Mark Watkins has been designated as one of nine TAPPI Fellows for 2010. He currently serves as senior vice president of MeadWestvaco Corporation in Richmond, VA. He is responsible for corporate engineering, stewardship, sus­tain­ability, safety, health and environmental issues.

Fellow is an honorary title bestowed upon less than one percent of TAPPI’s membership. It is given to individuals who have made extraordinary technical or service contributions to the industry and/or the Association.

“Mark’s service to TAPPI over the years, including exemplary service on our Board of Directors, has been outstanding and visionary,” said Larry Montague, president and CEO of TAPPI. “He is very deserving of this honor for his ongoing work for the industry, particularly in pulp and paper.”

Mr. Watkins graduated from Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY, in pulp and paper science and engineering. He also participated in the Executive Program at Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.

His career in the paper industry began in 1977 with Union Camp’s Franklin, VA, mill as a process manager. In 1989, he was named operations manager of the Eastover mill and managed the start-up of the mill’s $750 million expansion. He was promoted to resident manager of the Eastover mill in 1991 and served as the senior management representative for Union Camp in South Carolina.

Mr. Watkins joined Mead in 1997 as vice president of Michigan operations for the Publishing Paper Division, where he had oversight of the Escambia, Mich., paper mill and related wood land and sawmill operations. In 1999, he was promoted to vice president of human resources and organizational development for the newly combined paper division. He was appointed vice president of technology for Mead in 2000.