JoAnn R. Hines has been honored as one of the packaging industry’s 50 Most Influential Leaders of the 20th Century.

JoAnn R. Hines, CEO of GlobalPak, Acworth, Ga., a packaging-related consulting firm, and founding executive director of Women in Packaging, Inc., has been honored as one of the packaging industry’s 50 Most Influential Leaders of the 20th Century. Hines earned the designation from Boxboard Containers International (BCI), a trade publication covering news in the boxboard, carton and paperboard-container industries.

BCI compiled the list to recognize the important individuals who made packaging the third-largest industry in the United States. Hines is the only woman on the list. “This award means so much because it comes from my peers, who have known me for decades,” said Hines. “This recognition puts me on the same level with the industry’s pacesetters.”

Hines joined the packaging industry more than 20 years ago and became frustrated with women’s lack of visibility in the male-dominated field. In 1993, she founded Women in Packaging, Inc. (WP), an association designed to promote the growth and success of women in the industry. Today, WP has more than 800 members and supports a constituency of more than 50,000 professionals.

“Ms. Hines’ foresight continues to bring the packaging industry some of its best leaders,” wrote Michelle Nordlinger, who nominated Hines for the award. “Her talents and experience make her a visionary, a true business leader, a mentor and an innovator.”

Hines has given presentations to professionals throughout the United States, China, Italy, Germany and Chile. She is a member of the board of directors for the International Packaging Consultants, the Western Packaging Association, and is a trusted consultant to many other professional organizations.

The $200-billion U.S. packaging industry runs the gamut from toothpaste tubes and potato-chip bags, to corrugated shipping containers and Styrofoam used in protecting parcels. The industry employs approximately 500,000 people, 10% to 15% of whom are women.