Editor’s note: FlexPack VOICE® has featured workers of the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) in a series of short profiles since 2022. Chris Burt recently joined FPA as director of industry information.
Burt has been a Marylander most of her life, living and working in the central Maryland/Washington, D.C., area.
“I went to the University of Maryland, College Park campus for the first year and finished with a B.A. in economics from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County campus,” Burt says. “I’m currently living on the Eastern Shore of Maryland near Kent Narrows and commute across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.”
FlexPack VOICE®: What was your career path and how did you end up at FPA?
Chris Burt: After several disparate jobs, I started working for Leather Industries of America where one of my duties was to gather and disseminate statistics and import/export data related to the U.S. leather industry. I then moved on to the International Association of Arson Investigators where I wore many different hats over 14 years. I started the newest chapter of my life with FPA in December.
FPV: Talk a little bit about your duties with FPA. What do you like best, and what are some of the challenges going forward?
CB: Since I am new to the FPA, I am still learning about all my duties as director of industry information. I will be sending out the various surveys—Pulse of the Industry, State of the Industry, etc.—to the members to gather integral information used to create the various industry reports for our members. I will also be monitoring and gathering data from publicly available datasets related to the broad paper and plastics manufacturing North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes, as well as getting export and import data. As a part of my role, I will be working on trend analyses for the industry, too. My biggest challenge is to increase the members’ participation in the surveys, which are used to obtain more industry-specific data. I look forward to collaborating with our members, the FPA team, and outside contractors to bring our members the most relevant information about the flexible packaging industry.
FPV: Any hobbies or interests?
CB: I like to play in my yard—or somebody else’s. I enjoy digging in the dirt, weeding, and pruning. I also enjoy getting cozy with my cats while watching a movie or reading a book. I like to bake, bird-watch, and do jigsaw puzzles, too.
FPV: Do you have a favorite sports team?
CB: I am not into sports at all.
FPV: Anything that you would like to say about your family?
CB: I am fortunate that my parents, sons, sisters, and in-laws are a short drive away. We are close and see each other regularly during family gatherings, visits to assist with different projects, or just stopping by to say, “Hi.” Both of my sons live on the Eastern Shore with their growing families. I have one grandson and another grandchild on the way.
Thomas A. Barstow is senior editor of FlexPack VOICE®.