Board Of Governors

Emilio Assam

Emilio has been the CEO of Viakem, a custom and toll manufacturing company based in Monterrey, Mexico with sales all over the world, since 1999.

Emilio received a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and a master’s degree also in Chemical Engineering from Manhattan College in New York.

Emilio has participated in the Board of ANIQ (Mexican Chemical Industry Association), CPMA, Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and IPA (Institute of Environmental Protection in Monterrey).

Jamie Bull 

Jamie Bull is the President and COO at Capital Resin Corporation, a family owned, chemical manufacturer based in Columbus, Ohio and established in 1976. Capital Resin specializes in resins, polymers, specialty materials, commodities as well as contract and toll manufacturing for a variety of companies in a variety of end use industries.

Mr. Bull has served as Plant Manager, General Manager, Sales and Marketing Director as well as his current roles. In addition to Capital Resin, Mr. Bull served as an officer in the US Army and enjoyed a ten-year career in the medical device industry. He holds a B.S. in Systems and Mechanical Engineering from the United States Military Academy and an MBA from Ohio University.

Jay Dickson

Mr. Dickson currently serves as the President of Nation Ford Chemical (NFC), a leader in toll manufacturing and specialty chemicals located in Fort Mill, SC.  A Clemson University chemical engineer, Jay joined NFC in 1989.  He spent 15 years working in the plant in several different roles, including process and project engineering and technical director.  As the company grew, Jay expanded his work to include global sales and new product development and has served as President for the last 15 years.

Jay’s passion is working on new projects that provide growth for the company, while providing key manufacturing solutions for NFC’s customers.  Even though Jay serves as President, it’s his background in chemical engineering and working in the plant environment that drives him.

Jay is a lifetime member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and enjoys working with SOCMA on initiatives that serve the member companies and the specialty chemical industry

Ephraim S. Honig, Ph.D.

In 1997 Ephraim S. Honig joined Strem Chemicals Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of specialty chemicals of high purity. He has served in a variety of roles including Vice President, Chief Operating Officer before assuming his current role as Chief Executive Officer.

Leon Perez, Ph.D. 

Leon joined Pressure Chemical Co. in 2018 as President. His professional career began at PPG Industries Inc. in Pittsburgh, PA as a synthetic polymer chemist in the R&D group of the Coatings Division. Leon subsequently held management positions of increasing responsibility in coatings development, production lab support, and strategic R&D cross group innovations.

He is a member of Vistage and maintains affiliations with universities in the Pittsburgh area, Pittsburgh Technology Council, American Chemical Society, SOCMA, CSMC, and a variety of other trade associations and international organizations in the chemical sciences. He is authored on several patents and chemical research publications.

Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, Leon graduated from Wagner College in Staten Island with a B.S. degree in Chemistry. He earned a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Rutgers University, he performed doctoral research in the areas of carbene chemistry and reactive intermediates.

Jeffrey Shaw

Jeffrey Shaw is responsible for optimizing Sun Chemical’s entire supply chain, from the purchase of raw materials and the scheduling of the company’s plants, to managing market-based stock levels and the shipping of finished products to customers worldwide.

Prior to his current role at Sun Chemical, he worked as the Global Vice President of Integrated Supply Chain and Manufacturing at Sun Chemical for six years between 2010-2016.

Shaw holds a master’s degree in business administration from Michigan State University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Wayne State University in Detroit.

Christopher Brotherton 

Christopher Brotherton is the President of Ortec, Inc., a South Carolina polymer technology company offering custom chemical manufacturing services for life science and industrial markets. Christopher has been with Ortec over 18 years and held the roles of Marketing Manager and Corporate Vice President before assuming the presidency.

Prior to joining Ortec, Christopher was with Nalco Chemical Company where he held several positions in product marketing, international marketing, and strategic mergers & acquisitions.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Clemson University and a Master of Business Administration from Wake Forest University.

Christopher also serves on the board of Kiyatec Inc., a 3D Cell Culture Biotech company, and is a former board member and active investor with VentureSouth, an early stage venture capital firm.

