May 28, 2024 – GLGA Announces Recipients of Fourth Annual Women in Print Excellence Award
The Great Lakes Graphics Association (GLGA) is proud to announce the recipients of its fourth annual Women in Print Excellence Award.
The Women in Print Excellence Awards supports GLGA’s ongoing quest to recognize the contributions of women in the Midwest print, graphic arts, finishing and print packaging community as well as those women who support the print industry in a vendor or supplier capacity.
Any woman working directly in print or in a vendor role supporting print who was in good standing with her company in Illinois, Indiana or Wisconsin was eligible to be nominated. The nominations were reviewed by a panel of female print professionals outside of the Midwest, who selected one recipient per state.
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| Honored as the recipient for the State of Illinois is Ann Adkins President and COO Johnson Press of America, Inc. Pontiac, Illinois |
Honored as the recipient for the State of Indiana is Katie Katterhenry Director of Customer Experience Branded by Woods Holland, Indiana |
Honored as the recipient for the State of Wisconsin is Katherine Versteegh Senior Vice President, Data Services A.B. Data, Ltd. Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
Selection criteria included
- Passion for print and anything resembling print.
- Experience in a print organization or in a vendor/supplier who supports print.
- Community Advocacy – how does she support and/or advocate for print away from work (designing sports flyers, volunteering in service organizations, supporting sustainability, etc.)
- Mentoring – how does she provide a platform for other women to grow and develop, formally or informally, or how does she support another woman who works in her organization.
This year’s class of superb nominees represent a wide spectrum of roles in which women make contributions to print:
- Christine Edgren, Creative Director, Suttle-Straus, Waunakee, WI
- Sumathy Ganesh, Technical Manager, Artience Toyo Ink America, Wood Dale, IL
- Carol “Becky” Garrison, Founder, Becky’s Die Cutting, Inc., Fort Wayne, IN
- Rosemarie Breske Garvey, President, Blooming Color Inc., Lombard, IL
- Therese Gulbransen, VP Sales & Marketing, American Printing Company, Madison, WI
- Angela Hipelius, President, Liberty Creative Solutions, Tinley Park, IL
- Nirel Inman, President, Chicago Glue Machine & Supply Co., Inc., Itasca, IL
- Cheryl Kahanec, CEO, Quantum Group, Morton Grove, IL
- Amy Klumb, Operations Manager, Midstar Printing and Marketing Services LLC, Plymouth, WI
- Michelle Leissner, President & CEO, H & H Graphics, LLC, Vernon Hills, IL
- Michelle Nelis, Vice President, Hohner Stitching Products, Elgin, IL
- Tashina Peplinski, VP of Operations, Graphic Edge Printing, Hubertus, WI
- Kerri Ruhland, Vice President – Operations, Park Printing House, Ltd. dba Park Printing Solutions, Verona, WI
- Kathy Ann Sandstrom, National Account Manager, Color Ink, Sussex, WI
- Traci Smith, President, C & W Graphic Finishing, Indianapolis, IN
GLGA also would like to recognize the sponsors whose support makes this program possible: Premier Sponsor: FUJIFILM North America; Gold Sponsors: Domtar, Integrity Fiber, Midland; Silver Sponsors: Canon Solutions America, Graphco RMGT; Bronze Sponsors: Lindemeyr Munroe, Royal Envelope.
“We are honored to present the Women in Print Excellence Awards for a fourth year,” said Joseph Lyman, president of GLGA. “Since this award program began, GLGA has contributed to the progress the printing industry has made to fully represent our community. Congratulations to the winners in each state and all the nominees.”
The recipients and nominees will be honored at GLGA’s Awards Celebrations on Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Hoffman Estates, IL, and on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Milwaukee, WI.
