Directors

Chairman
Director since 2013
Member of the Audit Committees

Mr. Grandey has over 40 years of executive leadership in the mining industry.  He is the former Chief Executive Officer of Canadian-based Cameco Corporation, one of the world’s largest uranium producers.  In 2010, Harvard Business Review recognized Mr. Grandey as being one of the Top 100 CEOs in the world because of the value created for shareholders during his tenure at Cameco.  After 18 years with Cameco, he retired as Chief Executive Officer and as a director in 2011.  Previously, he held senior executive positions with Concord Services and Energy Fuels Nuclear.  Mr. Grandey was recognized in 2014 for leadership in the nuclear industry with the U.S. Nuclear Energy Institutes’ William S. Lee Award; inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame in 2013; awarded the Canadian Nuclear Association’s Ian McRae Award in 2012 for his work in advancing nuclear energy in Canada; and was nominated for the 2011 Oslo Business for Peace Award in recognition of his efforts to facilitate nuclear disarmament.  He is the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Colorado School of Mines Foundation and is Chairman Emeritus for the London-based World Nuclear Association.  Mr. Grandey is a former board member of Nutrien Ltd. (2018–2019), Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (2011–2018), Cameco Corporation (1999–2011), Centerra Gold Inc. (2004–2010), Inmet Mining Corporation (2012–2013), Sandspring Resources Ltd. (2010–2015) and Canadian Oil Sands Limited (2011–2016).  He has a degree in geophysical engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and a law degree from Northwestern University.

Director since 2022
President and CEO

Brent Berg is an environmental engineer and project management professional with over 25 years’ experience in the mining and mineral processing industry, including 16 years in mine management roles and over 11 years working for in-situ recovery operations. His experience includes leading performance teams in operations, mine development, environmental protection, health and safety, regulatory and government relations, and project management. Mr. Berg was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and as a director of the Company in November 2022. Mr. Berg previously worked for Taseko Mines as General Manager of the Florence Copper Project from April 2020 to October 2022 and for Excelsior Mining Corp. as Vice President of Sustainability, Health & Safety from January 2019 to April 2020. Prior to that, Mr. Berg spent over 20 years at Cameco Corporation in various roles, including as President of Cameco Resources, where he was responsible for oversight of the company’s U.S. in-situ uranium operations in Wyoming and Nebraska from 2013 to 2018, General Manager of Cameco Corporation’s Smith Ranch – Highland Operation from 2011–2013, and Director of Environmental Leadership from 2010–2011. Mr. Berg is a registered Professional Engineer with a B.A.Sc. in Regional Environmental Systems Engineering from the University of Regina and an MBA from the University of Regina.

Director since 2019
Member of the Audit Committee 

Mr. Brundage currently serves as President (since May 2021) of Cordillera Corporation (“Cordillera”), an affiliate of General Atomics and Synchron.  In his current role and prior role as Executive Vice President (June 2007–May 2021), Mr. Brundage is and has been responsible for the day to day management of Cordillera’s real estate operations in Colorado, Utah, and California.  In addition, he has served as Chairman of the board of directors (since June 2007) of jetCenters, Inc. (“JCI”), a subsidiary of Cordillera, an aviation fueling operation, and as Chairman of the board of directors (since January 2021) of Ohio Gas Company, an affiliated company of Cordillera, which operates as a regulated gas utility based in Bryan, Ohio.  Mr. Brundage also serves as a director and/or executive officer for several other Cordillera-affiliated companies (2007–Present), including San Miguel Valley Corporation, Silver Cliff Land And Cattle Company, Colorado Barns Corporation, First City Investment Corporation, Lamartine Consolidated Mines Corporation, Boston Commons, Inc., Oceanic Exploration Company, Oceanic International Properties Corporation, and Sorrento West Properties, Inc.  Prior to his current position with Cordillera and its affiliates, Mr. Brundage served as the Chief Financial Officer of JCI (July 1996–May 2007).  Prior to his position with JCI, Mr. Brundage was employed by Brundage & Company (June 1985–July 1996), a regional investment banking firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions and long-term corporate financing.  At Brundage & Company, he was employed in various capacities in the family-managed business, including Vice President, Senior Financial Analyst, and Analyst. He continues to serve as a member of Brundage & Company’s board of directors (since 1980).  Mr. Brundage received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Fort Lewis College and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Denver.

