Jan O’Regan, Seshadri Ramkumar, Jim Robinson, and Ed Thomas are being recognised for their key contributions to the growth of the nonwoven industry and INDA. They will be honored with INDA Lifetime Awards.
INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced four recipients for the Lifetime Service Award and Lifetime Technical Achievement Awards.
“We are pleased to recognize Jan, Ram, Jim, and Ed with these well-deserved awards. INDA is grateful for their contributions in growing the nonwovens industry and being advocates for INDA,” said Tony Fragnito, INDA President. “These Awards are meant to honor individuals with long-established records of service and technical achievement. All four have given their best both personally and professionally to INDA and the nonwovens industry,” Fragnito added.
Jan O’Regan was the Director, Strategic Initiatives and Nonwovens Marketing, for Cotton Incorporated and retired in 2022. In this capacity, she uncovered new opportunities for cotton to bring value into the nonwoven industry.
Seshadri Ramkumar has over twenty-five years of experience within the technical nonwovens space, conducting industry-leading research and educating nonwovens professionals at Texas Tech University (TTU). Ramkumar has numerous patent and invention disclosures, including Fibertect® toxic chemical decontamination wipes which have been recognised by the American Chemical Society as a notable success of federally supported innovation, endorsed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and adopted by multiple branches of the military.
Jim Robinson has 33 years in the absorbent hygiene industry, including 28 years as a Technical Service Manager at BASF. He led technical teams that focused on the application of superabsorbent polymers (SAP) in hygiene products.
Ed Thomas retired after 39 years, with 32 years in the nonwovens industry, and has remained active teaching the Intermediate Nonwovens Training Course for INDA and The Nonwovens Institute at North Carolina State University, as well as providing consulting services to the industry.
