A Message from the Executive Director to the CPBIS Industry Advisory Board Members

Dear IAB Members:

Our CPBIS Industry Advisory Board (IAB) Meeting will be held in Atlanta on July 24 as scheduled.

Recall that on April 15, 2003 we communicated with you that our April 24, 2003 IAB meeting would be canceled for a variety of pragmatic reasons -- working on the transition of both IPST and CPBIS into Georgia Tech (GT) and travel issues around the start of the Iraq conflict.

We also announced at that time that we would hold the next full, in person IAB meeting in Atlanta on July 24 which we are now initiating the planning for. We have made substantial progress on the key issues we alerted you to in April, mainly:

• All primary pieces are now in place relative to a very positive fit for CPBIS into GT
• We had a very favorable site visit from the Sloan Foundation on April 30, which has created a solid foundation for the submission of our Sloan Foundation Renewal Proposal for the next three years of Sloan funding, which is now being made ready for submission some time during July
• We have advanced our joint CPBIS/PIMA program of webcast courses in partnership with PIMA and close cooperation with TAPPI, and now have a 12 month plan for 22 such webcast courses
• Our first on-site Management Development CE course was held in June for 14 industry managers and plans have been established to offer this course three times per year, and
• New research directions and extensions of certain ongoing ones have been put in place, and we have begun the preparation for the next CPBIS RFP, for which we need your direct input in July.

However, much remains to be done to truly capture the potential of the CPBIS, especially form its new platform inside of GT. In this context, your involvement at our July 24 IAB meeting is critical to helping us layout a solid pathway in working with industry as we move forward. Looking backward at your inputs and critiques of CPBIS one overriding matter comes clearly to mind - that of better and more regular connectivity with each of you in particular and the industry in general.

In this light, we have worked hard to enhance the functionality and utility of the CPBIS website, enhanced our formal connections with both PIMA and TAPPI, and of great importance created a new position at CPBIS that is focused solely on enhanced industry connectivity. Effective June 1, Dr. Colleen Walker assumed the role as CPBIS Associate Director, Industry Liaison. Colleen is an IPST graduate who began her industry related career as in intern with Metsa Serla in 1988, and has since held intern and staff positions with IP, ABB, Caraustar and most recently MeadWestvaco.

We are very fortunate to have a professional with Colleen's joint academic and industry background join us in such a critical role targeted at enhancing the value proposition of CPBIS as delivered to you and the rest of the industry. One of Colleen's first tasks is to assume direct responsibility for addressing your needs, to include management of the upcoming July 24 IAB meeting here in Atlanta. In this context, Colleen will be in touch with each of you very shortly to secure your inputs and guidance on the content and structure for the July 24 IAB meeting, as well as to begin the dialog of how CPBIS can better meet your needs and expectations in general.

This is your meeting, and as such will be designed and conducted to meet your needs and expectations. Please welcome Colleen to his new pivotal role for you and CPBIS, and work with her to create a most productive and rewarding July 24 IAB meeting as well as to establish a much closer and more effective manner of regular and ongoing interactions with CPBIS.

So please make your plans to join us in Atlanta (or designate an alternate from your organization to do so in the event your own schedule does not allow for you to do so) - because as we have stated often -- In the end, we cannot sustain the CPBIS path without your support and engagement.

Best regards,
Jim McNutt
CPBIS Executive Director