WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) is pleased to announce its new chairs and vice chairs for the 2011 and 2012 Polyurethanes Technical Conference. This years conference will take place in Nashville, Tenn., at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel from September 26th to 28th.

Leading the charge as Polyurethanes Conference Committee chair for 2011 is Tom Feige, Jr., the North American regional business director for Dow Polyurethanes. As chair, Feige will be a visible presence in Nashville, where he will welcome attendees at the opening session and provide closing remarks at the conferences conclusion. He will also lead the Committees work in shaping this years conference to make it a valuable experience for all who attend. Feige replaces Umberto Torresan, formerly of Dow Polyurethanes, as Conference Committee chair.

Amanda Pugh of Chem-Trend joins the conference leadership this year as vice chair, and will serve as chair for the 2012 Polyurethanes Technical Conference. As Conference Committee vice chair for 2011, Pugh will help guide the development of the technical program and broader conference agenda. Continuing in 2012 as chair, Pugh will be able to use this years experience to further enhance next years conference.

Tony Lanchak of Momentive will serve as the conference vice chair under Amandas guidance for the 2012 Polyurethanes Technical Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. He will serve as chair for the 2013 conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Lanchak hopes that his perspective and experience with innovation and change in the polyurethanes industry will support strong program agendas for 2012 and 2013.

"I am pleased to be a part of the leadership team that will make the 2011 Polyurethanes Technical Conference a great success," said Feige. "This is one of the polyurethanes industrys premier events, and I look forward to being an active part of this conference and the future of this robust American industry." "We are extremely grateful to Tom, Amanda and Tony. This exceptional leadership team will be a tremendous asset for this years Polyurethanes Technical Conference," said CPI Senior Director Lee Salamone. "With our leadership in place through 2013, we will benefit from having experienced conference chairs who can build on past success and help us continually improve the value of the Polyurethanes Technical Conference to the industry."

Tom Feige joined Dow in 1992 and has held regional and global leadership positions in sales and marketing within Dow Automotive. In 2006, he relocated to Midland, Mich., and was named North American product manager for Dow Polyurethanes. In that role, Feige was responsible for implementing Dow Polyurethanes global strategy within North America to meet business profitability and growth objectives. In his current role, Feige is responsible for implementing Dow Polyurethanes (propylene oxide, propylene glycol, polyether polyols, MDI and TDI) global strategy within North America and regional asset management to meet business profitability and growth objectives.

Amanda Pugh started her career with DuPont Performance Coatings formulating paint for the OEM automotive manufacturers. She went on to become the technical group leader for the DuPont team that supported all Honda business in North America. In 2006, she joined the supply chain management team at Freudenberg-NOK General Partnership in Plymouth, Mich., as a manager working with specialty chemical suppliers. In 2009, she became a business development director with Chem-Trend, a member of the Freudenberg Chemical Specialties group. In her role, she has global responsibility for Chem-Trends polyurethane mold release products.

Tony Lanchaks career spans 30 years in the specialty chemical industry, having held various roles in commercial, marketing, product management, business development and business management. Lanchak is currently the global business director in charge of the Urethane Additives business unit of Momentive Performance Materials. He has held executive management roles responsible for Momentives PU businesses over the last 10 years.