On January 1, I stepped into the role of Executive Committee Chair of SPE at a moment when our organization itself is stepping into something new. We have a new partnership with PLASTICS and a real opportunity to expand what SPE can be for its members. And honestly, that’s pretty exciting.
I’m coming to this role as a long-time engineer, a long-time volunteer, and someone who believes deeply in the power of the technical community for both the technical and community ends. SPE has always been where knowledge turns into momentum, and it’s an honor to help lead it forward.
I’m also stepping into a long and meaningful tradition. The presidents who came before me, and the boards that supported them, built the SPE we know today. I don’t take lightly the responsibility of carrying that forward, especially at a moment when our decisions will shape what SPE looks like for the next generation.
When I came to SPE as a sophomore in college, I was looking for some bonus points on a quiz, but, as fate would have it, I stayed for the next 20 years for the people and the mission. SPE introduced me to leading experts and to parts of this industry that I would have never experienced from behind my desk.
At its heart, SPE has always been about the same thing: people who care about getting the science right, sharing their knowledge, and creating things that matter. Those principles are not changing. What is changing is the platform on which we get to bring them forward.
This year, SPE is beginning a new chapter through our strategic integration with PLASTICS. This was a deliberate and practical step that places SPE’s technical depth alongside PLASTICS’ reach across manufacturing, workforce, policy, and industry leadership. The goal has never been to blur who we are, but to connect who we are to a larger, more influential stage.
What this means for you
SPE’s technical mission remains unchanged. We will continue to lead our journals, technical publications, ANTEC, Divisions, Sections, and the professional community that has always defined us. What changes is our ability to support and scale that work and to connect it more directly to the organizations that depend on it.
You can expect:
- Stronger connections between technical innovation and industry application
- More accessible and relevant education and professional development
- Greater visibility for SPE’s technical work across the broader plastics community
That means more opportunity, more relevance, and more ways for your expertise to matter.
Our role in the year ahead
SPE will continue to engage in sustainability, materials, processing, and equipment from a technical, evidence-based perspective. Where we align with PLASTICS, it will be to bring that technical voice into larger industry conversations and ensure engineering and science help shape the path forward.
This integration positions SPE clearly as the technical backbone of the industry.
Continuity and connection
Just as importantly, the way you interact with SPE remains the same. Your primary points of contact within SPE, our staff, our volunteers, and our Sections and Divisions are unchanged.
Looking ahead
As we dip our toes into 2026, I feel good about what this next chapter makes possible. We have a rare opportunity to take our values, our people, and our knowledge and put them to work in bigger and more meaningful ways.
Thank you for being part of this community and for the work you do. It’s already looking like a great year for SPE.
Lynzie Nebel
Executive Committee Chair, SPE
