Elected Directors

Trish Jacques, Chair
RODA Holdings Inc.
Read BioTrish Jacques, a 10 year member of AME, has had a lifetime involvement in the minerals industry from a variety of different personal and professional experiences. She has grown up on a number of mining properties throughout the province and is personally vested and involved in the Davidson Deposit in Smithers BC (former Yorke-Hardy Deposit). With 12 years of political experience at the municipal, provincial and federal levels, she has been a strong advocate and participant in a number of mining initiatives. For 11 years, Trish was a Municipal Councillor for the District of Mackenzie and took the lead position of the Mining Portfolio to connect with and advocate for mining projects, communities and companies in her area. She was directly involved with the Environmental Assessment process for Mt. Milligan mine as well as a founding and long-standing member of the Community Sustainability Committee.
Trish was the Regional Director for the College of New Caledonia (CNC), she initiated the development and creation of multiple courses for the BCIT online Mineral Exploration and Mining Technology program, created the Mining Industry Certificate for CNC and also instructed entry level mining courses for the College of New Caledonia. She has extensive experience collaborating and working with First Nations communities and was responsible for leading and implementing the regional Aboriginal Services Plan.
She has attended many Mineral’s North conferences, assisted in fundraising for the 2015 Mineral’s North Organizing Committee, was a key note speaker for Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) as well as a member on BCIT’s Mining Program Advisory Committee. Trish holds the Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation and has a MA in Leadership and Training degree. Additionally she has held a number of management and consulting roles to support businesses with organizational culture development, system optimization and Human Resources best practices in Advanced Education, Forestry and Pulp & Paper industries. Trish is passionate about land access for resource for exploration and development, regulatory processes that support mineral exploration and the communities that we live in.

Eleanor Black, Vice-Chair
Equity Exploration
Read BioMrs. Black is a Partner and Senior Geologist with Equity Exploration, a leading provider of geological expertise and project management services for all stages of the exploration and mining cycle. Over the course of 15+ years industry experience, Eleanor has worked through positions of increasing responsibility with major and mid-tier mining companies including Goldfields and B2Gold Corp.
Her foundational years as a field geologist were focused on gold and base metal exploration projects in northern Canada performing integral roles on Prefeasibility to Feasibility level field programs. Eleanor is a registered Professional Geoscientist with EGBC, a graduate of the University of British Columbia (B.Sc.) and a Qualified Person as defined by NI43-101.
As board member for multiple not-for profit-organizations she has been able to contribute to the communities where she lives and works. This includes a director role with the Mineral Deposit Division of the Geological Association of Canada (MDD-GAC), and two childcare organizations each with active multi-year board positions.
Eleanor was born and raised in BC’s lower mainland where she now resides with her family.

Laura Tennent, Vice-Chair
TerraLogic Exploration
Read BioLaura graduated with a B.Sc in Earth and Environmental Sciences from the University of British Columbia in 2014. Having worked on various exploration and mining operations in both British Columbia and Saskatchewan, she is currently working as a geologist and project manager for TerraLogic Exploration.
Her experience in the industry has included all aspects of mineral exploration, including: water, biogeochemical, till and soil sampling, prospecting, core cutting, geoteching, core logging, mapping, drill management, budget management, permitting, QAQC and management of data, and gamma-ray spectrometer surveying and reporting. Laura has had the opportunity to work at many notable projects and sites including Eskay Creek, Snip, Dolly Varden Silver, and the Gibraltar mine. From these projects and many others, she has gained technical and project management experience in VMS, vein hosted and structurally controlled gold, porphyry and epithermal silver-gold-base metal deposits.

