OTTAWA, ON – The Canadian Printing Industries Association (CPIA) announced today the appointment of four new officers to their Board of Directors. The new directors were unanimously voted in at the recent General Meeting of the Members of the CPIA held Thursday December 1, 2016.

Richard Kouwenhoven, President and COO of Hemlock Printers was newly elected to the position of Chair to the CPIA, Mike McInnes, Sr. Vice President Ontario of Transcontinental Inc., was elected to the position of Secretary/Treasurer of the CPIA and both Loris Pavan, Regional Director Business Development & Strategic Solutions at RR Donnelley (British Columbia) and Dave Potje, Vice President at Twin City Dwyer Printing Co. Ltd., were elected as officers to the CPIA board.

This new CPIA board represents a shift in the foundation and future direction of the CPIA. Both Mr. Kouwenhoven and Mr. Pavan are representatives from PrintForward (formerly British Columbia Printing Industries Association BCPIA) and Mr. McInnes and Mr. Potje are representatives of the Ontario Printing and Imaging Association (OPIA). The two associations, PrintForward and OPIA, have agreed to form new board leadership, manage the administrative functions of the CPIA, and lead the direction of a national voice for the printing industry, while building for the future.

The new directors of the CPIA are committed to bringing about a revitalized national print association which provides a unifying voice for the printing industry in Canada. Canvassing input from the industry across the country in the coming months, the CPIA will work to transition to an operating model that unifies strong regional industry associations with a vibrant and growing national association.

“We view this as an opportunity to build on the CPIA’s legacy as an organization that represents the interests of industry stakeholders across the country,” said Richard Kouwenhoven. “The need for a national voice for our industry is as important as ever, and fostering collaboration among members is equally important to help them find success within an industry where change is a constant. We are looking forward to undertaking this important work with our industry peers in the months ahead.”