Christina Rapa has been elected President-Elect of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC), effective January 1, 2025. She will serve in this role until December 31, 2026. Rapa, an AATCC advocate for over 23 years, began her journey as a Textile Engineering student at Jefferson University and NC State. She has actively contributed to the organization, including the formation of the Northwest chapter and currently serving as the Delaware Valley Section Chair.
Rapa, who has chaired the Material Interest Group for the past three and a half years, has hosted webinars featuring topics such as ‘Space Textiles’ and ‘Biobased Leather.’ In her professional role at WL Gore and Associates, she focuses on digital transformation in fabrics, including 3D material creation and PLM software implementation.
Christina Rapa expressed that the AATCC Textile Discovery Summit is her favorite event of the year. She appreciates how AATCC facilitates connections with professionals across the textile, footwear, and apparel industries. Rapa is eager to build on this momentum in her upcoming role as President.
Upon Rapa's ascension, current President John Crocker will transition to Immediate Past President and Chair of the Appropriations Committee. During his tenure, Crocker fostered global engagement by encouraging participation in international tradeshows and represented AATCC at the 2024 Intexcon Conference in India. The AATCC thanks Crocker for his leadership and looks forward to Rapa's upcoming presidency. A special election for the next President-Elect is scheduled for early 2025.