Sharyn Alexander
Sun Summit Metals Corp.
ReadSharyn Alexander is an accomplished mining professional with over 20 years of diversified experience in mineral exploration and mining. She currently serves as President of Sun Summit Minerals Corp., a junior exploration company with projects in British Columbia, where she leads the company’s strategic planning, operational management, and stakeholder engagement. Her professional journey spans roles with major and junior mining companies, including Barrick Gold, B2Gold, and SRK Consulting, where she contributed to exploration and development programs across North America, Australia, and beyond. Her expertise in technical datasets, GIS, and project management complements her skills in business development, corporate finance, and investor relations.
A strong advocate for responsible resource development, Sharyn has been instrumental in fostering relationships with local communities and Indigenous Nations, negotiating agreements that create mutual benefits and economic opportunities. She is an active volunteer with the Association for Mineral Exploration (AME) BC, serving on the Mineral Tenure Act Advisory Group, ensuring policy development aligns with the needs of AME members while addressing public and Indigenous concerns. Outside her professional pursuits, she enjoys exploring British Columbia’s natural beauty through outdoor activities like hiking and backpacking.

Albert Chong
AC GeoAdvisory Ltd.
Read BioAlbert Chong is a semi-retired, professional geologist providing geological advisory services on a part-time basis. Albert has a wide range of progressive industry experience spanning more than three decades and has worked on projects and mineral deposits located on six continents. This includes actively contributing to the technical due diligence for precious metal streaming agreements worth more than US$8B while employed as the Director and Senior Director, Geology with Wheaton Precious Metals Corp.
Albert’s other geological industry experiences include exploration, development, mining, mineral resource estimation and consulting on projects and operations hosting a variety of mineral deposit types and commodities. During his early career, Albert was a member of the Noranda Exploration team credited with discovering the Eagle River gold deposit near Wawa, Ontario. The deposit is still being actively mined today.
Albert’s enthusiasm for giving back to our industry is demonstrated through his ongoing volunteer work with AME’s Board of Directors (since 2022), Finance committee (2024), and the Roundup Organizing Committee (since 2016; Co-chair (RU2025) and Vice-chair (RU2023-24)). He has also delivered technical talks for industry and students at U.B.C. and B.C.I.T. Albert is a Professional Geoscientist (EGBC), has his M.Sc.-Exploration Geoscience (CODES, University of Tasmania, Australia), and B.Sc.-Geology (McMaster University, Ontario). He and his family reside in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia.

Janice Fingler
MICA Network @ UBC BRIMM
Read BioJanice is a life-long explorer – with a diverse career by design. She is currently a member of the UBC BRIMM team (Bradshaw Research Institute for Minerals and Mining), as the BC & Yukon Innovation Lead for the pan-Canadian MICA Network. BRIMM is one of 6 partner organizations that supports small-medium businesses that are creating technology solutions for challenges experienced across the mining value chain – including exploration. She has previously dedicated more than 30 years to mineral exploration in BC and across Canada as a professional geoscientist, leading project teams, and providing strategic and operational advice to the C-suite. As a specialist in bridging silos, she has fostered collaboration among diverse team members, consultants, service providers, and executives to advance projects. Some of which became producing mines, while others navigated through the peaks and valleys of market conditions, towards successful pivots.
From those experiences, it was the many informal stories she heard about risks and uncertainties faced by explorers, that inspired Janice to become an active supporter and ongoing volunteer for AME. To help them navigate that space, she served on AME’s Health and Safety committee for 5 years, and in 2017, was honoured with the AME Dave Barr Award, for Innovation & Leadership in Health and Safety in chairing and leading a diverse volunteer team in developing fresh approaches to training. Known for her willingness to move “towards”, both into the unknown and also to build bridges in spots of tension, these involvements have more recently inspired Janice to introduce and promote the core practices of successful explorers as participatory strategies to navigate change in the wider industry: pattern spotting, inquiry and deep listening, collaborative action and feedback loops. Because no one can see it all.

