January 17, 2020

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings is pleased to announce that John T. Whalen has joined the organization in its Pittsburgh headquarters as the new Director of Technical Services.

Mr. Whalen comes to SSPC from Watson Standard/Sherwin-Williams where he was Technical Director responsible for long-term R&D as well as short-term product development.  Prior to Watson Standard, Whalen spent time with DNP Imagingcomm America Corporation as TTR Solutions Engineer where he managed product development and international technology transfer of new products. Other stops in his career include Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corporation, Spartech Corporation, The Valspar Corporation, Sony Chemicals, and PPG Industries.

John holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Marietta College and an M.S. in Chemistry from Duquesne University. In addition to his degrees, John holds two patents, #6,850,263 – “Methods of thermal transfer printing and thermal transfer printers” and #6,853,392 – “Radiation-curable thermal printing ink and ink ribbons and methods of making, using and printing the same.” He has also spent time supporting professional organizations as a volunteer, including RadTech International, TAPPI, SPE and FSCT/ACA.

According to SSPC Executive Director Bill Worms, “We conducted an extensive search for the Director of Technical Services position and interviewed several outstanding candidates.  John really stood out from the pack, and his background as a coatings expert strengthens the capabilities of our team. We’re excited to have him here!”

As Director of Technical Services at SSPC, John and his team will handle SSPC committees and standards development, oversight of the SSPC QP programs, and the development and revision of training and certification programs. Members will have the opportunity to meet John at Coatings+2020 in Long Beach this February. He can be reached at [email protected] or extension 2248 in the Pittsburgh office.

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