WASHINGTON – The American Coatings Association (ACA) recently announced new leadership appointments to its board of directors. The appointments became effective April 5. Dan Calkins, Chairman and CEO of Benjamin Moore & Co., will serve as ACA Chairman; and Jeffrey J. Powell, President and CEO of Diamond Vogel Inc., will serve as ACA Vice Chairman and Treasurer.

In their roles, Calkins and Powell will provide strategic direction on association finances, and organizational and policy initiatives. Both Calkins and Powell will serve two-year terms, ending in April 2024.

Calkins was named Chairman and CEO of Benjamin Moore in January 2019, after serving as President and COO. He has been with the company for 34 years and has held a series of progressively influential and responsible positions within sales leadership, forging alliances with independent retailers that resulted in exponential growth for both them and the company. During his time as COO, Calkins oversaw the manufacturing operations, sales, marketing, legal and IT functions. He also served as President of Global Sales, where he influenced growth and an ambitious strategy for expanding distribution through the independent channel.

Calkins served on the board of Alpha Workshops, the nation’s only nonprofit organization providing decorative arts education and employment to at-risk youths and adults with disabilities or other vulnerabilities. He holds a BA in international relations and economics from Northern Illinois University.

Powell joined Diamond Vogel in October 2016 as an Executive Vice President and transitioned to his current role in 2019. He began his career in 1991 as a coatings sales representative for PPG Industries Inc., advancing through multiple sales and management positions before leaving in 2004 to join Jones-Blair Co. in Dallas, Texas. Powell managed Jones-Blair’s Industrial Coating business, became Vice President of Sales, and was named President and CEO in 2008. In 2014, Hempel North America acquired the Jones-Blair Co., and Powell became President of Hempel North America.

A native of Wisconsin, Powell earned a BA in marketing and management from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Learn more about the ACA at www.paint.org.