JAY – A Carrabassett Valley woman has stepped into the papermaking industry as a communication and public affairs specialist for Verso Paper.

Four days into her new job, Peggy Willihan was already touting the mill and its employees’ efforts to raise money for the United Way of the Tri-Valley Area on Thursday.

Verso Paper’s workers have set this year’s goal at $75,000 for the United Way campaign, said Beth Gulliver, a Verso Paper campaign champion.

The goal is about $2,000 higher than last year’s and company organizers are thinking of ways to be more creative in fundraising, including a bottle drive to bring in extra money to meet it.

The mill campaign traditionally raises one-third of the annual operation budget for the Tri-Valley UW chapter, which serves people in Franklin County, Livermore Falls and Livermore, Willihan said.

It is her understanding, Willihan said, that as part of the divestiture from International Paper to Verso Paper earlier this year, that IP agreed to a one-time contribution of $21,000 to the United Way that will be added to employees’ contributions this year.

IP previously matched its workers contributions for the campaign on a yearly basis.

Verso Paper takes the United Way campaign “very, very seriously,” Willihan said.

“It is all about social and health services to those most in need, most deserving,” she said.

Willihan has lived in Carrabassett Valley for six years and prior to that she lived in Owl’s Head for 27 years.

“I worked primarily in the nonprofit sector and was director of development for Hurricane Island Outward Bound School,” Willihan said of her time in Owl’s Head.

When she moved to northern Franklin County she spent one year working at Carrabassett Valley and then to a job at Thomas College in Waterville.

Most recently she was a Franklin Community Health Network liaison for the Health Card Business Program in Farmington. Her contract ended in July and she decided to explore other options.

Then the Verso Paper job came up and she accepted the position in late September.

“In my job, I will serve as internal communicator for both Jay and Bucksport mills,” Willihan said.

She’ll also be involved public affairs and community relations with her home base at the Jay mill.

“This is only my fourth day but I am very excited about this position,” Willihan said. “I find the process of papermaking fascinating. The training I’m receiving right now helps pull all the pieces of the process together.”

She’d already had a three-hour tour of the mill and an educational training session by Thursday.

“I’m getting an immersion into the papermaking industry,” she said. “The only thing I would have to say is the welcome and reception of the mill as a new employee has been outstanding and above board. They do things right here. I think I’m most impressed (by) the environmental stewardship and safety. Every day begins with those two elements.”