PPAB Leadership: Who Are They?

The very underpining of paper science and engineering at NC State is intertwined with the NC State Pulp and Paper Advisory Board. Since its inception in 1954, synomous with the program itself, this group has provided financial support to the program and students through scholarships, improvements and employment opportunities. All are volunteers driven to keep this unique industry viable and the program world-class. The Board has many alumni amongst its membership. With over 42 member companies and nearly 52 directors, we share the current leadership. They spend an extraordinary amount of time on and off campus in service of the program and its students.

President, Bart Nicholson, Bart, a 1981 Pulp and Paper Technology grad, retired from Domtar as Executive Officer and Senior Vice President, he was also Vice President at Weyerhauser. He says his favorite thing about NC State is, “The quality and enthusiasm of alumni, students, faculty and administration.” In addition to being a vital member of the PPAB for years serving on the multiple committees and as Vice President most recently, he also endowed the Bart and Pam Nicholson Scholarship.

Vice President, Allen Turner, Allen, a 1983 NC State PSE and ChE grad, is a Manufacturing Analytics Manager at International Paper in Georgia. As a student, he recalls that “the time spent collaborating with students in smaller classroom sizes and learning from passionate professors in the pulp and paper program was by far the most favorite part of my NC State experiences.  The annual WolfStock music festival comes in a close second!” He was a classmate of our own, Angie Rush, who is the Director of Undergraduate Recruiting for PSE. Allen also heads the newly created Finance committee and finds the extra time spent supporting the PPAB through his efforts to be a labor of love memorialized in his Turner Family Scholarship Endowment.

Secretary, Allen Sanders, Allen is also the Executive Director of the PPAB and integral for maintaining, and especially, collaborating to add new corporate partners to the membership expanding our scholarship capacity and seeking to provide not only program improvements but also facilities in his fund-raising efforts. His work will provide future support for years to come. Allen graduated in 1985 with the PSE degree and, as he likes to say, had .49 to his name– a far cry from the varied support structure now available to students in the PSE program. His dedication led to his own C. Allen Sanders Scholarship Endowment. Allen keeps paper all in the family and is married to the mill manager at International Paper, in New Bern, NC. We fully expect his young daughter to make him “paper proud” some day!

The PPAB is a remarkable collection of alumni, executives, recruiters, and engineers (many often scholarship donors) who recognize how special this industry is and work hard to promote the degree and attract future engineers.