Our people

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Kevin Kelly

› CEO

Kevin Kelly became chief executive officer of Emerald Packaging in 2001, succeeding his father James P. Kelly, who helped found the company. Kevin joined Emerald Packaging in 1996 after a career in journalism working for BusinessWeek magazine. He has twice served as the president of the California Film Extruders and Converters Association and is currently on its' board, as well as the board of the nationwide Film and Bag Association. Kevin has a graduate degree from the London School of Economics.

Pallavi Joyappa

› Director of Operations

Pallavi Joyappa joined the company in 2005 and has since been instrumental in the driving and execution of Emerald Packaging’s Lean and Six Sigma initiatives. Prior to joining Emerald Packaging, Pallavi was a process control engineer for a Minnesota-based printing company. Pallavi received her bachelors degree in engineering in India and holds a masters in engineering management from the University of Wisconsin. An active ASQ member, Pallavi is a trained Six Sigma Black Belt (ASQ CSBB).

Preston Neetzel

› Plant Manager

Preston Neetzel joined Emerald Packaging in 1984 as a production member and worked his way up through the ranks to his current position as Emerald Packaging’s plant manager overseeing all manufacturing operations. During his tenure with the company, Preston has held every production position in the facility. These diverse roles have allowed him to build an extensive expertise in printing, specialty converting and quality control systems.

Todd Somers

› Sales and Marketing Director

Todd Somers joined Emerald Packaging in 2006 to help coordinate Emerald’s dramatic sales growth. Todd has worked in the plastics industry since 1994, most recently with Illinois Tool Works where he oversaw sales and marketing of value-added products. Todd holds a B.A. in political science with a minor in business administration from the University of Southern California. He speaks fluent Spanish.

Payal Kaul

› Quality Control and Product Development Manager

Payal Kaul joined the Emerald Packaging team in July 2010 to spearhead the company's quality control efforts and development of new film technologies. She runs a four person quality control team and oversees a lab with wide-ranging testing capabilities. Prior to coming to Emerald Packaging, Payal was a senior product development engineer for Alcan. She also worked in product development for Avery Dennison. Payal has a Master's Degree in Polymer Science from the University of Cincinnati.

Maura Kelly Koberlein

› Vice President

Maura Kelly Koberlein joined the family business in 1987 and has since held positions within the company including customer service representative to traffic manager. In her current role, Maura focuses on company operations. Maura received a B.A. in business administration with a minor in biology from Holy Names University in 1984. She volunteers for the Best Friends Animal Society.

Jim Kelly

› Vice President, National Accounts

James Kelly handles sales at some of our largest customers, specializing in packaging for bakeries, field pack vegetables, and carrots. He joined Emerald Packaging in 1983 following a stint with Proctor & Gamble and he helped spearhead our company’s move into the baby carrot packaging segment, where we are one of the nation’s largest suppliers. Jim is a graduate of Stanford University where he earned degrees in economics and history.

Francisco Gamez

› Technical Director

Francisco Gamez joined Emerald Packaging in 2005. He has been instrumental in the company’s efforts to expand its film offerings and its move into lamination. He has a broad background in product development including materials for fresh produce, dry goods, snack foods and other products. He has a B.S. in chemistry from California State University, Hayward.

Jan McGrath

› Accounting Manager

Jan McGrath coordinates our financial and accounting functions, including accounts receivables and accounts payables. She has held this position with Emerald Packaging for over 30 years. When she isn’t laboring over our books, Jan pursues her passion for golf.