Over the past year, several members of the Sterilization Packaging Manufacturers Council (SPMC®) received industry recognition for their contributions to the healthcare packaging industry. These honors are a testament to the talent and dedication of those who voluntarily serve on SPMC®.
Marie Tkacik
Marie Tkacik, director of product development and optimization at Beacon Converters, Inc., received ASTM’s Merit Award on April 19 in Denver, Colorado. ASTM International is one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations in the world, and its merit award is the highest honor granted to an individual ASTM member.
Tkacik has been a member of ASTM for over 30 years, and she is the immediate past chair of ASTM’s Committee F02.20 on Physical Properties. She previously chaired ASTM Committee F2.60, Medical Device Packaging. And she has contributed to the development of ASTM standards since 1996.
Tkacik’s contributions to SPMC® are also noteworthy. She chaired the council’s Technical Committee for over 15 years and served as a moderator for SPMC®-sponsored webinars. She was also instrumental in the development of SPMC®’s nearly 100 FAQs, as well as several of its white papers.
Henk Blom
Henk Blom, vice president of research and technology at PAXXUS, Inc., recently received the Superstars in Sterile Packaging award from SterileAware, a new organization focused on improving patient outcomes through better products and systems in medical device processing and packaging.
Blom was recognized for his outstanding contribution to Kilmer Innovations in Packaging, an industry initiative dedicated to improving patient safety, and his willingness to always go above and beyond expectations.
“Through his [Blom’s] involvement with his work at PAXXUS, as well as multiple board positions, he has pushed the needle forward in healthcare packaging,” says Charlie Webb, SterileAware founder.
Blom also served as chair of SPMC®’s Technical Committee for over six years and has presented at several industry conferences, events, and webinars on behalf of the organization. He played key roles in the development of SPMC®’s FAQs and the organization’s ongoing development of industry white papers.
Amy Stewart
Amy Stewart, medical product development manager at Printpack Medical, recently earned the Institute of Packaging Professionals’ (IoPP’s) Medical Device Packaging Technical Committee (MDPTC) Honor Award for her leadership in medical device packaging.
IoPP is a leading individual membership organization that addresses the educational needs of the packaging community. The organization boasts over 3,000 members.
Stewart is a member of IoPP’s MDPTC and has served as the program leader for the development of the MDPTC Fundamentals of Medical Device Packaging course. The new course provides specialized training for new packaging engineers in a unique hybrid curriculum featuring classroom instruction and showroom demonstrations.
Stewart served on SPMC® SterileAware founder’s Technical Committee from 2013 to 2019 and on SPMC®’s Marketing Committee from 2019 to 2023. “From SPMC®’s work to drive awareness with programs like Sterile Packaging Day to the IoPP MDPTC Fundamentals Course, it’s been an exciting time for our industry and a welcomed period of solidarity,” she says.
Lourdes Pogue is partner and creative director at Merakke. Reach her at lourdes@merakke.com.