ATLANTA, March 28 -- Georgia-Pacific Corp.'s board of directors today named Lee M. Thomas the company's chief operating officer and realigned other key executive management responsibilities and reporting assignments for three of its business segments, effective immediately. In his expanded role as Georgia-Pacific president and COO, Thomas, 58, will continue reporting to A.D. "Pete" Correll, 61, Georgia-Pacific chairman and chief executive officer, add more business group responsibilities and continue leading major staff functions for the company. Steven J. Klinger, 44, president - packaging, will become executive vice president and president - packaging, and will add responsibilities for the company's containerboard manufacturing and sales to his current responsibilities for packaging operations and sales. David J. Paterson, 48, executive vice president - pulp and paperboard, will become executive vice president and president - building products. As head of the company's building products businesses, Paterson will lead the officer group that formerly reported to Thomas. These businesses include chemical, gypsum, industrial wood products, lumber and structural panels manufacturing, and building products distribution. George W. Wurtz, 46, executive vice president - paper and bleached board, will become executive vice president and president - pulp and paper, and will add responsibilities for pulp manufacturing and sales, as well as the company's recycling group, Harmon Associates, to his existing responsibilities for Georgia-Pacific's paper, bleached board and kraft operations. "The steps we are taking to realign our executive management team begin a deliberate and orderly transition process into the future for this company's leadership," Correll noted. "Through this course of action and with additional actions over the next several years, Lee and I will be working to ensure that the next generation of Georgia-Pacific's leaders emerge at the forefront of operating our company's businesses and guide these segments' strategies and performances." In the new executive management alignment, Paterson and Klinger will report to Thomas and Wurtz will continue reporting to Correll. Also continuing to report to Correll is the management team for Georgia- Pacific's consumer products group, including Michael C. Burandt, 58, who has been named executive vice president and president - North American consumer products; and John F. Lundgren, 51, president - European consumer products; as well as Danny W. Huff, 52, executive vice president - finance and chief financial officer, and James F. Kelley, 61, executive vice president and general counsel. Thomas was named president - Georgia-Pacific in September 2002. In his new role as COO and in addition to his responsibilities for building products and adding the packaging group, Thomas will continue to oversee the company's wood and fiber procurement as well as the staff functions of human resources, information technology, environmental affairs, government affairs, strategic sourcing, and other corporate and administrative services. Over time, additional business segments will report to the COO. In addition, the company announced that Christian Fischer, 39, currently vice president - containerboard sales, was promoted to senior vice president - packaging sales and logistics. He will continue to report to Klinger. Further, James E. Moylan, Jr., executive vice president - composite panels and distribution, has departed Georgia-Pacific to seek a position outside the company that would utilize his chief financial officer background and skills. Moylan had been hired by Georgia-Pacific last year to perform anticipated CFO duties for the building products and distribution group upon the company's separation.