November 09, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Jenny Gaines
Senior Director, Marketing and Communications
(571) 348-5110
gainesj@socma.com
Longtime SOCMA leader to step down at end of 2017
ARLINGTON, VA – The Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA) today announced that Dr. C. Tucker Helmes will retire after almost 30 years from his role as Executive Director of its Association Management Services (AMS) effective December 31, 2017.
SOCMA’s Association Management Services division is comprised of affiliated trade associations, professional societies and educational foundations that address issues of common interest to the chemical industry.
“We want to thank Dr. Helmes for his many years of dedicated service to AMS and the many member companies he has supported,” said Jennifer Abril, SOCMA President and CEO. “During his tenure, Dr. Helmes has helped to not only grow the organization but has also formed associations and developed strategic alliances on behalf of the industry. His service has truly been invaluable to our organization and the chemical industry, and we wish him all the best as he embarks on this new chapter of his life.”
“I am proud of the direction AMS has taken during my tenure,” Helmes said. “The work of our affiliate groups is significant, not only to the organizations they represent but also to the entire chemical value chain.”
Helmes came to the association when he was hired as Executive Director of SOCMA affiliate ETAD North America in 1988. In his role at ETAD, Helmes directed key studies with the Environmental Protection Agency and other organizations, including work on the well-known High Production Volume (HPV) challenge, among a host of other accomplishments. He later took over management of SOCMA’s Association Management Services, where he also leads the Center for Baby and Adult Hygiene Products (BAHP) and Institute for Polyacrylate Absorbents (IPA).
“I am leaving the association in the capable hands of current Senior Vice President of Association Management Services David Wawer,” Helmes said. Wawer is Executive Director of the Color Pigments Manufacturers Association, also a SOCMA affiliate organization.
Although he is fully retiring from SOCMA, he will remain active in both an executive and technical capacity with ETAD North America, where he will work as a consultant.
About SOCMA
The Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA) is dedicated to specialty chemical manufacturers, distributors and affiliated service providers. For more information visit www.SOCMA.com.
Categorized in: Affiliates