Assigned to this position to bring leadership and business direction to key departments involved in the continuous improvement and profitability of the mill. Led Process Control, Process Optimization, Operations Training, and Project Engineering.• Engaged cross functional labor/management teams throughout the operation in the implementation of world class enhancements and improved operational efficiencies.• Developed and implemented strategic courses of action delivering annual cost savings of $12.2MM/year:• Established a lean/six sigma program in the mill and enlisted 27 individuals in the first year. Utilized these skills to improve mill results including improved maintenance practices, reduced overtime, decreased product reject rates, and improved costs.

Recruited for this newly created position to bring structure, organization, and leadership to the paper mill area of the operation building from successes in previous assignments. Implemented best practices regarding clear expectations, results tracking, communication, and accountability. • Additional responsibilities during this period included leadership of the mill Technical Service group, paper mill training group, and mill labor pool.• Served on corporate paper mill maintenance integration team, taking lead in bringing structure to initial efforts

Led a team in the development and implementation of an Operations Excellence work system in the operating departments in the mill.• Developed and implemented work systems in ten operating areas over a seven-month period to allow operator tracking of key performance metrics, drive operation results, identify operational gaps, and define accountabilities, resulting in improved mill performance. • Additional duties during this period included serving as project engineer over several engineering jobs in the paper mill operations areas improving steam efficiencies and reduced machine downtime.

Held several management/leadership positions of progressively higher responsibility:• Fiber and Utility Manager (Thirty salaried, 144 hourly reports)• Pulp Mill, Chemical Production, Woodyard Superintendent• Power and Recovery Superintendent • Recovery Department SupervisorIn each assignment, responsible for the comprehensive operating aspects of the departments:• Accountable for operating reliability, environmental and safety compliance, and cost management.• Established and executed both short term and long term goals.• Consistently demonstrated significant improvements in results in a challenging environment including strict spending programs, and frequent manning reduction initiatives including a successful transition to self-directed teams.• Successfully eliminated interdepartmental boundaries in the Fiber and Utility area.• Accountable for successfully executing numerous equipment installations/rebuilds including a $160MM state-of-the-art cogeneration facility, Chemi-washer, several recovery boiler rebuild projects and evaporator improve projects.• Gained proficiency in numerous work systems supporting continuous improvement: Lean Manufacturing, Value Stream Analysis, 5S, Root Cause Failure Analysis, Durational Analysis, and Process Safety Management.

Process Engineer, Power and Recovery--Accountable for operating reliability and coordinating maintenance and operation activities. Served as a process engineer in separate tours of Power, Recovery, and Waste and Water Treatment.

Research Engineer-- Researched, developed, and implemented numerous process improvements for the Specialty Chemical Division, Folding Box Division, and company-wide Chemical Recovery Departments. Conducted numerous pilot plant trials in the development and successful plant scale-up of distillation column structured packing material for two large industrial sites.