Sally Goodman
Newmont
Read BioSally Goodman is Head, Global Discovery for Newmont, spearheading the drive to discovery across the company’s global portfolio of early-stage exploration projects. Before joining Newmont she was Chief Geoscientist with Atlantic Gold, following five years with Goldcorp in a variety of technical positions in the Vancouver corporate team. Prior to that she travelled globally as a consultant in structural geology with SRK Consulting, after holding various lecturing and research posts in universities in Canada and the UK. She has a PhD in Economic Geology and MSc in Mineral Exploration from the Royal School of Mines, London (UK), and BSc Geological Sciences from Leeds University (UK).
Sally is currently Chair of the Mineral Deposits Research Unit, University of British Columbia; Member of the Future Minerals Working Group, University of British Columbia, and Society of Economic Geologists Thayer-Lindsay Visiting Lecturer for 2023.

Keivan Hirji
Newmont
ReadKeivan is an expert in corporate affairs and sustainable natural resource development. He has held senior political, public service, and private sector roles where he has worked to responsibly bring Canadian commodities to world markets while ensuring local communities were involved in decision-making and benefited from resource development. Keivan is currently Director, External Relations & Communications for Canada with Newmont. In this role, he leads government relations, Indigenous relations, and major strategic initiatives across North America and provides expert counsel to senior executives. Keivan also sits on the board of Mining Association of British Columbia, on the Public Affairs and Indigenous Relations Committees for Mining Association Canada, and serves as the Board Vice-Chair of YMCA BC.
Keivan holds a Masters in Global Business through a joint program between University of Victoria, University of Glasgow, and Chulalongkorn University of Thailand and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science through University of Victoria. He also holds a Certificate in Mining Law through Osgoode Law School and a Certificate in International Trade through the Forum for International Trade Training and Export Development Canada.

C. Paul Jago
Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd.
Read BioPaul Jago is Chief Geologist for Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. and a Professional Geologist with Engineers and Geoscientists BC. He is based in Prince George, British Columbia. Prior to joining Pacific Ridge, Paul was Exploration Manager with Centerra Gold Services Inc. (to June 2022) and BC Regional Geologist for the Northcentral-Northeast regions with Ministry of Energy & Mines (to June 2017).
He is a UBC graduate where he completed studies with the Mineral Deposit Research Unit. In his career, Paul has worked mainly in BC and Southwestern USA, with several years of field and office work for mineral exploration companies in northcentral BC followed by additional years of near-mine exploration with Freeport-McMoRan in Arizona and Colorado before returning to BC.
A paper summarizing his M.Sc. thesis on the Mt. Milligan porphyry gold-copper deposit was published in 2014 by in Economic Geology.
Paul has managed a range of exploration programs with a strong focus on team building and collaboration. As Chief Geologist with Pacific Ridge, Paul has returned to several of the projects he followed previously as BC Regional Geologist and is bringing new ideas in exploration of these.

Carmen Jensen
UBC, Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering
Read BioCarmen’s background is in Geology (BSC Geology, 1993, UBC) and Education (B.Ed. 1997, M.Ed, 2016, UBC). She first worked in the mining industry as a student in the early nineties at Myra Falls and Premier Gold doing dirt bagging and water monitoring.
After graduating, Carmen worked as a Geology and Science Teacher in the K-12 system in BC and Alberta, which started her life-long passion for teaching young minds about this amazing industry. Since 2011, she has been employed by the University of British Columbia, Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering, managing and directing the Master of Engineering Program.
She has had the opportunity to recruit, evaluate and advise students from all over the world and through this work has developed a broad knowledge of international educational programs for mining and geosciences.
Most recently, her program has set up UBC Applied Science’s first graduate certificate program in Mine Waste Management and she continues to develop other educational programs for the department with input from government, industry and communities. Her ongoing goal is to make lifelong learning accessible and flexible to people throughout their careers. She enjoys working in mining and looking for opportunities to attract people to careers in this industry.

