCI's annual events, I would focus on bringing together experts for hands-on workshops, knowledge-sharing sessions and networking opportunities. This enables members to stay ahead of industry trends, explore new techniques and connect with peers to solve common challenges.”
Shelley Verdun, Director
As the PPG business manager for powder coatings in the Americas region, Shelley Verdun has been with PPG for 38 years. She has experience in both liquid and powder coating technologies, from formulation to color management and product management. Shelley is passionate about innovation and sustainability and believes powder coatings are ideally suited to lead in both areas. Shelley is proud to represent PPG on the PCI board of directors and was the first female president of the association in 2023.
“My goal for the association is to provide tools to educate the industry in powder coatings done right for sustainable growth. I’m excited about the addition of our new Technical Director Steve Ladatto to the association board as a strong thought leader in the technology. I’m also excited about the expansion of our corporate scholarship program to include the education of custom coaters and OEMs. I look forward to the PCI technical conference in Indianapolis in March as a premier event for networking and learning about advancements in powder coating technology.”
Tom Whalen, Director
As a 39-plus-year veteran of the industrial coatings market segment in general management, sales and marketing roles (domestic and international), Tom Whalen has vast experience in the industry. He worked at Valspar (Moline Paint, Guardsman, and Lilly acquisitions) for 20 years, nine years with PPG (Spraylat acquisition), and the last 10 years with TCI (a division of RPM International) as vice president – sales and marketing. Tom has been active in many industry associations and attended numerous industry events during the year.
“My goals for PCI continue to be: 1) to focus on the enhancement of the educational platforms we provide to the market (end users and suppliers) on the benefits of powder coating and powder coating done right (in-person and online platforms); 2) to grow our membership in all categories by listening to our members and promoting the benefits/values that PCI delivers (current and future members); 3) promote global expansion of PCI with the goal of being recognized as the global resource for powder coatings and; 3) work on the leadership development (policies, procedure, succession planning, committees and working groups) for the association to ensure we continue to be responsive to our members and the industry.”
Michael Withers, Director
Michael Withers is the business development manager – architectural powder coating and thermoplastics, North America at Axalta. He has been in the powder coating industry for 24 years, working with powder coating and sales/tech support. Michael has worked with R&D to bring innovative products to the market and is an authorized presenter at PCI 101/202 Workshops.
“My goal is to see education continue to expand to the powder coating market. Our end customers demand corrosion resistance, long-term color and gloss performance. The only way to achieve that is to educate people about powder coatings, the coating process and quality testing. PCI offers all the training to achieve our customers' expectations.”