Orel against Patterson in PIAA Board race

Two places on the new Printing Industries Association of Australia (PIAA) Board will be contested, with members gearing up to vote from tomorrow.

In Victoria members will vote between Peter Orel from the family that owns multi-state environmentally pioneering printer Finsbury Green, and semi-retired private consultant Ron Patterson, who was made redundant as PIAA state manager four years ago and became a vocal critic of the board during the turmoil at the start of this year.

The winning nominee between Orel and Patterson will succeed departed Vic member Kellie Northwood who dropped out of nominations earlier this month

In Tasmania the race is between Peter Clark who founded highly regarded heatset printer AIW in 2001and now works as a consultant out of the Apple isle, and Mark Media’s Martin Guilliamse.

John Scott, general manager of Scott Print and Chris Segaert of Permanent Press in NSW are also both nominated for the double position of Board Members representing all members. Scott stepped in as the WA Board Member for 2016, and Segaert served this year as national honorary treasurer. 

Running unopposed for Queensland is Walter Kuhn, in NSW it is Matt Aitken from Blue Star, in South Australia Peter Lane; Graham Jamieson representing Western Australia, and current PIAA president Kieran May for ACT. 

Tom Eckersley, unofficial spokesperson for what was the Members Action Group that was in conflict with the old PIAA Board at the start of the year has given his backing to Walter Kuhn.

PIAA president Kieran May also gave his approval of the new choices for Victoria and Tasmania, and says he believes association members are ‘smart enough to work out the relative merits of each member’.

ProPrint spoke to Victoria nominee Ron Patterson, who says he is eager to throw his hat into the ring after a tumultuous year at the PIAA.

“Over the last twelve months a lot has gone wrong with the Association, and my intention is to get in and be a voice for Victoria,” says Patterson. 

“Yes they have improved but there is still a lot of work to be one, so I am looking forward to getting my feet under the desk and to serve the print community if I am elected.

[Related: PIAA elects four new members]

Patterson, who has a long history with the PIAA after serving as Victoria vice-president in 1998 and Victoria president in 2001says he is now semi-retired and is now doing private consulting.

Tassie nominee Peter Clark, the founding director of AIW Printing in Melbourne also spoke to ProPrint, and says his 50-year experience in the industry would be a great asset to the association.

“It would be a great opportunity to represent Tasmania on the Board. Printing is in my blood, and now I am retired now I am looking to keep busy in an industry close to my heart,” says Clark.

“I hope to be of assistance and to give back to the print industry in Tasmania, where I started out, by using the knowledge I have gained in my career from a management perspective, printing business owner’s perspective and including many levels of technical and innovation expertise.”

Clark is currently in Saigon, Vietnam attending a newspaper printers conference, and remains as a consultant at AIW for printing technology and automation projects.

Mark Media’s Martin Guilliamse, who is also looking to secure the spot in Tasmania, says he put his hand up for the Board with the hope to ensure more inclusiveness for PIAA members.

“The main reason I put my hand up is because I would like to see more printers join the association, and I want to help create a situation of more inclusiveness and talk to our members,” says Guilliamse.

“We have not had a regional meeting in Tassie for over two years, and this is something I would definitely like to change.”

Guilliamse has been on Tasmania’s regional PIAA Board for some twenty years, and also served as an alternative Board Member for industry veteran Jim Atkinson after his passing in 2010.

ProPrint also contacted Vic nominee Peter Orel from Finsbury Green, however he was unavailable for comment.

Voting is slated to open from tomorrow, September 29 until October 27 in a ballot organised by the Australian Election Committee (AEC), a first for the PIAA.

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