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From left to right, top row, are Marica "Jeannie" Adkins, Nate Zakreski and Josh Strother. Bottom row, Alex Dunn, Bobby Wickline, Jacob Fraley and Rick Downer.

WestRock Announces Position Changes At Covington Mill

 
Covington, VA (July 21, 2020) - WestRock’s Covington mill announces position changes that were internally announced in May and June.

Marica “Jeannie” Adkins has accepted the position of tour leader in Plant Protection. In this position, she is responsible for checking fire extinguishers, hose stations, fire alarms, making security check rounds throughout the plant, answering fire and rescue calls, and incident investigation.

Adkins is a graduate of Alleghany High School and has two years of course work at DSLCC. In 2001, she accepted the position of security guard at the mill through Manpower. In 2004, Jeannie accepted the position of security guard with MeadWestvaco.

Nate Zakreski has accepted the position of process engineer in Stock and Additives. In this position, he is responsible for overseeing Starch Kitchen operations, training, maintenance, and reliability. Nate will also be the lead safety officer for Stock and Additives.

Zakreski received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY, in 2018. In 2015, he worked as an engineering lab tech for HUSCO International in Pewaukee, WI. Zakreski worked as an undergraduate research assistant for Clarkson University in 2016. He joined Neenah Paper in 2017 as a process engineer in Lowville, NY. In 2018, Zakreski accepted a position in the WestRock Early Career Development (ECD) program and had the following assignments: Covington, VA, mill - Product Development; Evadale, TX, mill - No. 4 PM process engineer; Norcross, GA, box plant - converting department engineer and assistant supervisor.

Josh Strother has accepted the position of process engineer in the Maintenance Reliability Group. In this position, he is responsible for creating a reliability plan to provide a longer life for machines and equipment in the back end of the mill and improve processes and maintenance plans to increase mill efficiency, reliability, and profitability.

Strother received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from NC State University in 2020. In 2016, he accepted the position of maintenance technician intern at Bridgestone Americas in Wilson, NC. Strother worked as a process engineer co-op at the Covington mill from September 2018 through August of 2019.

Alex Dunn has accepted the position of E&I engineer - UPM / Woodyard. In this position, he is responsible for reliability centered maintenance activities and projects.

Dunn earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering Technology from Bluefield State College in January 2017. He interned at G.E. as a field engineer from May 2016 - January 2017 before accepting a full-time position as an electrical field engineer at G.E. in January 2017. In March 2018, Dunn joined the Covington mill as a process engineer in the Technical department where he completed a rotation in Power. In August of 2018, Dunn accepted the position of E&I engineer for the Bleach Room and WTP.

Bobby Wickline has accepted the position of E&I engineer - Recovery. In this position, he is responsible for reliability centered maintenance activities and projects.                              

Wickline graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering Technology from Bluefield State in 1988. In 1989, he joined Celanese as a senior reliability engineer. Then in 2016, Wickline joined BAE as a facilities E&I engineer. In 2018, he accepted the position of E&I engineer - UPM / Woodyard at the Covington mill.

Jacob Fraley has accepted the position of engineer in the E&I department. He is responsible for reliability centered E&I maintenance activities and projects in the Paper Mil department.

Fraley earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from West Virginia University in May 2018. He interned in the Quality department at the Covington mill during the summer of 2017. Flaley accepted the position of process engineer at the mill in 2018.

Rick Downer has accepted the position of maintenance manager. In this position, he is responsible for overseeing the safety, productivity, and quality of all maintenance operations in the mill.

Downer started his career on the Extra Board at the Covington mill in June 1989. Later in 1989, he moved to the Power department as an operator. In 1992, Downer joined No. 2 Paper Machine as an operator, and in 1999, he transitioned to the Pipe Shop as an apprentice pipefitter. He was promoted in 2007 to GMC maintenance supervisor and joined Recovery in 2009 as area maintenance supervisor. Downer accepted the position of maintenance planner on No.1 Paper Machine in 2011 and became a reliability engineer in 2012. In January 2017, he became a planner superintendent in the Maintenance department. Downer was promoted to reliability superintendent in June 2017.

 
 
 

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