Keeping America Informed 3.0

A dialogue with Robert C. Tapella, the 25th Public Printer of the United States on how electronic media, digital printing and sustainability imperatives will change the way the world communicates followed by a networking reception.

A Dialogue with Robert C. Tapella, the 25th Public Printer of the United States.

RSVP is required: June 28th 6:00 - 9:00 PM - A dialogue with Robert C. Tapella, the 25th Public Printer of the United States on how electronic media, digital printing and sustainability imperatives will change the way the world communicates followed by a networking reception, hosted by the M.A. Program in Graphic Communications Management and Technology at NYU-SCPS.

New York, NY- The Institute for Sustainable Communication(ISC), the Graduate Program in Graphic Communication Management and Technology at the New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies (NYU-SCPS), and the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL) invite you to join Robert C. Tapella, the 25th Public Printer of the United States, and Don Carli, ISC Senior Research Fellow, for an informed dialogue about the dramatic changes sweeping global media supply chains and how they are likely to change our ability to access information and inform our decisions.

This free event is open to the public, but seating is limited and RSVP REQUIRED. For those who are unable to participate in person, a live web feed of the dialogue will also be streamed providing ability to post comments and questions via twitter.

Topics to be discussed will include:

  • How digital technology and social media are changing the way legislators and the public can generate and gain access to information.
  • How technology change and sustainability imperatives are transforming the knowledge and skills required of the GPO and its supply chain.
  • How new offset printing, digital printing & sustainability management software will change the way information is created, stored and shared.

This event is open to the public thanks to generous support of the John S. Hilson Family Fund, the M.A. Program in Graphic Communications Management and Technology at NYU-SCPS, Canon Business Solutions, Fairway Market, Everett Studios, Newton Falls Fine Paper, and Presstek.


Robert C. Tapella serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the GPO, with the same fiduciary responsibility as in the private industry, responsible for overseeing GPO's day-to-day printing, procurement and information dissemination operations including the competitive purchasing of over 31 million pounds of paper and over $650 million dollars of communication products and services from more than 2.500 private sector companies in all 50 States. With an annual operating budget of over $1 billion, the GPO has one of the world’s largest printing plants and is one of the biggest buyers of paper and printing in the world.

The GPO's mission of "Keeping America Informed" dates to 1861 when Congress determined the need to make information regarding the work of the three branches of Government available to all Americans. The GPO is the Federal Government's primary centralized resource for gathering, cataloging, producing, providing and preserving published information in all its forms.

When the GPO opened for business on the day of President Lincoln's inauguration in 1861, printers set type by hand under candlelight. Printing presses were driven by steam, and deliveries each morning to the U.S. Capitol were by horse-drawn cart. Since then, GPO has adapted to new technologies and new ways of meeting the information product needs of Congress, federal agencies and the American people. Today, GPO is at the epicenter of another wave of technological change, embracing a historic mission while looking to the digital future. The approximately 2,250 men and women of GPO are hard at work transforming the agency into a 21st century digital information processing facility.

Tapella is a 1991 graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo who has worked at the GPO since 2002, first as Government Printing Office Deputy Chief of Staff until 2004, then as chief of staff until 2007 when he became the Public Printer. Earlier, he spent more than a decade as a professional staff member in the U.S. House of Representatives. Tapella has an extensive background in graphic arts, learning the art of calligraphy, illumination and book binding by the age of 12, which led to building his own design business. Tapella recently guest lectured in Executive Leadership course in the M.A. program in Graphic Communications Management and Technology NYU-SCPS.


Mr. Carli is Senior Research Fellow with nonprofit Institute for Sustainable Communication (ISC) where he is director of The Sustainable Advertising Partnership and other programs addressing corporate responsibility, sustainability,  advertising, marketing and enterprise communication. Don is an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Industry Studies Program Affiliate Scholar, Sustainability Editor of Aktuel Grafisk Information Magazine in Sweden and a contributor to PBS “MediaShift.” A graduate of St. Lawrence University, he is a member of the board of advisors of the AIGA Center for Sustainable Design, a member of the Institute for Supply Management, and recipient of the P3 Foundation “Luminaire Award” recognizing outstanding achievement and dedication by graphic communication industry innovators.  Mr. Carli has also guest lectured in the  M.A. program in Graphic Communications Management and Technology NYU-SCPS.


Institute for Sustainable Communication (ISC):

ISC's is a 501c3 nonprofit organization with a mission to raise awareness, build capacity and foster the widespread adoption of economically viable, environmentally restorative and socially constructive uses of print and digital media. Our programs provide a diverse group of underprivileged students with mentoring, internships and scholarships. We use the best available science, a creative spirit, and a non-confrontational approach to craft innovative solutions to complex communication problems at scales that matter and in ways that will endure.  For more information on ISC and its programs, visitwww.sustaincom.org or contact ISC's Executive Director, Oya Demirli at 917-720-7117 or odemirli@sustaincom.org

National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL):

Chartered in 1933, the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL) is a not-for-profit business management association representing companies in the $120 billion graphic communications industry. NAPL’s comprehensive slate of business-building solutions—including services from The National Association of Quick Printers (NAQP) and the Research and Engineering Council of NAPL, both members of the NAPL Network, provides company leaders with management tools that enable them to make informed business decisions in an ever-changing market environment. Additional information can be found at the NAPL web site www.napl.org or call 800-642-6275.

M.A. program in Graphic Communications Management and Technology NYU-SCPS:

The Master of Arts in Graphic Communications Management and Technology NYU-SCPS is an innovative degree that provides students with critical leadership skills specific to the field of graphic communications media.  Students build expertise in management practices, learn to manage resources effectively across media platforms, and gain a thorough understanding of the capabilities of current and emerging technologies that shape creation, production, distribution and delivery of media content.  The program is designed to prepare graduates to assume leadership positions in a complex, dynamic and global industry. For more information on the program, please visitwww.scps.nyu.edu/gcmt or contact Bonnie Blake, academic director and divisional chair at 212-992-3222 or bonnie.blake@nyu.edu

NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies:

Established in 1934, NYU-SCPS (www.scps.nyu.edu) is one of NYU’s several degree-granting schools and colleges, each with a unique academic profile. The reputation of NYU-SCPS arises from its place as the NYU home for study and applied research related to key knowledge-based industries where the New York region leads globally. This is manifest in the School’s diverse graduate, undergraduate, and continuing education programs in fields such as Real Estate and Construction Management; Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management; Global Affairs; Philanthropy and Fundraising; Graphic Communications Media, Publishing, and Digital Arts; Human Capital Management, Marketing, and Public Relations; with complementary strengths in the Liberal and Allied Arts, Translation and Interpreting, Management and Information Technology, and Finance and Taxation. More than 100 distinguished full-time faculty members collaborate with an exceptional cadre of practitioner/adjunct faculty and lecturers to create vibrant professional and academic networks that attract some 4,200 degree-seeking students from every corner of the region and the world. In addition, the School fulfills the recurrent continuing higher education needs of local and professional communities, as evidenced by 55,000 annual enrollments in individual courses, specialized certificate programs, conferences, workshops, seminars, and public events.


Event Details:

  • Monday June 28, 2010
  • 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM | Registration
    6:30 PM - 8:00 PM | Dialog
    8:00 PM - 9:00 PM | Wine and Cheese Networking Reception
  • NYU-SCPS Midtown Center | 11 West 42nd Street, Rm. 1027