Membership Awards

Jay began his formal career with Industrial Dielectrics (IDI) in 1982, after graduating from Purdue University. His time with the Company began, however, in the mid-1970’s, working summers in various roles in the plant, while still in High School. Jay has worked in many roles from Technical Support to Customer Support and Sales, to Supervision and Operations, to Environmental, Health and Safety.  

He has participated in many industry organizations including SIRC but spent most of his effort with ACMA. Jay first went to meetings with the ACMA Government Affairs Committee and helped with the early work regarding workplace safety and Styrene. He testified in front of the NIH Board of Scientific Counselors regarding the impacts of changing the classification of Styrene. This work led to a seat on the ACMA Board of Directors, and eventually to the Chairman of the Board. 

In addition to his regular job functions, Jay led major capital projects at each of IDI’s global locations to drive operational excellence and spent the last several years working on the design and construction of the IDI Composites new headquarters and next generation manufacturing facility in Noblesville, Indiana.  

He is planning a long retirement with his family, including three grandchildren.  

The ACMA Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a business owner who has been in the composites industry for at least 20 years and, through their involvement, has made a significant and lasting contribution to the industry.

Nominees must have demonstrated lasting and outstanding contributions in one or more of the following areas:

• Exemplary contribution to legislative and/or regulatory affairs of significant long-term consequence to the industry.
• Invention of a process or product that has significant long-term importance.
• A very successful business career in which measurable contributions have been made to industry, government, employees, or the community.
• Leadership throughout their career to the industry’s trade associations where lasting contributions were made, including SPI, SIRC, NMMA, ACMA, etc.

Additional Considerations

• Previous recipients of the Pioneer Award are eligible for this honor.
• Sitting members of the ACMA Board are not eligible for consideration.

Leon Garoufalis is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Composites One, the largest materials supplier to composites manufacturers in North America. Leon joined GLS Composites Distribution Corporation, which would later become Composites One, in 1988 as a Resin Product Manager. He started his career in sales, in advertising, then specialty chemicals and polyester resin. Over the past 37 years, he has held a variety of sales, marketing, and operations management positions at Composites One. Leon was named Chief Operating Officer in 1999, promoted to President in 2002 and appointed CEO in 2022. In 2012, he was the recipient of the Chairman’s Award from the American Composites Manufacturer’s Association for serving the association in several capacities since 2006, including as a member of the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee, and as Secretary and Vice President. Over his 20 plus-year tenure on the ACMA Board, Leon has Chaired the Composites Growth Initiative Committee and has been active in several other committees including Strategic Planning, CEO Search, Membership, Nominating, and Awards. In addition to his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Heidelberg University, he holds an MBA from Loyola University of Chicago. He serves on the Heidelberg University Board of Trustees and has served on several other non-profit boards.

The ACMA Hall of Fame Award recognizes a member who has attained distinction among peers through their efforts, involvement and accomplishments in the composites industry and its associations.

Nominees must have demonstrated outstanding contributions in one or more of the following areas:

• Contribution to legislative and/or regulatory affairs of significant long-term consequence to the industry.
• Invention of a process or product which has commercial value to the composites or cast polymer industry.
• A successful business career in which notable contributions have been made to the composites industry.
• Participation in the industry’s trade associations, including SPI, SIRC, ACMA, etc.
• Academic contributions that have resulted in a noteworthy impact on the composites industry.

Additional Considerations

• Previous recipients of the SPI Clare E. Bacon Award or the Pioneer Award are eligible for this honor.
• Sitting members of the ACMA Board are not eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame.
• ACMA staff are eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame.

Professor Brahim Benmokrane is an internationally renowned expert and world leader in the field of structural concrete internally reinforced with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite reinforcement. His pioneering research has produced ways to use fiber composites to replace steel in concrete structures, thereby eliminating the deterioration of urban infrastructure. He has made outstanding contributions to research, teaching, innovation, and leadership targeting the development of FRP reinforcement for concrete structures and their durability, structural performance, field applications, development of design codes and standards and the unflagging pursuit of knowledge transfer to industry. Professor Benmokrane has developed innovative FRP reinforcement used worldwide. He is in demand worldwide as a lecturer for seminars and courses.   His pioneering research has significantly influenced the development of concrete structures reinforced with FRP rebars, building codes, and design specifications as well as FRP’s practical use in North America and beyond.  His research and sustained leadership in technical societies and technology transfer have contributed to widespread use of FRP rebars around the world. His expertise is sought after for professional seminars, international conferences, and academic courses worldwide.

