Board of Directors 2007-2008
President
Mark Collett
Mark Collett has an extensive background of 33 years in Project Management, Project Engineering, Executive Management and Electrical Engineering for the Petrochemical, Metals, Processing and Materials Handling Industries. The most common thread of his career has been spent in Coal Mine Surface Facility Engineering and Utility Fuel System Design & Improvements. He also has spent many of those years in Plant Staff Engineering, Plant Operations, and Plant Maintenance Superintendent Positions.
Mark is currently VP of Project Development with Benetech, Inc., and is responsible for development of core-markets in Capital Project Design/Build Services which compliment Benetech's well-established Technologies and Plant Services groups. He enjoys Benetech's approach to value-added and performance-based relationships with the majority of Coal-Based Power Plants in the country. He is enjoying the most successful time of his career working in these long-term, performance-based relationships, as it is so gratifying to continue friendships far beyond the initial project or objective.
Mark's career began simultaneous to his education. While designing and constructing HP&L's Parish Units for Pullman Kellogg, he was gaining his B.S. in Electrical Engineering at the University of Utah. Further education in Business Management and Engineering was accomplished at UNC Chapel Hill and Columbia Pacific University. After 5 years with AMAX Corporation, he spent approximately 20 years with Roberts & Schaefer Company, with much of the work concentrating on Powder River Basin, Lignite, and Underground Mine Processing Facilities. Of particular note, Mark was one of the original authors for Processing Automation and Automatic Loading and Unloading Systems for many diverse industries, and continues to develop operatorless, yet accurate, system innovations and improvements in this area.
Besides Mark's 14 years with RMCMI, he is also one of the founders and Board Members of the PRB Coal User's Group.
Mark is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he enjoys an "abundant" family life, with his wife Lisa, his 4 boys, triplet 17 yr. old girls, and 2 grandchildren.
President-Elect
Ken Miller
Ken graduated with a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from South Dakota School of Mines & Technology and has worked since 1975 in the mining industry. He is Project Manager for Capital Facilities at Arch Coal Inc.'s / Thunder Basin Coal Co.'s, Black Thunder Mine near Wright, Wyoming.
Ken has worked as the Maintenance Manager and Engineering Manager for Thunder Basin Coal Company, and also as the Manager of Planning - ARCO Coal Company. He's held other surface mine management positions with Consolidation Coal Company in Hazen, North Dakota; Climax Molybdenum Company in Leadville, Colorado and Curragh Queensland Mining, Ltd. in Brisbane, Australia.
Ken is a registered Professional Engineer in Wyoming and Colorado; and is a member of the Touchstone Energy Business Advisory Board and the Society of Mining Engineers.
Ken and his wife Kathy have been Patrons of the Institute since 1993 and Ken has been the RMCMI Vice-President for Wyoming. Ken and Kathy live in Gillette, Wyoming and have two daughters, Amanda and Lindsey.
Immediate Past President
Rich Bate
Rich has over 30 years experience in the coal industry, primarily in the western United States. He joined John T. Boyd Company in 1975 as a mining engineer, and currently holds the position of Vice President and Manager of Boyd's Denver, CO office. During his tenure at Boyd, Rich has worked with both surface and underground coal mining operations throughout the world, consulting in a variety of areas including design and feasibility analysis, economic evaluation, property appraisal, and operations performance. Rich has an intimate knowledge of the western coal industry, with experience with every coal mining area in the 8 RMCMI member states, (and virtually every mine), and having worked with the mining, utility, transportation, and government people who are the industry.
A native of Denver, Colorado, Rich holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mining Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. He is former Continuing Education Committee Chairman for the RMCMI, as well as being a member of the American Institute of Minerals Appraisers, the Colorado Mining Association (Coal Committee), the Society of Mining Engineers, and the National Society of Professional Engineers. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Colorado, and is a Certified Minerals Appraiser.
Rich and his wife, Janie, live in Denver with their two teenage daughters, Jenny and Laura (both of whom are experienced Mine Rescue victims) and two golden retrievers. The Bates are regulars at RMCMI functions, and count the convention,along with the opportunity to meet and visit with members and their families, among the highlights of the year.
Convention Liason Officer
Gary Stubblefield
Gary has over 30 years experience in surface mining at engineering, operations, management and executive levels. He worked with an international mining firm (Utah International) in iron ore (truck/shovel) and in multiple seam, steeply dipping coal (dragline). Following this, Gary Served as Vice President - Operations at Trapper Mining Inc. in Colorado owned by a consortium of four utility companies. His responsibilities included engineering, environmental, operations, maintenance & materials. Following his years at Trapper Mine, Gary worked three years for a major Australian based mining software provider in their Denver office. He is currently employed by NorWest Corp., an international mining engineering and consulting firm where he consults on surface mining projects and handles business development responsibilities.
