BAILEYVILLE – The County’s only pulp and paper mill has its first female general manager, Roger H. Brear, Domtar Industry Inc.’s senior vice president U.S. Pulp and Paper Manufacturing Group said Friday.

Debby Feck, who had been appointed interim general manager in June, to replace her husband Ralph Feck, took over the permanent duties of general manager on Friday.

“I am extremely proud of this appointment. Debby is a seasoned papermaker,” Brear said. “She also knows the [Baileyville] facility inside out given that she began her career in the pulp and paper industry at that mill just 16 years ago. Being born and raised in [Baileyville] will also be a great asset for Domtar. It will allow us to more rapidly understand some of the concerns of the community. All of us are really looking forward to working with Debby and making [Baileyville] a true customer-focused mill.”

The 39-year-old Feck was the production manager at the mill when it was owned by Georgia-Pacific Corp.

She was named interim general manager of the facility in June, replacing her husband, who left the Baileyville facility to become the vice president of G-P’s tissue and pulp operations at Old Town.

The Montreal-based Domtar acquired the pulp and paper mill from Georgia-Pacific Corp. on Aug. 7. Feck was their first major appointment at the facility which employs around 500 people.

“I am very enthused about my new job and the recent sale of this mill to Domtar. I think the sale is a nice fit for Woodland because Domtar is truly in the same business as we are in at Woodland. Our people appear to be very positive. By anticipating and meeting our customers’ needs, providing our shareholders with attractive returns and fostering a dynamic and creative environment for our employees, we can grow this mill. Our employees are committed to making the highest quality product possible for our customers. We’ll continue to excel at what we do – partner with our customers to provide them with world class products.”

Feck, a fourth-generation pulp and paper maker, has a master’s degree in business administration from Thomas College.

The new general manager has spent her entire career in the pulp and paper industry, beginning in 1984, when she joined G-P’s Baileyville operation as an environmental technical engineer.

In 1988, Feck was promoted to quality manager. Two years later, she transferred to G-P’s corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., where she was named director of quality for the corporation’s pulp and bleached board division. Feck returned to Baileyville in 1994, as finished-products manager, with responsibility for the paper machine, pulp dryer and cutsize operations as well as finishing. She was named production manager in 2000.

Feck’s father, Jack Costello, is a recent G-P retiree. Her grandfathers, Armand Gagner and John Costello Sr., worked at the former St. Croix Paper Co. as a paper machine supervisor and electrician, respectively. St. Croix Paper was later acquired by G-P. Her great-grandfathers Alfonse Gagner and Joseph Aquino also began with St. Croix Paper shortly after it was established in 1906.

Domtar is the second largest producer of uncoated free sheet in North America and the third largest in the world. It is also a leading manufacturer of printing, publishing, specialty and technical papers. Domtar manages nearly 36 million acres of forestland in Canada and the United States, and is a major lumber manufacturer in eastern North America.

Feck has two daughters, Nancy, 17, and Danielle, 13. She enjoys boating and golfing.