Eastman Vice Chairman/Executive VP Retires

KINGSPORT, Tenn.--R. Wiley Bourne, Jr., vice chairman of the board and executive vice president of Eastman Chemical Company, announced his retirement, effective March 1, 2000. Bourne has been with the company since 1959. He had been executive vice president since 1989, and in 1994, when Eastman became an independent company, he was elected vice chairman of the board of the directors.

"With Wiley's retirement, Eastman is losing an extremely valuable asset," said Ernest Deavenport, Jr., chairman of the board and chief executive officer. "We'll miss his dedication, his leadership and his firm commitment to our customers. Wiley's focus on the customer and on the importance of the customer to the success of our business has been a hallmark of his career."