Hilmar
Richard Whatley serves as the Engineering Manager at Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc., overseeing a $20 million capital investment plan and managing Site Engineering Centers of Excellence to align with strategic objectives. Previously, Richard held positions including Electrical Engineering Manager and Regional Engineering and Reliability Manager at Golden West Packaging Group. At Georgia-Pacific LLC, Richard led major equipment rebuilds and the redesign of safety control circuits, while at WestRock Company, Richard managed capital investment projects and site sustainability efforts. Early career experience includes serving as a Reliability Engineer at International Paper, focusing on machinery installation and training. Richard is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Operations Management at Arizona State University, following degrees in Electronic Instrumentation Technology and Industrial Electrical from Modesto Junior College.