Professor Benmokrane holds the prestigious Tier-1 Canada Research Chair in Advanced Composite Materials for Civil Structures and the Senior Industrial Research Chair in Innovative FRP Reinforcement for Sustainable Concrete Infrastructure at the Department of Civil & Building Engineering at the University of Sherbrooke (Sherbrooke, QC, Canada). He has developed innovative and effective approaches for improving the performance of reinforced-concrete structures using noncorroding FRP composite reinforcement. He has pioneered the development of related specifications and industry standards for using these new FRP structural materials. Professor Benmokrane has used his research results to develop and champion several new test methods, design equations, and building codes related to FRP reinforcement for concrete bridges and structures in Canada, the United States (USA), and abroad. His recognition as a leader in his field is not limited to his colleagues in academia but extends to industry, professional societies, and public agencies. His contributions go beyond his cutting-edge research to include leadership and involvement in developing international design codes and specifications for engineers and users. His research and professional services have been recognized with several awards.

A Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) (Academy of Science), Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE), American Concrete Institute (ACI), Canadian Academy of Engineers (CAE), International Institute for FRP in Construction (IIFC), Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC), Bridge Engineering Institute (BEI), International Association of Advanced Materials (IAAM), and  Canadian Association for Composites Structures and Materials (CACSMA), he has received many awards, including the NSERC Synergy Award for Innovation; the Technology Partnership and Innovation Award from ADRIQ; the Order of Professional Engineers of Quebec Award for Outstanding Achievements in Research in recognition of research results’ wide use in practice; the CSA Medal of Merit in recognition of outstanding leadership, exceptional expertise, and tireless effort in advancing standards related to construction materials and structures; Conmat’15 Lifetime Achievements Award in recognition of exemplary research in the field of structural materials; CSCS’s P.L. Pratley Award; the Grand Prix d’Excellence of the Order of Professional Engineers of Quebec—the Order’s highest award—in recognition of excellence in an engineer’s professional practice and for being a model for the entire profession; the Julian C. Smith Medal of the Engineering Institute of Canada for Achievement in the Development of Canada; the IIFC Medal of the International Institute in FRP for Construction for making distinguished contributions to the field of FRP composites for construction through research or practical applications, or both, and the ACI Arthur J. Boase Award of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Foundation in recognition of outstanding research in the structural concrete field.

Professor Benmokrane has published over 750 scientific papers, books, and book chapters and delivered over 250 lectures worldwide. He is one of the world’s most cited scientists in the field (Citations: Google Scholar: 27,800+ citations, h-index = 94, i10 index = 342). The outstanding merit and research significance of Brahim Benmokrane’s publications are widely recognized by many people in universities, industries and government agencies as well as being extensively referred to in national and international codes and design guides.

Professor Benmokrane has organized and chaired nine international conferences/workshops on Durability of Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Composites for Construction and has freely given of his time and expertise in delivering many intensive courses, seminars/webinars, and workshops to hundreds of engineers, researchers, and professionals all across North America (Canada and the USA) and around the world under the auspices of professional organizations such as ACI, ACMA, CSA, CSCE, AFGC, AS, and IIFC. Professor Benmokrane founded the world’s largest research laboratory on FRP reinforcing bars for concrete structures at the University of Sherbrooke, which helps the industry to develop and assess the performance of new FRP products and receive approval requiring certification/qualification under national/international codes and standards.

Over the last 25 years, Professor Benmokrane has successfully worked with North American (Canada and the USA) and international engineering firms and government departments. He has many world firsts to his credit in terms of use of FRP reinforcement in concrete structures, such as bridges, parking facilities, water-treatment plants, and tunnels. He has served as a consultant on major national and international projects using FRP bars, such as the Nipigon Bridge on the Trans-Canada Highway (northwestern Ontario, Canada), Highway 40 & Champlain Bridge (Montreal), TTC Subway North Tunnels (Highway 407) (Toronto), Port of Tanger Med II (Morocco), and Port of Miami Tunnel (US).

