Board of Directors
Bob Ross, Director of Safety & Health, Temple-Inland Corporation
Bob has been with Temple-Inland since 2007 and has over 20 years of experience in the paper industry. Prior to working for Temple-Inland Bob was Corporate Safety Manager for NewPage Corporation in Dayton, Ohio. Other relevant work experience includes positions with Meadwestvaco, Georgia Pacific and Champion International.
Bob has a Bachelor of Science degree from East Central Oklahoma State University and is a Registered Nurse in four states.
Matt Saxe, Director of Safety and Corporate Projects, Boise
Matt is a native of New York, born and raised in Rochester. He has a BS in paper science and engineering from the College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse University.
He began his career with Boise in 1978 at the pulp and paper mill in Rumford, Maine, where he worked for 17 years, as process engineer, production engineer and production manager. In 1995 Matt was named production manager at the DeRidder mill, and later served as operations manager. He worked with the Paper Sales and Marketing group on a year-long Decision Quality project before becoming the mill manager at the St. Helens pulp and paper mill in August 2002. During his 5-year tenure, St. Helens set new standards in safety, production and energy efficiency. Matt spent a year at the Wallula mill before taking on a new assignment as Director of Safety and Corporate Projects
Matt and his wife, Lisa, have four children. In his spare time, Matt enjoys fishing, racquetball, reading, and all of the activities his children enjoy.
Brian Kendall
Brian has over 20 years of experience in the composites, building materials, pulp and paper industries safely leading operations in global business environments. He has been successful at integrating health and safety into all aspects of optimizing, managing and leading operations in 29 countries at both the plant and corporate levels. Working change and modeling strategic growth from the inside, Brian has a proven history of being an internal consultant fostering productive, measurable results and transformation for Fortune 500 Companies.
Brian's background ranges from providing environmental, health and safety leadership to more than 25,000 employees, to directing manufacturing operations for a $600MM business with 24 plants. Following the acquisition of his company's largest competitor, he was responsible for optimizing the supply chain for $1.6b composites business operating 36 manufacturing plants and 22 warehouses operating in 17 countries affecting 10,000 employees world-wide. Brian is currently Director of Safety with Rayonier.
Brian possesses a Master Degree in Business Administration from Loyola University, Chicago and a Bachelor of Sciences Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of South Carolina. A member of the Pulp and Paper Safety Association Board as well as the Chairperson for the American Forest & Paper Association's Health and Safety Subcommittee, he is a Certified Safety Professional and considers leading a values-based cultural transformation a passion and creating the possibility of injury and illness free lives his purpose.
John L. Sunderland
John is the Health & Safety Program Manager for Buckeye Technologies, with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee. His office is located at the Buckeye Florida operation in Perry. His direct involvement with safety programs began in 1990 when he established safety programs in sawmills and in cotton and wood fiber pulp mills. Prior to his roles in safety, he was part of the start up teams for a pulpmill and a saw mill in Georgia. He is an authorized trainer for OSHA 10 and 30-hour General Industry standards courses.
Before the formation of Buckeye Technologies, the company was a part of Procter & Gamble and John was certified under their Industrial Hygiene & Safety. He continues to conduct assessments of safety programs at a number of plants in four countries. He is currently a member of two American Forest & Paper Associations committees. He is a past General Chairman of the Pulp & Paper Safety Association and is currently a Member of the PPSA Board, currently service as Secretary/Treasurer.
He and his wife Beverly have two sons and daughters-in-law with three grandchildren and one more expected in August. He has been a Boy Scouts of American Leader for 32 years, a Silver Beaver Award Recipient and is currently serving as a District Commissioner. In addition to Scouting, his hobbies include motorcycling and general aviation.
Tom Watson, Temple-Inland
Tom Watson graduated from Indiana State University with a BS and MS in Industrial Supervision. He has been employed by Temple-Inland, Inc. and predecessor companies since 1972. He has 37 years of work experience in the Paper & Packaging Industry and the last 30 years have been in varying positions relating to Safety & Health. He has been a long standing, active member of various industry safety organizations including three terms as General Chair of the Pulp & Paper Safety Association, two terms as Chair of the AF&PA Health & Safety Committee and one term of the TAPPI Safety Committee. Tom also has been a long standing active, member of the Fibre Box Association's Safety & Health Committee.
Steve Irons, Georgia Pacific
Steve is the Safety and Health Manager for the Brewton, Alabama Operations of Georgia-Pacific, LLC and has over 25 years experience in safety and health in the paper industry. He began his career as Assistant Safety Supervisor at ITT Rayonier, Jesup, Georgia.
Steve has a BS in biology from Valdosta State University and served in the United States Air Force. Steve has been a member of the PPSA Board of Directors since 1986 and has served in various functions on the Board.
He and his wife, Sandra have a daughter and son-in-law and one grandson. He enjoys golf and motorcycling.