INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the membership election of seven industry leaders to serve on its Board of Directors for a three-year term. These accomplished professionals represent a cross-section of INDA membership and bring a high level of expertise and insight to the management of the association:

• Richard Altice, president and CEO, NatureWorks. Prior to joining NatureWorks, a producer of PLA bioresins, in 2018, Altice was senior vice president and president of Designed Structures and Solutions at PolyOne Corporation and held the vice president role of Hexion’s global specialty epoxy business focused on coatings and composites. He has an engineering background with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology.
• Ashish Diwanji, Ph.D., president, Lydall Performance Materials, Inc. Diwanji oversees the filtration media business of Lydall. Before joining as president in 2020, Diwanji served as Lydall’s senior vice president, Innovation and chief technology officer. Prior to Lydall, Diwanji held the chief technology officer role for the Consumer Solutions division of U.S. Steel. Previously, he spent nearly 20 years at Owens Corning with his last position as vice president of Innovations. Diwanji earned his Bachelor of Technology degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay. He is a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Delaware, where he earned both Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Materials Science.
• Lee Ellen Dreschler, senior vice president Corporate R&D, The Procter & Gamble Co. Dreschler has held technical leadership roles across Beauty Care, Baby Care and Corporate R&D, with responsibilities from upstream Disruptive Innovation to downstream Product Supply. She leads Corporate Transformative Platform Technology (TPT), Global Packaging, Process and Open Innovation Disciplines, and Glad JV organizations with a mission to continue building P&G’s long-held reputation as a world leader of growth driven by innovation. Dreschler accelerates the way P&G delivers game-changing and sustainable products, packages, and services, leveraging early in-market learning as well as collaborations with strong academic business partners.
• Barbara Lawless, business director, Nonwoven Medical Fabrics, Precision Fabrics Group, Inc. As the business director, Lawless is responsible for sales, marketing and new product development for single-use nonwoven medical fabrics. She began her career in product development and has been with Precision Fabrics Group for over 29 years.
• David K. Smith, senior vice president Engineered Performance Products Autovation, Milliken & Company. Smith leads a large and diverse global business team with P&L and functional responsibilities including sales, marketing, finance and research and development. In his current role, he is responsible for Milliken’s global industrial business which serves the Automotive, Bedding, Building and Construction, Tape, Tire and Mechanical Rubber Goods, Cable Management and Specialty Industrial markets. Smith has more than 40 years of experience at Milliken, where he’s held positions in manufacturing, accounting, sales, marketing, strategy development and execution.
• Mike Tuck, VP Global Product Supply, Procurement, and Manufacturing, Owens and Minor Products Div. Tuck joined Kimberly-Clark in 1994 and served with the company through the transition to Halyard Health, now part of Owens and Minor.  He is responsible for leading global manufacturing, sourcing, procurement, and contract manufacturing for Owens and Minor’s Products Division supplying PPE and other products. Tuck also leads the Shanghai contract manufacturing, sourcing, and procurement team that leverages Owens and Minor’s vertical integration to serve customers worldwide. Tuck has a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida with a Minor in Business. He recently completed the General Management Program at Wharton Business school with a focus in Finance.
• Robert Weilminster, executive vice president & general manager, Hygiene – US & Canada, Berry Global. Weilminster has been with Berry Global since 1994, serving in leadership roles across Sales and Marketing, Finance, Corporate Development and Operations in supplying nonwoven materials to hygiene and other markets. Prior to Berry Global he was CFO of Poly-Seal Corporation. Weilminster is a graduate of Loyola University, Maryland.

INDA’s Board of Directors provides strategic stewardship for the association. The board provides oversight of INDA’s finances and direction for its operating plans as well as counsel to the president to organize and perform activities that contribute to the success of the nonwovens industry and its members.

Board responsibilities include formulating, reviewing, and approving strategic plans, policies, programs, dues and operating procedures affecting the association’s 378 members. The 21-member board comprises elected board officers and the immediate past board chair. One-third of the entire board is elected each year for a three-year term by a majority vote of INDA’s general membership.

“This year’s group of new board members bring a strong set of strategic skills, experience, and insights to INDA. We value their insights in helping us create and adjust business services environment conducive to the long-term success of our industry. We look forward to developing, under their guidance, even more value and means to meet the changing needs of our members and the industry,” says Dave Rousse, INDA president.

When INDA’s Board of Directors is not in session, the Executive Committee is authorized to act in its place and includes the following officers and appointees:

• Christopher Astley, chair (senior VP and chief commercial officer, Glatfelter)
• Bryan Haynes, Ph.D., vice chair of Planning (senior technical director for Global Nonwovens, Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Wendy Warner, Ph.D., vice chair of Finance (president, Personal Care, Jacob Holm Industries)
• Todd L. Bassett, past chair (managing director, Fi-Tech Inc.)
• Paul Latten, appointee (director of Research & Development & New Business, Southeast Nonwovens, Inc.)
• Homer Swei, appointee, (associate director, Product Stewardship, Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc.)
• Tom Zaiser, appointee (CEO, FiberVisions)

INDA’s Board of Directors meets semi-annually and reviews INDA performance quarterly. The Executive Committee may meet more frequently as issues arise between board meetings. “INDA’s Board structure provides leadership continuity, directional clarity, and sound decision making to advance the success of our industry,” says Rousse.