Professor Benmokrane graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Lausanne, Switzerland (B.Sc.) and the University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada in Civil Engineering (M.Sc. and PhD). He was appointed to the faculty of the University of Sherbrooke in January 1992, became full professor in 1995, and was awarded an NSERC Research Chair on Innovative Fibre-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Reinforcement for Concrete Infrastructure in 2000. From 1995 to 2009, he served as a project leader in the Canadian Network of Centres of Excellence on Intelligent Sensing for Innovative Structures. In recognition of his international distinction and influence in the field of concrete structures reinforced with FRP bars, he was awarded a Tier-1 Canada Research Chair in Advanced Structural Composite Materials for Civil Structures in 2009.

Professor Benmokrane currently leads a research group of 32 including 23 graduate students, 5 postdoctoral fellows, and 4 professional researchers & technicians and has trained 199 researchers. More than 45 of his former graduate students and postdoctoral researchers now hold faculty positions in Canada, USA, and abroad.

Dr. Uday Vaidya is the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (UT-ORNL) Governor’s Chair in Advanced Composites Manufacturing. Vaidya serves as the Chief Technology Officer for IACMI-The Composites Institute.  Vaidya has over three decades of experience in engineered plastics and composites. Vaidya works in applications development for automotive, defense/military, aerospace, infrastructure and sporting.  He leads the composites R&D in the East Tennessee ecosystem.  Vaidya serves as the Editor–in–Chief for the leading Elsevier’s Composites Part B: Engineering journal.  Vaidya is the author of numerous books- ‘Composites for Automotive, Mass Transit and Truck’; Advanced Composites – Innovation and Experiential Learning, ‘Composites for Elementary Schools’, and ‘Composites for Middle Schools, ‘METAL for all ages’, ‘Biomicry’ and ‘A Greener Earth’ & K-12 learning through InnocrateTM for classrroms.    Vaidya is a Fellow of the Society for Plastics Engineers (SPE) and Society for Advanced Materials and Process Engineering (SAMPE).  Vaidya has over 300 publications in peer-reviewed journals in the broad area of composites, advanced materials & manufacturing.

The Academic Pioneer Award has been created to recognize original, visionary, and innovative ideas that have been scientifically investigated, tested, and demonstrated to advance composites technology.

Nominees must be academic professionals who have demonstrated outstanding contributions in one or more of the following areas:

As an academic:

• Performed fundamental research leading to prototyping of new composite products.
• Active in the development of standards, specifications, design guidelines, and codes supporting state-of-the-art practices in new applications.

As a professor:

• Educated undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and postdoctoral students in composites technology through course development, instruction, and testing programs.
• Authored technical papers, journal articles, educational presentations, book chapters, or books to advance composites technology.
• Actively engages the composites industry to promote market development through technical, trade, and professional associations, including but not limited to ACMA.

Vinod Arora is the Director of Materials and Technology at Core Molding Technologies, a leading custom molder and processor of engineered composites headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. With over 40 years of work in the composites industry, including 20 years at Core Molding Technologies, Vinod has consistently demonstrated innovation, technical expertise, and dedication to advancing composite materials and manufacturing processes. 

As a recognized global leader in Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) technology, Vinod has pioneered the development of lightweight, durable composites critical to the power sports, automotive, and industrial sectors. His groundbreaking work includes the creation of ultra-low-density composites, substantially reducing weight while maintaining strength and durability—an innovation that has revolutionized the performance standards of products in these industries. Core Molding Technologies has notably produced over 10 million pounds of its Featherlite® low-density SMC, reflecting Vinod’s significant contributions. 

Vinod’s professional contributions extend beyond materials development. His expertise spans materials, design, processing, and various manufacturing techniques, including compression, transfer, and injection molding. He has been pivotal in refining composite manufacturing processes, introducing advanced automation and resin infusion techniques that significantly enhance efficiency, reduce material waste, and increase production throughput. His dedication to process innovation is exemplified by several patents and trade secrets in composites and paper industry, including methods for improving consistency and a unique flame-retardant composite tailored for the rapidly growing electric vehicle industry. 

Throughout his career, Vinod has been deeply committed to mentorship and workforce development, training numerous engineers, technicians, and production teams. Known for his collaborative spirit, he has fostered industry-wide cooperation, inspiring colleagues with his passion and expertise. 

In addition to his role at Core Molding Technologies, Vinod actively serves on the Board of Directors for the SPE Thermoset Division, contributing to strategic advancements in thermoset composite materials. His commitment to sustainability and innovation has significantly impacted industry standards and practices globally. 

Vinod holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, as well as a Professional Engineering certification. He consistently leverages his technical knowledge to resolve complex manufacturing challenges and tries to advance the composites industry. 

