The board of directors of Verso Paper Corp. oversees the conduct of Verso's business to evaluate whether the business is being managed properly and in a way that serves the interests of Verso's shareholders. To facilitate its work, the board of directors has formed the following three committees which exercise the board's power and authority in overseeing the management of specific aspects of our business:  Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. Each committee operates under a charter that has been adopted by the board of directors.

Board of Directors and Committees

* Chair of the Committee

Board Committees

Our Board committees review, audit and oversee the performance and policies of Verso Paper Corp.

Board Member Bios

Michael E. Ducey has been a director of Verso since March 2007.  Mike was President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of Compass Minerals International, Inc., a producer of salt and specialty fertilizers, from 2002 to 2006, and he remains a consultant to Compass Minerals.  He previously worked for Borden Chemical, Inc., a diversified chemical company, from 1972 to 2002.  During his 30-year career with Borden Chemical, Mike held various management, sales, marketing, planning and commercial development positions, most recently serving as President and Chief Executive Officer from 1999 to 2002 and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from 1997 to 1999.

Thomas Gutierrez has been a director of Verso since November 2008.  Tom has over 35 years of experience in product development, manufacturing, marketing, sales and general business management.  He is Chief Executive Officer of PhytoChem Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a development-stage manufacturer of generic drugs founded in January 2009.  Tom was Chief Executive Officer and a director of Xerium Technologies Inc., a leading global manufacturer of synthetic textiles and specialty roll covers used in the production of paper, from 2001 to 2008.  He was Chief Executive Officer of three separate business units of Invensys plc, a global leader in technology used to monitor, control and automate processes, from 1995 to 2001.  Tom was Chief Operating Officer of Pulse Engineering, Inc., a manufacturer of electronic components for telecommunications and power applications, from 1992 to 1994.  He also has held management, technical and engineering positions with Pitney Bowes Inc., Franklin Computer Corporation, Motorola, Inc., and Digital Equipment Corporation.  He also is a director of Comverge, Inc., a provider of clean energy alternatives.

Michael A. Jackson has been a director of Verso, as well as our President and Chief Executive Officer, since November 2006.  Before joining us, he worked at Weyerhaeuser Company from 1977 to 2006.  During a 29-year career with Weyerhaeuser, Mike served as Senior Vice President responsible for the Cellulose Fibers, White Papers, Newsprint and Liquid Packaging Board businesses from 2004 to 2006, Vice President of the Fine Papers business from 2002 to 2004, Vice President of the Business Papers business from 2000 to 2002, Vice President of the Recycling business from 1998 to 2000, Vice President of Human Resources and Quality for the Container Board Packaging business from 1993 to 1997, and General Manager of the Tri-Wall business and other packaging plants from 1990 to 1993.  On behalf of Weyerhaeuser, Mike also served from 2005 to 2006 as Chairman of the Board of North Pacific Paper Corporation (NORPAC), a joint venture with Japan’s Nippon Paper Industries which produces newsprint and uncoated groundwood paper.

Scott M. Kleinman has been a director of Verso since August 2006.  Scott is a partner of Apollo Management, L.P., a global private equity firm where he has worked since 1996.  He was employed by Smith Barney Inc. in its Investment Banking division from 1994 to 1995.  Scott also is a director of Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Inc., Momentive Performance Materials Inc., Realogy Corporation and Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation.

David W. Oskin has been a director of Verso since January 2007.  David has been President of Four Winds Ventures, LLC, a private investment company, since 2005.  He previously worked for 29 years in the paper and forest products industries in various management, distribution, sales and marketing, quality management, human resources and other positions.  David spent most of his career with International Paper Company, where he worked initially from 1975 to 1991 and then again as an Executive Vice President from 1996 to 2003.  In the interim between 1992 and 1995, he was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Carter Holt Harvey Limited, a New Zealand based forest products company.  David also is a director of Rayonier Inc., Pacific Millennium Corporation, Samling Global Limited, and Big Earth Publishing LLC, and he serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Widener University.

Eric L. Press has been a director of Verso since January 2009.  Rick is a partner of Apollo Management, L.P., a global private equity firm, where he has worked since 1998.  He was an associate with the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, specializing in mergers, acquisitions, restructurings and related financing transactions, from 1992 to 1998.  Rick was a consultant with The Boston Consulting Group from 1987 to 1989. He has broad experience in industrial, lodging/leisure and financial services investment activities and serves on the boards of directors of Affinion Group, Inc., Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., Innkeepers USA Trust, Metals USA, Inc., and Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation.

LH Puckett, Jr. has been a director of Verso since August 2006.  L.H. also was our President and Chief Executive Officer from August 2006 to his retirement in November 2006.  He worked in the paper industry for 32 years in various sales, marketing and management capacities.  Before joining Verso, L.H. worked at International Paper Company from 1999 to 2006, where he served as Senior Vice President responsible for our business from 2000 to 2006 and Vice President responsible for the Commercial Printing and Imaging Papers businesses from 1999 to 2000.  He worked at Union Camp Corporation from 1974 to its acquisition by International Paper Company in 1999, where he most recently served from 1998 to 1999 as Senior Vice President responsible for the Fine Papers division containing the uncoated freesheet, pulp and bleached paper board businesses.

David B. Sambur has been a director of Verso since February 2008.  David is a principal of Apollo Management, L.P., where he has worked since 2004.  He was a member of the Leveraged Finance Group of Salomon Smith Barney Inc. from 2002 to 2004.  David graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Emory University with a BA in economics.

Jordan C. Zaken has been a director of Verso since August 2006.  Jordan is a partner of Apollo Management, L.P., where he has worked since 1999.  He was employed by Goldman, Sachs & Co. in its Mergers and Acquisitions Department from 1997 to 1999.  Jordan also is a director of Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Inc.