David Fortune

David has worked in the chemical industry for the past 20 years and is currently the Vice President of La Petite Roche Technologies LLC (LPRT), a North Little Rock, AR based manufacturer of antimicrobial chemicals used in various industries, including food processing, water treatment, pulp & paper, oil & gas, and ag among others.

Prior to joining LPRT, David served as Director of Business Development for Athlon/Halliburton’s Contract Manufacturing business in Houston, TX. He began his career in chemicals as General Sales Manager and later Vice President-Chief Commercial Officer of KMCO, a manufacturer of custom and specialty chemicals with facilities located in Crosby, TX and Port Arthur, TX. LPRT, Athlon, and KMCO were/are all active members of SOCMA.

David studied Marketing and Finance at the University of Mississippi and the University of Memphis where he received his BBA in 1984. For hobbies, he enjoys photography, bicycling, golfing, traveling, and especially spending time with his three children and grandchildren.

Larry Ito

Mr. Larry Ito has been the Global Commercial Director of Contract Manufacturing for Halliburton since May 2018.

Prior to joining Halliburton, Mr. Ito served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Athlon Solutions, the Global Director of Contract Manufacturing for Ecolab, the Global Director of Capacity Planning and Development at Champion Technologies, and several roles of ascending responsibility at Dow Chemical, involving research and development, management, and procurement functions.

Mr. Ito holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Chemistry from Creighton University, a PhD from the University of Minnesota (specializing in inorganic chemistry), and a Master of Business Administration from Michigan State University with a focus in integrative management.

William Kersey

William (Bill) Kersey is the Executive Vice President of Avatar Corporation. Bill joined Avatar Corporation January 2010. During his tenure with Avatar he has served in a variety of roles, which included Business Development Manager, Vice President of Sales and Marketing and his current role of Executive Vice President.

Bill was responsible for implementation of Avatar’s Terminal and Switching services with the creation of a Class III Terminal and Switching Railroad, Gateway Industrial Railroad, LLC, a wholly own subsidiary of Avatar Corporation, to support future growth opportunities within Avatar Corporation as well as provide services to the other companies in the industrial park.

Before joining Avatar Corporation, Bill worked for Fuchs Lubricants and Fiske Brothers Refining Company, (LUBRIPLATE) in roles ranging from Technical Manager to Product and Market Manager with global responsibilities. During this period, Bill served ten years on the Board of the National Lubricating Grease Institute (NLGI), including positions of Treasurer and Vice-President.

Bill is also a member of the Society of Triboligist and Lubrication Engineers for over thirty years in the Detroit, Kansas City, and Chicago Sections.

Clayton Pace 

Clayton Pace is President & Chief Executive Officer of ChemQuest Chemicals LLC, a contract chemical processor located in Pasadena TX. Prior to acquiring ChemQuest in October 2015 with equity partners, Mr. Pace was President & Chief Executive Officer of Quad Electronics dba Cablcon, a fiber optic and copper cable assembly provider and central office power cable supplier to the telecommunications industry headquartered in Troy, Michigan.

His has an extensive background including positions in the specialty chemicals, polymer, and engineering and construction industry, as well as international experience having worked in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

In addition to serving on the SOCMA Board, Clayton has served on the Board of ChemQuest, Cablcon, Equa-Chlor, Helena Industries, South Georgia Technical Institute, Centracore LLC and the Alliance for Telecommunication Industry Solutions. He currently serves as a Director on the Board of the Houston Ship Channel Security District, a government and industry partnership that provides funding and coordination for the security of the Houston Ship Channel and the Port of Houston.

Mr. Pace holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Mississippi State University.

Cynthia Peterson

Cynthia Peterson is the Chief Executive Officer of Howard Industries, Inc., which is a provider of chemical processing services such as mixing, blending, milling, drying, classifying, particle size reduction, contract manufacturing and repackaging. Howard Industries was founded in 1963 and is located in Columbus, Ohio.

Trained as a lawyer, Cynthia spent her early career in private practice and has worked for both privately held and publicly traded corporations. Active in the community, she has served on numerous boards. Cindy became CEO of Howard Industries in 2015.