ATLANTA, Sept. 27 -- Georgia-Pacific Corp.'s board of directors today named Lee M. Thomas the company's president, effective immediately. In this role, Thomas will report to A.D. "Pete" Correll, chairman and chief executive officer, and will add responsibility for several key support staff groups in addition to his role as head of the company's building products manufacturing and distribution business. "The appointment of Lee Thomas to this position recognizes his extraordinary contributions to this company over the years," Correll said. "In this role, Lee will have expanded responsibilities for continuing the momentum achieved by our building products business and staff functions in preparing for the separation of Georgia-Pacific. Time and again, Lee has excelled at establishing clear strategic direction for the groups under his responsibility and effectively achieving results." Thomas, 58, in March was named president -- building products with executive management responsibility for Georgia-Pacific's building products manufacturing and distribution business and its Unisource paper distribution business. In his new role, Thomas' responsibilities also will include the staff functions of human resources, information technology, environmental affairs, government affairs and other corporate services. Reporting to Thomas will be Patricia A. Barnard, executive vice president -- human resources; James E. Bostic, Jr., executive vice president -- environmental, government affairs and communications; Charles F. Williams, vice president -- information resources and chief information officer; Thomas E. Single, vice president -- strategic sourcing and procurement; and Sheila Weidman, vice president -- corporate communications and marketing. In addition, James E. Moylan Jr., executive vice president and chief financial officer -- building products and distribution; Ronald L. Paul, executive vice president -- wood products and distribution; John F. Rasor, executive vice president -- wood procurement, gypsum and industrial wood products; Charles C. Tufano, president -- Unisource; and Mario Concha, president -- chemical, will continue reporting to Thomas. The management team for Georgia-Pacific's consumer products and packaging business group, including Michael C. Burandt, president -- North American consumer products; John F. Lundgren, president -- European consumer products; David J. Paterson, executive vice president -- pulp and paperboard; and George W. Wurtz, president -- paper and bleached board, will continue reporting to Correll, as will Danny W. Huff, executive vice president -- finance and chief financial officer, and James F. Kelley, executive vice president and general counsel. Prior to assuming the leadership role for the company's building products business, Thomas served as executive vice president -- consumer products, concurrent with Georgia-Pacific's acquisition of Fort James Corp. At that time, he assumed responsibility for preparing and executing plans for integrating Fort James into Georgia-Pacific and achieving the operating synergies expected from the combination. Thomas joined Georgia-Pacific in 1993 as senior vice president -- environmental and government affairs. He became senior vice president -- paper in 1995, and was later promoted to executive vice president -- paper and chemicals in 1997, with responsibility for the company's tissue, communication papers and chemicals businesses and, subsequently, the Unisource business. Prior to joining Georgia-Pacific, Thomas was chairman and chief executive officer of the Law Companies Environmental Group Inc.