Vice President of Manufacturing – Cellulose Fibers, Weyerhaeuser Company Federal Way, Wash.
John Yerke calls himself a “purveyor of people,” because of his passion for mentoring developing engineers to make sure they acquire the right skills to succeed and fulfill their career ambitions. He juggles this on top of managing an eight paper mill manufacturing system around the globe.Before his career climb in the pulp and paper industry, Yerke intended to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry at Ore- gon State, but his priorities changed after meeting his future wife. He also met a chemical engineering professor named Chuck Wicks, who suggested that he take coursework in chemical engineering.
Yerke took his advice and earned a B.S. in chemical engineering and an M.S. in chemistry in the same year."I appreciate the care and the desire that prof. Wicks had in developing students. It was next to none," said Yerke. "The time he took in helping me develop my career is something I try to do with younger employees"Even though his career these days has less to do with detailed chemical engineering, his educational experiences provided essential skills that he still uses.“The basics of chemical engineering absolutely provided me with the disciplined thought process necessary for business today — to be detail-oriented and make sound decisions,” he said.
Degrees
- B.S. Chemical Engineering, 1975
- M.S. Chemistry, 1975