Vinod resides in Boiling Springs, SC, with his wife, Poonam, and enjoys playing tennis, hiking, spending time with his 4 grandchildren, and teaching yoga and pranayama. He looks forward to continuing to be an integral part of his community through dedicated service as he transitions toward retirement. 

Mac Puckett, PhD retired from the Advanced Composites Division (Glasforms, Inc.) of Avient Corporation in March 2024, and almost instantly re-engaged as a consultant to continue developing some novel high thermal performance polymers.  One recent application is making lightweight, composite-modified firearm barrels that shed heat (Composite Heat Release) and have demonstrated reduced dispersion of shots once the barrels get hot.   

This project typifies the work Mac has done over his 40 years in the composite industry – finding market needs and developing solutions by solving practical engineering challenges through materials innovation.  He began his career at Dow Chemical in 1984 doing Research – synthesizing, formulating, and scaling-up new thermoset resins for use in liquid molding applications.  He then moved into a Technical Service and Development role, where he identified new structural composite opportunities working with pultrusion, filament winding, and (VA)RTM fabricators around the United States.   

While in his TS&D role, Mac served as Principal Investigator for USAF contract AFWAL TR-88-4261, 1986-89 for development of new materials and methods useful in repairing structural composites. He then became Technical Manager (and chemist) for development of aerospace capable RTM resins for NASA contract NAS1-18841, 1989-92.  Later he was Technical Manager on NIST ATP 94-02, 1995-97 supporting large scale composite fabrication via low-cost processes.  These roles fostered collaborative research with many universities including Virginia Tech, University of Delaware, The Ohio State University, and University of California San Diego.  This experience provided the entrée to work on the GE-90 RTM fan blade effort, RTM production of thrust reversers for D-UTCP, very large composites for the infrastructure produced by SCRIMP at Hardcore Dupont Composites, and some very interesting pultrusion projects with Hexcel (Kent, WA) and Goldsworthy Engineering.  

Mac joined Lyondell(Basell) as technical Market Development Manager and spent 4 years travelling the world talking with producers of unsaturated polyester resins.  He left the world of large corporations in 2004 to simultaneously become the General Manager of Clean Baking Products (Zwijndrecht, Belgium) and VP of Technology at Sunrez Corporation.  Sunrez modifies thermoset resins that are light cured to form glass-reinforced composites – typically used in repair.  Sunrez worked extensively as a contractor for US Army ERDC (Vicksburg, MS) developing and testing composite systems for ballistic and blast resistant structures.  

In February 2012, Peter Pfaff asked Mac to be the Technical Director and “chief chemist” of Glasforms, which was purchased by Avient (formerly PolyOne) in December 2012. He became a Fellow of Avient in 2018. Mac spent a great deal of his time developing specialty pultrusion formulations to 1) generate robust, reliable processes to continuously improve operations, 2) provide unique composite products with improved mechanical properties, and 3) create novel pultruded surfaces with enhanced adhesion for secondary bonding.  

Don has spent over five decades contributing to the development and application of glass reinforced composites, with a focus on practical innovation and knowledge transfer across the industry. After studying chemistry at Purdue University, he began this work with Owens Corning Fiberglas at their technical center in Granville, Ohio back in the early 1970s, working with the team that developed the Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) process in the U.S. 

His early efforts helped enable the molding of components such as Grill Opening Panels and the front end of a GMC tilt-truck using the first 4000-ton press. He also contributed to “catalyst” improvements that significantly reduced molding cycle times. As project needs shifted, Don turned his attention to developing specialized coatings—called sizings—for glass fiber reinforcements. Several of these formulations are still widely used in automotive panels, bath enclosures, truck parts, and door skins. 

Over his 45-year career at Owens Corning, Don advanced to OC’s Senior Technical Staff. He helped establish mimic labs at several production sites to better serve customer needs and supported innovations in preforming, translucent panels, centrifugal casting, and filament winding. Alongside his technical work, he pursued further studies in Applied Statistics (Factorial and Mixture Experimental Design & Analysis) at The Ohio State University, expanding his problem-solving toolkit. 

Don is credited with at least 18 patents or trade secrets involving SMC formulations, fiberglass processing, and manufacturing methods. He also mentored young engineers and became a trusted resource for complex customer challenges in the field. 

After retiring to Playa Vista, California to be closer to family, Don founded Sage Composite Consultancy, LLC, continuing to support the composites industry. His career reflects a steady, hands-on approach to innovation, deeply rooted in both technical insight and real-world application. 

