Events

Allison Kustic is the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) State Government Relations Manager. She works with legislators and stakeholders on plastics recycling policy and education. In this role, she works on plastics recycling policy, including packaging EPR, bottle deposit programs, and postconsumer recycled content minimums. Prior to APR, Allison worked with the California State Assembly. She holds a Master of Public Policy and Administration from California State University, Sacramento and a B.A. in Political Science from Dominican University of California. Allison resides in Seattle, WA.

Bruce A. Magnani, Vice President and Legislative Advocate with Houston Magnani and Associates (HMA), a government relations and advocacy firm headquartered in Sacramento, CA, has over twenty-five years of government relations experience. He joined HMA in November of 2005, after serving as Legislative Advocate for the California Chamber of Commerce. Specifically, Mr. Magnani has expertise in both business, and environmental issues; including AB 32/SB 32 compliance, Cap & Trade, energy, air quality, recycling, compostability, construction, Prop 65, and transportation. Mr. Magnani has a unique insight into how state government operates which is attributable to the six years he worked as a Government Relations Specialist for the Department of General Services under the Governors Wilson, Davis, and Schwarzenegger administrations.

Michael Rincon has over 16 years of experience in flexible packaging, with a strong emphasis on technical application solutions that optimize product performance and process efficiency. At Emerald Packaging, he plays a key role in supporting sustainability and compliance initiatives, ensuring that innovation aligns with environmental and regulatory standards. Michael provides functional support across production and business operations, bridging technical expertise with practical implementation to drive continuous improvement. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Technology and a Master of Science in General Engineering, with a focus on Operational Analysis.

Paul Single – City National Rochdale
Managing Director, Senior Economist, Senior Portfolio Manager
Mr. Single joined City National Rochdale in 2003 and has more than 38 years of experience managing investment portfolios. He is responsible for the research, analysis, and implementation of various core-taxable fixed income strategies. He is a member of the firm’s Investment Strategy Committee, the group that determines the most appropriate balance of investments for clients’ portfolios. Additionally, he is a member of City National Bank’s Asset/Liability Committee (ALCO), which is the risk-management group that evaluates, monitors, and approves practices relating to the banks’ balance sheet and capital structure. Mr. Single is a frequent lecturer on the economy and investments, and is a contributing author for the monthly and quarterly economic reports.

Richard W. Smith is a distinguished commercial litigator and first-chair trial lawyer who, in his more than 25 years of practice, has represented some of the most recognizable companies and individuals in the world in high-stakes, and often high-profile litigations, spanning a broad range of industries and substantive legal areas. As a former award-winning journalist and public relations professional, Richard is valued for his ability to manage multidimensional crises, master complex factual scenarios, and focus on core business needs, while navigating legal challenges to successful outcomes. His complex litigation practice spans high-value environmental, antitrust, construction, sports, political, healthcare, intellectual property, product liability, First Amendment, and business torts.
Richard is a multiyear “Litigation Star” by Benchmark Litigation (2023–2025) and a “BTI Client Service All-Star” (2014). Among other high-profile litigation matters, Richard defended multiple manufacturers of reusable plastic grocery bags certified under California law as recyclable against claims by environmentalists and in an investigation by the California Attorney General. He defended a secondary lead smelter in mass tort litigation that followed publication of a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative series, the nation’s first offshore wind farm following the disintegration of one of its turbine blades off the coast of Nantucket, and the California Democratic Party (and others) in the constitutional challenge to the McCain-Feingold bill.

Theo Boven has 38 years’ experience in the manufacturing and design of flexible packaging, with expertise in plastic packaging structures, film extrusion, flexographic printing, lamination, and converting. A graduate of the University of Toronto and a Professional Engineer, he is currently serving as a member of the APR Films Technical Committee, and PAC Global NEXT leadership council . His current position is Director for Product Development for Hood Packaging Corporation.