Director since 2022
Chair of Nominating, Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee

Ms. Champine has served as Vice President and General Counsel of Cordillera, an affiliate of General Atomics, since July 2007, and previously served as Cordillera’s Legal Counsel (July 2001–July 2007).  She has served as the President and a director of San Miguel Valley Corporation, a subsidiary of Cordillera, since June 2007 and July 2009, respectively.  In addition, since May 2010, Ms. Champine has served as the President and a director of Oceanic Exploration Company, an oil and gas exploration company affiliated with Cordillera.  From May 1998 to June 2001, she was a real estate and land development lawyer at the law firm of Otten, Johnson, Robinson, Neff & Ragonetti, P.C.  From June 1993 to August 1995, Ms. Champine served as a project engineer for Peter Kiewit & Sons in Utah and Colorado on heavy-highway projects.  She received her Bachelor of Science in Structural Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver.

Director since 2022
Member of Nominating, Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee

Kelli C. Kast has over 25 years of in-house legal experience, including seven years as a top legal officer in the precious metals industry, and 10 years in the rare earth industry. She has served as a consultant of Rare Element Resources, Inc., a subsidiary of the Company, since June 2015. From July 2012 to May 2015, Ms. Kast served as the Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Administrative Officer and Corporate Secretary of the Company. She served as Coeur d’Alene Mine Corporation’s Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary from May 2005 to March 2009 and as its Chief Administrative Officer from March 2009 to December 2011. From 2004 to 2005, Ms. Kast served as Corporate Counsel for HealtheTech Inc. From 1997 to 2003, she served as the Assistant General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Global Water Technologies Inc. and Psychrometric Systems, Inc. Ms. Kast earned her Juris Doctor from the University of South Dakota School of Law and her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho.

Director since 2017
Member of Nominating, Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee

Mr. Roberts is the President and Chief Executive Officer of General Atomics Uranium Resources LLC (since August 2007), which owns the stock of several General Atomics affiliated uranium companies.  These affiliates include Rio Grande Resources Corporation and Nuclear Fuels Corporation, which have uranium properties in the United States and market uranium worldwide; Baywood Holdings Inc., which owns the Australian uranium mining and exploration companies Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd and Quasar Resources Pty Ltd; and General Atomics Energy Services, Inc., which is a partner in ConverDyn.  Mr. Roberts holds the following positions at the indicated privately held companies, all of which are affiliates of General Atomics: President of Systems Integration, LLC (since September 2017), General Atomics Global Corporation (since December 2019), and General Atomics Aeronautical UK Ltd (since December 2011); Senior Vice President of General Atomics (since August 2016); and Director of Sequoyah Fuels International Corp. (since July 2016), Diazyme Laboratories Inc. (since July 2016), Aeronautical Systems Inc. (since July 2018) and Synchron (since September 2017).  His previous positions at General Atomics include 19 years as Senior Vice President of the Advanced Technologies Group of General Atomics (June 1988–August 2007), where he was responsible for divisions involved in the development and application of advanced technologies for defense, energy and transport applications.  Previously, he held staff positions performing research and development in support of advanced nuclear reactor programs (June 1968–June 1988).  Prior to joining General Atomics, Mr. Roberts was associated with the General Electric Company (May 1967–May 1968), where he was involved in development and manufacture of military re-entry vehicles, and with Rolls Royce and Associates (U.K.) supporting design and construction of nuclear submarine reactors for the Royal Navy.  Mr. Roberts was educated at London University and received an MIM (Materials Engineering) in 1960.  He is a registered professional engineer in California, a chartered engineer (U.K.), and a member of numerous professional associations.

Director since 2013
Financial Expert and Chair of Audit Committee

Mr. Shonk has 43 years of experience in the copper, molybdenum, gold, coal, iron ore, industrial minerals and lithium extractive and processing industries, holding positions as a financial executive at operational, divisional and corporate levels.  Mr. Shonk is one of the founding partners and Board Secretary of Cupric Canyon Capital LLC (“Cupric”), a private equity company in partnership with Global Natural Resource Investments (formerly a unit of Barclays Bank PLC).  Cupric’s wholly owned affiliate, Khoemacau Copper Mining (Pty) Ltd, holds a large high-grade copper-silver project in Botswana that began operations in July 2021 after nine years of exploration and development.  He served as Cupric’s Chief Executive Officer from February 2012 to March 2013 and as its Chief Financial Officer from January 2010 to February 2012.  Prior to his Cupric involvement, Mr. Shonk served as Vice President of Financial and Operational Analysis at Phelps Dodge Corporation and Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. from 1999 through 2009.  Mr. Shonk also served as Controller and/or Chief Financial Officer in various divisions of Cyprus Amax Mineral Company and its predecessor mining companies beginning in 1979.  Mr. Shonk is the former chairman of the audit committee of the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (2010-2016).  From 2001 to 2009, he served on the board of directors and as chairman of the audit committee of Apache Nitrogen Products Inc.  He obtained his undergraduate degree in Economics from Indiana University, a master’s degree in Mineral Economics from Colorado School of Mines and an MBA from the University of Colorado – Denver.