Kevin Egan is a Research Fellow at Behr Paint Company in Santa Ana, California.  Born and raised in “South Detroit”, Kevin graduated from Wayne State University in 1986.  Later that same year, he began his career in the automotive coatings industry with BASF-Inmont in 1986.  During that time, Kevin learned the joys of working as a supplier to major automobile manufacturers and led new color development and product launch teams for Ford, Chrysler, Honda and Subaru.

After 20+ years in various technical positions at BASF, Kevin saw the light and moved to the promised land of Southern California to work for Behr Paint Company in 2009.  Kevin has continued work in color science at Behr, through his involvement in the Low VOC colorant introduction at The Home Depot and color formulation work for major architectural paint retailers.

During his career at Behr, Kevin is a Past President of the L.A.S.C.T. and served on the Board of Directors of the L.A.S.C.T. for six years.

Steve Johnson was born and raised in the Boston area where he earned his BS in Chemistry at UMass Boston.

Steve has over 35 years of formulation, development, and process experience, in a variety of CASE applications.  He began his career as an R&D Chemist for BASF at their Bedford, Massachusetts plant where they manufactured a variety of magnetic media: A/V tapes, computer tapes, and floppy disks.  After several years at BASF, he relocated to Arizona where he worked in varied chemistries, (acrylic, polyester, epoxy, and polyurethane), for varied applications, (contact lenses, and laminates, including rigid and flex circuit boards).

Steve joined Pro-Tech Products in 2007 formulating and manufacturing roof coatings.  At the same time, Steve joined the Arizona Society for Coatings Technology, (ASCT).  Between 2010 and 2016, Steve was involved with the development of Pt/Pd slurries for the catalytic converter industry as well as formulating a variety of polyurethane foam products.

In 2016, Steve joined Volterra Architectural Products managing the production of synthetic stucco and plaster.  He also developed polyurethane foam as well as the coatings which, when applied to the molded foam parts, create the “faux wood” look.  Later that year, Steve was elected to the ASCT Board as Secretary.  In 2022, Steve was elected to fill the WCS Board position recently vacated by Ted Garrett.  Also in 2022, Steve was elected VP of ASCT.  Steve was elected President of ASCT in 2023 and VP of WCS in 2024.

John has been active in the CASE market since 1972 when his career began in Toronto, Ontario, Canada marketing organic & inorganic pigments for Dominion Colour in Canada and the USA markets.

Marketed organic pigments/flushes/dispersions for Sun Chemical-Pigments Division in the Canadian Market.

Relocated to Southern California in 1996.

Transwestern Chemical 1996-2008 soliciting pigments, resins and specialty chemicals for CA/AZ markets.

Chemical Distributors Inc. 2008-2011 soliciting Chromaflo Dispersions as well as organic pigments.

Lintech International 2012-2017 as West Coast Sales Manager and Territory Rep for CA/AZ. Specialist in organic pigments to CASE, inks & plastic markets.

Enterprise Specialty Products 2017 to present marketing foam control products on the West Coast.

Residing in Corona, CA. John is an avid golfer and still enjoys playing competitive slow pitch softball. Being Canadian, played many years of ice hockey and officiated this sport at a high level for over 30 years.

John is married to his lovely wife Yara for 46 years and has 2 daughters and 5 grandchildren and enjoying the endless summer weather that the West Coast offers.

Babette Turk is the Chief Financial Officer and founder of Turk International, LLC, a chemical distribution company serving the coatings industry in Western United States and Canada. Prior to founding Turk International LLC, Babette worked for chemical distribution companies PT Hutchins and JF Shelton as well as multi- national corporations Time-Warner, British Telecom, Telecom Italia and AT&T. This is Babette’s seventh term volunteering for the Western Coatings Symposium and her fourteenth year as volunteer Yearbook Chairperson for the Los Angeles Society for Paint and Coatings Technology.

Babette has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Finance from California State University, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and a Coating’s Formulation and Testing Certificate from California State Polytechnic University. Babette is married and has three children.

Alex Hughes is the Technical Account Manager at Terra Firma based out of Los Angeles, CA. He was born and raised in San Bernardino, CA and graduated from UCLA with a BS in Biochemistry. Alex started his career with Dunn-Edwards Paints as a Chemist in Product Development where he helped formulate and bring to market the company’s first urethane alkyd emulsion and industrial maintenance lines.

In 2016, he joined the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles Society for Coatings Technology, later became the 100^th President, and received the society’s Outstanding Service Award.

Alex left the lab in 2020 and took on a role as an Account Manager for J.F. Shelton, now Ravago, where he learned the ins and outs of raw material distribution for CASE, inks, and construction & building products.  In 2022, he finished his role on the LASCT board, joined the WCS Board of Directors to help continue the legacy, and joined Dowd & Guild, now Terra Firma.  In his spare time, he enjoys training and competing in tennis and triathlons.

Ema has over a decade of experience in product development, product management, sales, and process improvement within the CASE market. With a background in Biochemistry and an MBA, she effectively combines technical expertise with business strategy to drive innovation and optimize efficiency in the chemical industry. Ema began her career at Akzo Nobel as a chemist in 2013, honing her technical knowledge. After gaining significant experience in technical roles at various companies, she transitioned into commercial roles in 2019, where she has since leveraged her scientific background to lead product sales, product management, and enhance business performance.

Outside of work, Ema enjoys skiing, traveling, and spending quality time with family. A strong advocate for lifelong learning, Ema balances professional success with a fulfilling personal life and is committed to staying at the forefront of both scientific advancements and business trends.

Jeff Wear

Emmanuel “Manny” Durant is the COO for Innovation In Polymers, based in Sacramento, CA. He has 10 years experience in the Paint & Coatings Industry. Emmanuel has a Bachelors in Business Administration from Cal State Univ of Northridge and a MBA from Northwestern University of Ohio. His experience includes working in Chemical Distribution for Brenntag Specialties and Terra Firma in the CASE & HII sector. Also worked for Tolsa as the Industrial Sales Manager promoting specialty clays covering North and Central America.

Emmanuel is currently on the Board for the Golden Gate Society of Coatings & Technologies based in the Bay Area. He also volunteers for Prospanica helping people attain their Bachelors and MBA in Business related fields.

Emmanuel resides in Galt, CA with his wife Heidi. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife visiting wineries and outdoor activities such as hiking and rafting.