WestRock’s Covington Mill Announces Position Changes
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WestRock’s Alleghany Highlands Operations announces position changes that were announced internally the second half of August 2023.
Kenneth Corhn accepted the position of process engineer in the Technical department. He will rotate through various departments in the mill to complete specific improve-the-mill projects. Corhn is currently assigned to Power where he will focus on a variety of departmental projects to improve safety, quality, and costs.
Corhn received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 2022 and his M.B.A. in 2023 from West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. He worked as a graduate assistant at WVU in 2022 and 2023.
William Whittaker accepted the position of process engineer in the Technical department. He will rotate through various departments in the mill to complete specific improve-the-mill projects. Whittaker is currently assigned to Recovery where he will focus on a variety of departmental projects to improve safety, quality, and costs.
Whittaker received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Bluefield State University in 2023. He worked as a design engineer at Pascor Atlantic in 2022-2023 before coming to WestRock.
Matthew Mays accepted the position of E&I supervisor – paper machines. In this position, he is responsible for reliability-centered E&I activities and projects, including planning and support duties.
Mays graduated from Alleghany High School in 2005. From 2005 – 2010, Mays earned his journeyman’s certification through IBEW Local 26. He worked for Miller Electric at WestRock’s Covington mill and Radford Arsenal as an apprentice. After becoming a journeyman electrician, he worked for Miller Electric company at various facilities. He joined WestRock in 2012 as a journeyman electrician on Tour E&I. Mays progressed to lead E&I journeyman in 2015 after he completed his mastercraft training.
Eduardo Sanchez accepted the position of product de¬velopment engineer. In this position he will support the team in product development efforts, offer support in planning and coordinating trials with operations, and collect and analyze data to drive initiatives in product development projects.
Sanchez earned his B.S. in Paper Science and Engineering from North Carolina State University in 2022. Sanchez worked as a research assistant at North Carolina State University in 2019. He worked as a co-op process engineer at WestRock Charleston, SC, mill in 2021. Sanchez accepted a position with WestRock as an ECD in 2022. His first rotation was as an auditor at WestRock Atlanta in NorthPark, GA. Sanchez’s second rotation was as project engineer at WestRock’s Tacoma, WA, mill in 2023.
Herb Baty accepted the position of E&I supervisor/planner in Recovery. In this position, he is responsible for reliability-centered E&I activities and projects in Recovery, including planning and support duties.
Baty graduated from Fishburne Military School in Waynsboro, VA, before joining the U. S. Army. After his military service, Baty enrolled in Central Virginia Community College where he studied police science, automotive transmission, and applied electrical. Baty has extensive E&I experience in all areas of paper making and has worked in WestRock mills across Virginia as a supervisor, planner, and most recently in Reliability with a focus on MOC (management of change) projects, and RCFA (root cause failure analysis). Baty started at RockTenn, in West Point, VA, in 2013 as E&I Supervisor for the paper machines. In 2017, Baty joined WestRock, in Hopewell, VA, as E&I supervisor/reliability engineer.
Jeff Dobson accepted the position of recaust supervisor – Recovery. Dobson is responsible for initiating cost savings projects, providing assistance with daily operational and maintenance issues, and monitoring KPIs in the Recaust areas. Dobson reports to Ryan Iachini, assistant superintendent – Recovery.
Dobson graduated from Alleghany County High School in 1989. He started his career at WestRock in March of 1990, on the Extra Board as a laborer. He transferred into the Recovery department in October 1990. Dobson progressed through the sequence and became a Recovery shift lead in 2015.
