Techtextil North America Symposium has been praised as ‘world class’ and ‘the best symposium of its kind’ by the trade press. In order to assure the continued popularity of the symposium, the Techtextil North America Symposium Advisory Council has been created. The 2011 Advisory Council consists of six well respected professionals that attend and exhibit at Techtextil North America as well as academia known for their contribution to the technical textiles and nonwovens industry.

The Symposium Advisory Council will act as a sounding board to Techtextil North America giving feedback on papers submitted, suggestions for programming, topics and speakers. The Council will assure that the topics chosen are relevant to the industry and that the speakers selected will provide Techtextil North America Symposium participants with accurate, up-to-date, educational sessions.

The members of the Techtextil North America Advisory Council are:

Dr. Fred L. Cook, Professor, Georgia Tech, School of Polymer, Textile & Fiber Engineering

Dr. Cook's research interests lie in the fields of textile and polymer chemistry. More specifically, areas under investigation include: crown ethers in anionic polymerizations and resin supports, carbon fibre conversion processes, energy-conserving textile chemical processes and polymer syntheses.

Dr. Cook returned to Georgia Tech from the Experimental Station of E.I. DuPont Co., where he served as a polymer research chemist. His studies at Tech blend polymer chemistry with textile chemical and process applications. A member of the American Chemical Society, the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists and Fiber Society, Dr. Cook has chaired the AATCC National Committee of Conferences, the NTC Operating Board, and the Georgia Tech Polymer Program for eight years.

He is currently President of NCTE, and is a member of Sigma Xi, Delta Kappa Phi and Tau Beta Pi Professional Fraternities. He is a Consulting Editor for Textile World Magazine, and has served as an expert witness in court for Bic Co.

John Cronin, Marketing Manager, Warwick Mills

For over ten years Cronin has worked on product and market development for Warwick Mills, in New Ipswich, New Hampshire. Starting as scour machine operator with the company in 1998, he now directs activities related to the marketing and sales of Warwick’s TurtleSkin Law Enforcement Equipment in North America.

Over the course of his career with Warwick, Cronin has spent countless hours in the field developing an understanding for the hand-protection and body armour needs of Law Enforcement and Corrections Officers. An understanding of practical needs, combined with technical knowledge of materials, performance testing, and manufacturing has helped Cronin contribute to the development and marketing of a number of body armour and glove products.

John lives in New Hampshire, where he owns a small business and attends Franklin Pierce University. He sits on the ASTM F23.20 committee for Physical Hazards and is leading an effort to publish a new hypodermic needle puncture resistance test standard. In 2009 he established the Law Enforcement Equipment Manufacturers Group; comprised of industry professionals who interact through an integrated social media network via LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

Jeff Dugan, Co-founder and Research Vice President, Fiber Innovation Technology

Co-founder and Research Vice President of Fiber Innovation Technology for 14 years, Jeff Dugan has helped develop more new fibre products than just about anyone. Jeff began his career as a research engineer with textile manufacturer Springs Industries, and then moved to a research position within BASF's Fiber Products Division, where he participated on three business management teams and gained valuable experience with bicomponent fibres and processes.

Jeff is the author of numerous publications and is listed as inventor on 45 U.S. patents. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master's degree in Textile Chemistry, both from N.C. State University.

Dr. Gerald J. Mauretti, Founder, EY Technologies

Dr. Mauretti is an accomplished international businessman and founder of EY Technologies, a specialty technical textiles company located in the Fall River Industrial Park in Massachusetts. The Advisory Council welcomes his international experience in development, marketing, and manufacturing of technical fiber based materials and yarns used for industrial products and composites. Dr. Mauretti is a recent past World President of the Textile Institute, a UK based worldwide professional organization with members in ninety countries. He is an experienced international speaker on technical, marketing, and management subjects and has been published in numerous technical journals.

A business and community leader in education, economic and workforce development, Dr. Mauretti currently serves as Chairman of the UMASS Dartmouth Foundation, Vice-Chairman of the UMASS Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Center Advisory Board, and also former Chairman of the Bristol Workforce Investment Board (WIB). He is also a member of the Massachusetts Workforce Board.

Dr. Mauretti has received an Honorary, PhD, Business Administration from University Massachusetts-Dartmouth in 2010, has also been appointed Adjunct Professor of The Institute of Textiles and Clothing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University with a term of May, 2010 through 2013.

Hardy B. Poole, Vice President of Regulatory and Technical Affairs, National Textile Association

Mr. Poole graduated from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, with B.S. and M.S. degrees in textiles; he then served as a military officer at the U.S. Army Natick Research, Development and Engineering Center in Natick, Massachusetts where most Department of Defense research and development on textiles and materials is conducted. In 1976, he joined the American Textile Manufacturers Institute, a national trade association representing the U.S. Textile Industry in Washington, DC. He served nationally and internationally as the textile industry’s senior technical representative for twenty-seven years on product safety, the environment, workplace safety and numerous other areas.

In 2003, he formed Engineered Solutions, PLLC, a consulting company that works with industry, government, law firms and others on government relations and technical matters. He serves as Vice President of Regulatory and Technical Affairs at the National Textile Association, one of his major clients. Mr. Poole is also a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army where his career was focused on clothing and textile research, development and acquisition.

Harry P. Winer, President, HIP Consulting, LLC

Mr. Winer was an employee of the Navy Clothing & Textile Research Facility for thirty years where he held positions from Head of the Clothing & Accessories Branch to Senior Researcher. Mr. Winer holds a number of Navy patents in the fire protection area. He has over thirty-five years experience in the research and development of fire protective materials and protective ensembles, and is considered a leading expert on protection from radiant heat.

In the areas of standards and testing, Mr. Winer is currently an active member of ASTM D13 (Textiles), F23 (Protective clothing) and E54 (Homeland Security). These committees research and write the test methods for fire and CBRN, ballistics for ASTM. For the last twenty-one years Mr. Winer has been an active member of the National Fire Protection section of Personnel Protective Equipment, (PPE) for fire personnel. He has been active on four of their technical committees.

Mr. Winer is currently President of HIP Consulting, LLC, which is a technical consulting firm in the Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) area. HIP Consulting, LLC, currently performs R&D and quality control for NAVSEA / NAVAIR in the structural and proximity fire service. HIP is actively involved in developing new protective materials and designs for numerous commercial clients.

Techtextil North America 2011

The Techtextil North America Symposium will continue under the direction of Bill Smith, Principal of Industrial Textile Associates. Mr. Smith has over 46 years experience in technical textiles. His expertise includes sales, product and market development, product management, and marketing management. Areas of involvement have included woven synthetic fabrics of spun, filament, and textured yarns, as well as experience in fibreglass and nonwovens.

The eighth edition of Techtextil North America, the only trade show in the Americas dedicated to technical textiles and nonwovens, will be held March 15 – 17, 2011 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For more information, visit www.techtextilNA.com