The United States Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) has announced that President and CEO Anne Forristall Luke will retire at the end of 2026 after more than a decade leading the organization and overseeing a period of growth and transformation for the U.S. tire industry.

The announcement comes as the Tire Recycling Foundation (TRF), an affiliate of USTMA, recognized several projects advancing tire recycling, tire-derived materials, and circular economy initiatives through its inaugural Circle of Change Awards.

USTMA begins leadership transition

Forristall Luke joined the association in 2016 when it was still known as the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA). During her tenure, the organization expanded its role in policy advocacy, sustainability initiatives, and tire industry representation across North America.

USTMA said her leadership helped strengthen the industry's engagement on regulatory, environmental, and tire materials issues while increasing the association’s visibility on topics affecting tire manufacturing, sustainability, and economic development.

The USTMA Board of Directors has established a search committee to identify a successor, with a selection expected by October 2026. Forristall Luke will remain with the organization through December 31 to support the transition process.

According to USTMA, one of the notable areas of focus during her leadership involved navigating complex tire materials issues and supporting collaboration with international industry organizations on sustainability and manufacturing challenges.

Tire Recycling Foundation recognizes industry innovation

Alongside the leadership announcement, the Tire Recycling Foundation unveiled the winners of its first Circle of Change Awards, which recognize projects that create value from end-of-life tires through recycling, reuse, and market development.

The awards highlight initiatives that expand applications for tire-derived materials while supporting environmental goals and circular economy strategies.

North Carolina program recognized for policy leadership

The North Carolina Scrap Tire Program received the Circular Economy Trailblazer Award for updating its funding framework to support tire collection, recycling, and illegal dumping prevention.

The program also established mechanisms to encourage the use of tire-derived materials in transportation infrastructure and public works projects.

Michigan honored for market development efforts

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) received the Market Development Excellence Award for projects demonstrating the performance of tire-derived aggregate (TDA), rubberized asphalt, and porous pavement technologies.

The initiative combined field demonstrations, technical data collection, and stakeholder outreach to support wider adoption of recycled tire materials in infrastructure applications.

Rubberized asphalt and tire-derived aggregate continue to be among the largest end-use markets for materials generated through tire recycling.

Engineering project showcases tire-derived aggregate

The Innovation in End-Use Technology Award was presented to LHB Engineering and the St. Paul Port Authority for a redevelopment project in Minnesota that incorporated approximately 30,000 cubic yards of tire-derived aggregate.

The material was used in an underground stormwater management system designed to reduce contaminated runoff entering the Mississippi River while creating a beneficial end-use market for recycled tires.

Pirelli and Bolder Industries win collaboration award

The Value Chain Collaboration Award was presented to Bolder Industries and Pirelli Tire for developing a closed-loop tire recycling system that converts manufacturing scrap tires into recovered carbon black (rCB) for use in new tire production.

The project utilizes tire pyrolysis technology to recover valuable materials from waste tires and return them to the manufacturing supply chain, supporting circular economy goals and reducing dependence on virgin carbon black.

Recovered carbon black is becoming an increasingly important output from tire recycling and pyrolysis operations as tire manufacturers evaluate sustainable alternatives to conventional raw materials.

Growing focus on end-use markets

The awards reflect growing efforts across the tire recycling sector to expand end-use applications for materials recovered from end-of-life tires.

These applications include crumb rubber, rubberized asphalt, tire-derived aggregate, recovered carbon black, tire-derived fuel, and advanced materials produced through pyrolysis and other recycling technologies.

As regulatory pressures and sustainability targets continue to evolve, industry stakeholders are placing greater emphasis on developing stable markets that can support long-term growth in tire recycling and circular resource recovery.

Article source: Recycling Today.