After an illustrious 52-year career with CSP, Mayur Shah, Executive Director of Materials, Processing, and SMC Sales, retired on March 31, 2025. Holding MS degrees in Chemical/Polymer Engineering and an MBA, Mayur leaves an indelible mark on both the composites industry and the company. 

Mayur’s journey began at Duralastic, which operated two plants—now CSP’s Carey and North Baltimore, Ohio, facilities. At the time, Carey had five presses, and North Baltimore had two; both have since grown significantly. Over the years, the company evolved from Duralastic to Budd, ThyssenKrupp, CSP, Teijin, and back again to CSP. Mayur’s career spanned this transformation, starting with selling SMC to CSP as a ThyssenKrupp Budd employee, before CSP acquired the company. 

His contributions were vast, blending technical expertise and sales acumen. Some of career highlights include driving SMC sales to current level, securing all material approvals from customers, introducing vinyl ester in 1985-key for pickup box, implementing TCA for the Ford Thunderbird, implementing and advancing vacuum molding technology, establishing best molding practices, developing black box for press monitoring, launching Class A body panels and pickup truck boxes from Non UV and UV SMC. A staunch advocate for teamwork, Mayur prioritized supporting internal molding facilities and serving customers. His efforts in developing and sharing best molding practices benefited both CSP’s plants and external SMC customers.  

Mayur has always been a strong believer in the power of teams. He valued working closely with people at every level of the organization, sharing knowledge, solving problems, and supporting them along the way. 

To honor his legacy, on March 31, 2025, CSP hosted a retirement celebration at its headquarters, attended by suppliers, customers, and former colleagues. During the event, CEO Chris Twining announced the “Mayur Shah Molding Excellence Award” to honor Mayur’s legacy. Starting this year, this annual award will recognize the facility team achieving the lowest scrap and highest quality metrics at the company’s operations and safety meeting. 

Mayur’s 50+ years in the composites industry reflect his dedication to material and process development, tool optimization, collaboration at all levels and TEAMWORK. His legacy will continue to shape CSP, Composite Industry and inspire the next generation of composites professionals.

The Pioneer Award honors individuals who have played a pivotal role in advancing the composites industry through hands-on innovation, technical expertise, and dedication to excellence. This award recognizes the unsung heroes—the engineers, technicians, craftsmen, and problem-solvers—who have made lasting contributions through their work, often behind the scenes.

Nominees must have demonstrated outstanding contributions in one or more of the following areas:

• Process & Manufacturing Innovations – Developed or refined manufacturing processes that improved efficiency, quality, or scalability of composite materials.
• Material Advancements – Played a key role in formulating, testing, or deploying new composite materials that enhanced performance and expanded industry applications.
• Hands-On Engineering & Problem-Solving – Solved critical technical challenges in production, fabrication, or product development that enabled industry progress.
• Mentorship & Workforce Development – Trained, mentored, or influenced the next generation of composite professionals through education, training, or knowledge-sharing.
• Sustainability & Impact – Contributed to recycling initiatives, waste reduction, or sustainable material solutions within composites manufacturing.

This award is designed for doers, not just decision-makers—the engineers, shop-floor innovators, technicians, and behind-the-scenes contributors whose efforts have shaped the industry. Candidates do not need to hold executive or leadership positions but must have had a measurable impact on composites technology, manufacturing, or industry growth.

Additional Considerations

• Candidates must not have been previously recognized as Lifetime Achievement or Hall of Fame award winners.
• Pioneer Award recipients will remain eligible for these honors in the future.
• Open to individuals across all industry sectors, including R&D, manufacturing, production, and field operations.
• Awards can be made posthumously.
• Must have worked for a company that is currently or formerly a member of ACMA.

Dustin Davis is currently the Vice President of Business and Technology Development at Norplex-Micarta. While earning his engineering degree at Purdue, Dustin got his start in composites as an engineering intern at Bo-Witt, a BMC and SMC custom molder. Joining Norplex-Micarta in 2008, he led Norplex-Micarta’s greenfield expansion in China, repatriating in 2015. The composites industry’s collaborative approach to application development and growth has been both professionally and personally rewarding to Dustin, and he counts many industry colleagues as friends. He is honored to receive this award and hopes to encourage others to contribute their unique experience and perspective through the many volunteer opportunities that exist throughout ACMA and the industry.