Gary holds a BS degree in mining engineering and an MBA degree. His prior service to RMCMI includes Program Co-Chairman (1991), Program Chairman (1992) and President (1994). He and his wife Barbara have two grown children.
Advisory Board
Jim Mattern
James M. Mattern has worked in the coal industry for over 21 years. He has been with Trapper Mining Inc. since 1983 and has most recently held the positions of Production Manager, Maintenance Manager and Engineering Manager.
Prior to joining Trapper Mining, he worked for Morrison-Knudsen in Kemmerer, Wyoming and Hardin, Montana, Phillips Coal Company in Richardson, Texas and ACZ Inc. in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
A graduate of the Colorado School of Mines, Jim holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mining Engineering and a Master of Science Degree in Mineral Economics. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in the states of Colorado and New Mexico.
In addition to his Board of Director duties with the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute, he also serves as Scholarship Chairman and is a member of the Executive Steering Committee of the Yampa River Basin Partnership.
Director
Dave Smaldone
Dave is Managing Director of Fuel Handling and Delivery for PacifiCorp's Generation and Coal Handling Facilities. He is a 1974 Graduate of the Colorado School of Mines and earned an MBA from Utah State University in 2003. He has over 30 years experience in Coal Mining, Fuel Procurement and Electric Generation in the Rocky Mountain States and is a Registered Professional Engineer in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming.
Dave joined the RMCMI in 1997, had has been one of the most involved members. He was instrumental in producing the "Days of '47 Parade" float for RMCMI, a yearly event in Salt Lake City. He has also accepted the challenge of chairing a new committee for the Institute, Central Planning and Fundraising.
Dave, his wife, Sonia, and six children, live in Springville, Utah. They are active in their church and all enjoy outdoor activities including running, golfing, fishing, skiing, and four-wheeling.
Director
Randy Lehn
Randy is the Manager of Mine Engineering and Services of Peabody Energy, and has more than 20 years of experience in mining and construction engineering in Arizona. His career has included engineering, environmental compliance, and reclamation management positions with Peabody Western Coal Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Peabody Energy Corporation. Most recently, he serves as Manager, Mine Engineering and Services at the Kayenta and Black Mesa Mine Complex in Northeastern Arizona.
Randy holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering Technology from Northern Arizona University and is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Arizona.
Director
Denise Dragoo
Ms. Dragoo is an equity partner in Snell & Wilmer's Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Group. Prior to joining Snell & Wilmer, she was in private practice and served as Special Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Natural Resources, advising the Utah Board and Division of Oil, Gas & Mining and the Utah Energy Office. As Special Assistant Utah Attorney General, she was responsible for drafting the Utah Coal Mining & Reclamation Act. In 1985, she was named the Natural Resource Lawyer of the Year by the Utah State Bar. In 1996, she received the Utah State Bar's Distinguished Service Award/Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law Section. She was the recipient of the 1997 Woman Lawyer of the Year award and the 2003 Dorathy Merrill Brothers Award (advancement of women in the legal profession). Her practice focuses on coal law, environmental law, water law, mineral title and public land matters. Ms. Dragoo practices before the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, the Utah Board of Oil, Gas & Mining, the United States Department of the Interior Board of Land Appeals and other state and federal administrative agencies.
Ms. Dragoo is a trustee and former member of the Executive Committee of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, Chair of the Public Lands Committee, Past Vice-Chair of the Mining Committee, American Bar Association, Section on Environment, Energy and Resources and was recently appointed to the Board of Directors, Utah Mining Association. Ms. Dragoo is a Fellow of the America Bar Foundation and recently completed her fourth term on the Board of Bar Commissioners, Utah State Bar Association. Ms. Dragoo is listed in THE BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA (Natural Resources Law). Member of Salt Lake County, Utah State Bar and American Bar Associations.
Regional Director
Robert Bartosh
Bob is Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Dakota Coal Company and is responsible for the environmental, fiscal and operational matters of Dakota Coal Company and Wyoming Lime Producers. Mr. Bartosh is a registered professional engineer and has a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Michigan Technological University. He also completed graduate work at Southern Illinois University towards a mining engineering degree.
Mr. Bartosh was appointed to his present position in 1998 and has 26 years experience in the mining industry. Since joining Basin Electric in 1988 he has held positions that included the responsibilities of fuel supply, real estate, contract administration and lime operations. He also serves on the boards of directors of the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute, the National Lime Association and the Greening Earth Society.
Mr. Bartosh is married and is the father of three children and grandfather of two. He coached both soccer and hockey when his children were in school. He is also an avid golfer and bowler.
