March 20, 2026
To hear him tell it, Lawton Roberts’ beginning with TAPPI was shrouded in darkness—really. As the founder/CEO of his own tech consultancy, Roberts already counted TAPPI as a valued client when Larry Montague came on board as president and CEO in 2006. The two bonded over what they saw as a common problem: the halls of TAPPI’s headquarters building were too dark.
Roberts with Larry Montague, TAPPI’s previous president and CEO, at TAPPI’s CorrExpo event in October 2025.
Says Roberts, “TAPPI’s hallways weren’t the brightest, in a literal sense. The association wasn’t spending a ton of money on maintenance and there were lights out in the hallway. I knew more was possible. Larry came on and saw the same vision and, as TAPPI’s new leader, he actually did something about it. That’s one way he started building the team and the culture we have today—and where my TAPPI journey actually began.”
Roberts holds degrees in Management Information Systems and Business Administration from University of Georgia’s Terry School of Business and also attended Indiana Wesleyan University. He has been moving through roles of increasing responsibility with TAPPI since joining the staff full time in 2017, most recently serving as chief operating officer. For the past five years, Roberts and Montague have worked together closely as Roberts grew his knowledge of the paper and packaging industry and, most importantly, its people.
“Lawton shadowed me literally all over the country, all over the world,” says Montague. “We got to meet a lot of good people. We built friendships with other associations. Our members and committees have gotten to know him. I feel very, very comfortable that he’s going to continue (to make TAPPI) better than it’s ever been.”
CHANGE AND GROWTH
Working closely with Montague has kept Roberts involved in the ways TAPPI has grown to keep pace with a rapidly evolving industry. “The industry has changed so much,” notes Roberts. “And since COVID, everyone has needed to reinvent themselves and relearn. One thing that Larry has instilled in me is that there are always smarter people out there—and the importance of partnerships to get ‘out of your own backyard,’ so to speak. He taught me to talk to the members, but also talk to those who aren’t members. Learn from everybody.”
As he grew his career with TAPPI, Roberts noticed a change beginning to take place in both the staff and volunteer member communities under Montague’s leadership. Roberts says, “Some of that curtain has come down. There’s so much respect on both sides. I think one of the greatest compliments to a volunteer is that they’re almost a member of the staff, and for a staff member to be like one of the volunteers. It’s about that level of service.
“The members are our lifeblood. We rely on them,” he continues. “We want them to grow. We want our staff members to grow. This growth mindset is part of our mission. That’s one of the most exciting things for me in my new role: TAPPI’s community. We have tremendous support from our board of directors and from our division leadership. On paper, many of our volunteers are competitors; but through TAPPI, that is put aside and we can solve industry challenges together. That’s fantastic! I think it’s unique to TAPPI and unique to this industry.”
A SEAMLESS TRANSITION
As Montague prepared to transition out of his leadership role, TAPPI’s Board of Directors felt a responsibility to members to conduct a nationwide search for his replacement. They interviewed many worthy candidates before settling on Roberts for the role. Montague was very pleased with the board’s decision.
“It was one of the hardest choices our board has had to make,” Montague says, “but I know they made the right decision. With Lawton, we don’t need to rewrite the script. He’s seen the script, he’s lived the script, and he’s got our entire team on his side.”
Roberts acknowledges that the association has come a long way in the 20 years he’s witnessed—the hallways, and the future, both look bright. Still, he says, TAPPI has only scratched the surface of what is possible. “I see no limit. It’s fascinating for me to see where we can go,” says Roberts with enthusiasm. “I want to do exactly what Larry has done, in terms of leaving TAPPI in better shape than we found it … and quite honestly, I think the possibilities are endless.”