The Shadow
MeadWestvaco Corp.’s Covington mill has released position changes that were internally announced in September.
The personnel changes involved Charles Smallman, Roseann Lee, Crist Johnson, Chris Wilson, Jason Smith, Donna Walton, Ariel Boone, Ed Atkins and Mark Crookshanks.
Charles Smallman accepted the position of senior project engineer in the engineering department.
In this position, Smallman is responsible for various capital projects throughout the mill.
Smallman graduated with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Clarkson College of Technology in Potsdam, N.Y., in 1977.
Following graduation, Smallman worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority in Hartsville, Tenn. In 1978, he joined Michelin Tire in Greenville, S.C. Smallman relocated to Simpsonville, S.C., in 1979, and began working for Union Carbide. In 1982, he joined Cone Mills in Greenville, S.C.. Smallman transferred to Stone Container in Hopewell in 1984. Since 1989, he has worked as a senior mechanical engineer for the Carpenter Company.
Roseann Lee accepted the position of office of business Excellence lead in the technical department.
In this position, Lee will define and support operational excellence initiatives with a primary focus in the fiberline, power and recovery areas. Her scope includes operational/commercial productivity, cost, capital, and organizational development.
Lee began her career at MWV as a process engineer in the wood-based carbon plant in Covington in 1996. In 2001, she accepted a position as an engineer for MWV’s joint venture company, Purification Cellutions LLC, and was responsible for MWV’s interests in production and maintenance of a pilot carbon honeycomb plant in Atlanta, Ga. From 2002-2005, Lee held the position of production manager at Purification Cellutions LLC, in Waynesboro, Ga., where she was responsible for plant startup, production, and maintenance. Most recently she held the position of extruder plant production manager in the Covington carbon plant.
Crist Johnson accepted the position of fiberline foreman.
In this position, Johnson is responsible for overseeing daily operations in the woodyard, unbleached pulp mill, bleach plant and waste treatment plant.
Johnson graduated from Alleghany High School in 1996. He worked as a welder for Waco from 1997 to 1998 building the new CO2 plant at the MWV Covington mill. Johnson joined Southern Erectors Inc. in Covington, working as a welder from 1998-1999 and as a foreman from 1999-2003. He joined the Covington mill in 2003 as a laborer, moved to the unbleached pulp mill, and worked his way through the hourly sequence to the position of washer assistant operator.
Chris Wilson accepted the position of reliability engineer in the maintenance department.
In this position, Wilson is responsible for providing technical assistance and support to both maintenance and operations departments on reliability issues and technologies. He is also responsible for reviewing and analyzing area data to promote continual improvement to increase equipment life and reduce maintenance costs.
Wilson graduated from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in May 2011 with a degree in mechanical engineering. In 2007, he worked at MWV’s Covington mill as a summer extra board employee in recovery. Wilson returned to MWV as a production line employee at Low Moor in 2008 and a maintenance co-op in the east mill from 2009-2010. Wilson joined MWV full-time in June 2011 as a process engineer in the technical department.
Jason Smith accepted the position of vibration analyst in preventive maintenance.
In this position, Smith is responsible for monitoring vital equipment for prevention of catastrophic failure that can cause unscheduled downtime throughout the mill.
Smith earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from West Virginia University Institute of Technology. Before joining MWV, he worked as an intern at Consol Energy in Blacksville, W.Va., and CNX Gas Corporation in Wana, W. Va. He began his career with MWV in 2007 as a technical assistant in the technical department.
In 2008, he accepted a position as a mechanical reliability engineer for the fiberline and later for the paper mill.
Donna Walton accepted the position of process engineer in stock and additives.
In this position, Walton will support and improve the processes in stock and additives.
Walton earned a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Longwood University in 1990. She began her career with MWV in 1988 as a summer student in the main lab. Walton worked during holidays and summers through 1990 in the main lab and stock and additives and joined MWV full- time in stock and additives as an Engineer I in 1990. Walton was promoted to Engineer II in 1993 and became senior engineer in 1999. In 2008, Walton accepted the position of OBE project lead.
Ariel Boone accepted the position of process engineer in the technical department.
In this position, Boone will rotate through various departments in the mill, completing projects under supervision. He is currently assigned to the department.
Boone graduated from West Virginia University Institute of Technology in 2009 with a B.S. in mechanical engineering.
He worked as a maintenance engineer co-op for AK Steel in Kentucky from 2005-2007 and as a maintenance foreman for Consol Energy in Pennsylvania for 2009-2011.
Ed Atkins accepted the position of project manager Covington Power Island.
In this position, Atkins is responsible for managing and coordinating all work streams involved in construction and start-up of the new biomass boiler and turbine generator.
Atkins earned a B.S. degree in pulp and paper technology from North Carolina State University. He began his career with MWV at the Mahrt, Ala., mill in February 1996 as a process engineer in the pulp mill. In 1998, Atkins accepted a position as shift supervisor in the chemical recovery department and was promoted to chemical recovery technical assistant in 2000. Atkins joined the Covington mill in 2006 as the assistant superintendent in the recovery department. In 2008, he was promoted to superintendent for power and recovery. Atkins moved to the position of safety director in 2009 and returned to recovery as superintendent in 2010.
Mark Crookshanks accepted the position of reliability engineer in the maintenance department.
In this position, Crookshanks is responsible for overseeing recovery’s major causes of equipment failures. He will review and analyze data to promote continual improvement to increase equipment life and reduce maintenance costs.
Crookshanks is a 1987 graduate of Alleghany High School.
He began his career with General Motors, working as technician from 1988-1999. In 1999, he accepted a position at the Low Moor Converting Plant as an assistant operator.
Crookshanks transferred to the mill in 2001 as a laborer on the extra board. In 2004, he accepted a position in the power department as a vacancy replacement and held positions of increasing responsibility as he moved through the hourly sequence. In 2008, he accepted the position of vibration analyst.