Regional Director
Thomas G. Durham P.E.
Tom is Vice President of Planning & Engineering of Westmoreland Coal Company where he has been employed for seven years. Tom has over 37 years of experience in engineering and operations management in coal mining. Tom has been a member of RMCMI since 1996. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from University of Missouri at Rolla School of Mines and Metallurgy. He is a registered professional engineer in Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. In addition to RMCMI, Tom is a member of SME, ASCE and NSPE.
He has worked for production and consulting companies in all major coal regions in the United States. His operations and engineering experience has been focused mainly on large highly productive surface mine applications. His consulting experience includes international work in Colombia, Mexico and Indonesia. Tom and his wife Pam have three grown children and reside in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Regional Director
Hank McCabe
Hank's mining career began in 1976 at the Pittsburg & Midway Coal Mining Company's McKinley Mine near Gallup, New Mexico.
During those 31 years, his duties and jobs have included supervising the final reclamation seeding and mulching program, Front line Supervisor over reclamation final grading and topsoiling activities, dragline stripping, drilling & blasting, coal preparation and haulage, coal processing and shipping. He was Mine Supervisor on both off shifts, being in charge of the mine on that particular shift. Promotions have included General Mine Supervisor, Production Superintendent and currently Manager of Production. McKinley Mine supplies coal to southwest utilities in Arizona. Those utilities are Arizona Public Service Company, The Salt River Company, Tucson Electric Company, Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, and Abitibi Consolidated Company (a recycled newsprint facility). Currently APS is the mine's sole customer.
Hank has been married to Barbara for 10 years, and enjoy their children and grandchildren as often as possible (most of them reside in the Phoenix, AZ area). He took up the game of golf 4 years ago and has gotten hooked. He's a high handicap "hacker" but is improving just enough to keep going back for more. He enjoy sports, especially football and baseball.
He was born and raised in Window Rock, AZ, and has been a lifelong resident there.
Regional Director
Brad Lewis
Brad is currently the Director of Marketing and Sales for ICG ADDCAR Systems and blends his prior experiences in engineering, manufacturing, mining operations and consulting. His career progression from union laborer to board member is highlighted with opening markets (12 countries), launching new products (up to a $7,500,000 price tag) and closing profitable deals ($300 million acquisition).
Previous employers include: CONSOL Energy (summer employment during college); National Mines Corporation & Eastern Associated Coal (3 years)-underground mine foreman); John T. Boyd Company (14 years)-Consulting engineer and then head of sales and marketing; Joy Mining Machinery (4 years)-Product/business development and acquisitions; Hilti (2 years)-Product development and launch; and ICG ADDCAR Systems (since 2005)-Director of Marketing and Sales.
Academic credentials include MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and a Mining Engineering Degree from West Virginia University. Certifications include registered professional mining engineer and a certified mine foreman in West Virginia and Colorado.
Also serves as a Board Member for the National Mining Association's Manufacturers and Services Division and Holy Family Learning Institute.
Executive Director
Karen L. Inzano
Karen is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Institute. She is guided by the Board of Directors.
Prior to her appointment to this position in 2000, she owned and operated an advertising agency since 1973. Her company received a four-page write up in Colorado Business Magazine. Awards include the Small Business Person of the Year Award from the Jeffco Chamber and Champion of Free Enterprise from SWAP. Her advertising won numerous awards from various entities.
In 1988 she was Chairman of the Board of Lakewood/Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. Listed in four different Who's Who publications, she has served on the Board of Directors or Advisory Boards of numerous business, government, educational, and non-profit entities. Karen has taught classes in business, management, personal growth and advertising at the local Community College and numerous high schools.
Her volunteer work has included DECA, PTA, Sister Cities International, AMC Cancer Research, American Cancer, Jeffco Action Center, Church, Youth Baseball, YMCA, many local election campaigns, and Jefferson County Court School.
Professional society memberships include Women Business Owners, Typographers International, and Colorado Society of Association Executives.
Karen and her husband Al have three grown children and seven grandchildren. She enjoys travel and is working on golf so that she can play in some of the Institute tournaments.
Treasurer
Tarra Nuss
Tarra graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from University of Nebraska and a Master's in Business Administration in Finance and Accounting from Regis University. She has worked with Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute for the past 5 years as accounting support working closing with Karen Inzano and the Institute's CPA.
Tarra operates her own accounting firm specializing in QuickBooks consulting and bookkeeping/accounting support. She also works full-time as Administrator for a two physician ophthalmology practice in Denver, Colorado.
Tarra and her husband Christian, both originally from Nebraska, moved to Colorado in 2000 and currently reside in Castle Rock. Their first child, Regan William, was born in January.