Maggie Layman
Teck Resources Limited
Read BioMs. Maggie Layman is a professional geologist with 20 years mineral exploration experience across diverse ore deposits in North America. She is currently Manager of Exploration for Canada and the USA at Teck Resources Limited Before joining Teck, Maggie was the Vice President of Exploration for Osisko Development Corp. where she led the Cariboo Gold Project team from exploration to feasibility, earning the AME Spud Huestis Award for her contributions to the project. She holds a B.Sc. from Memorial University of Newfoundland and is registered as a Professional Geologist with the Association of Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia.
Maggie has actively volunteered with AME since 2014 and joined its board in 2022. Her volunteer roles have included serving on the Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Committee (2014–2020), the Roundup Committee (2018), and the Mentorship Program (2019–2021). She is dedicated to advancing exploration projects by building skilled, diverse teams, tackling technical challenges, and promoting strong ESG performance.
As a director, her focus would be to leverage her exploration and volunteering experience to support AME in advocacy and partnerships that protect and promote the interests of mineral
explorers and developers operating, or based, in British Columbia.

Jane McCaw
New Gold Inc/New Afton Mine
ReadWith 35 years of experience in the mining industry, Jane McCaw is a dedicated professional who has developed extensive expertise in land and mineral title management across Canada, regulatory major mines permitting, mineral exploration permitting, and underground gold and base metals mining throughout her career.
Jane has had the privilege of working at several prominent mining areas in the industry, including the Hemlo Gold camp, Hoyle Pond and Detour Lake Mine in Ontario, plus the Sullivan Mine, Barrick’s Eskay Creek Mine, and the New Afton Mine in British Columbia. Her technical skills in sampling protocols and data management have contributed to numerous successful exploration and development projects. She excels in ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and managing mineral land records and data, while optimizing resource extraction practices.
Jane is currently Principal – Regulatory Permitting and Corporate Land Management with New Gold Inc/New Afton Mine. In her off-work time, Jane is the President of the Kamloops Exploration Group, where she champions the BC mining and mineral exploration communities. Positive relationships with local communities, industry, and First Nations groups are a priority to her, in all aspects of her life.

Thomas Mumford
Scottie Resources Corp
Read BioThomas is an exploration geologist specializing in magmatic mineral deposits and alpine geological mapping. He has extensive technical and project management experience in Au, REE, Cu-porphyry, and U deposits. He is a registered professional geologist with Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC), and currently acts as the Vice President, Exploration for Scottie Resources Corp. He has served as a lecturer at Carleton University and British Columbia Institute of Technology. He holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from University of New Brunswick, and was awarded the Leopold Gélinas medal for the best M.Sc. thesis from the GAC Volcanology and Igneous Petrology division. He holds a Ph.D. from Carleton University focused on magmatic controls of the Nechalacho REE deposit in the NWT.

Kevin O’Callaghan
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Read BioKevin O’Callaghan is a partner with Fasken in Vancouver and the Leader of the firm’s Indigenous Law group. He is also the regional Lead for the Corporate Social Responsibility Law group. Kevin has been involved in the AME BC for a number of years, most recently was elected by the Board to serve as Vice-Chair of the Board.
Providing strategic advice on Indigenous, regulatory, environmental and other corporate social responsibility issues, Kevin advises mining clients throughout Western and Northern Canada, and around the world. Kevin provides strategic advice on managing projects through environmental assessment and consultation with Indigenous peoples, including advice on negotiations and agreements. However, if unavoidable conflicts arise during project development, Kevin appears before courts to assist his resource clients on challenges to licenses by local communities (including injunctions).
Kevin was counsel for a coalition of businesses in two critical aboriginal cases at the Supreme Court of Canada: first on a leading case on Indigenous consultation and accommodation (Haida Nation v. B.C.); and second, on the leading case on Indigenous title (Tsilhqot’in Nation v. B.C.). He has also recently been representing AME BC in the challenges to the mineral tenure system in British Columbia.

Andrea Ross
Galore Creek Mining Corporation
Read BioAndrea Ross holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from the University of Saskatchewan and worked as geologist in western Canada for 7 years in a variety of roles including geological mapping, prospecting, stream & sediment sampling, overseeing drill programs and as production geologist at an open pit copper mine. Following her time as a field geologist Andrea joined the Ministry of Energy and Mines in the NW Region as an Inspector of Mines focused on permitting.
In her 8 years with the Ministry, Andrea was focused on improving the review and adjudication process, including consultation associated with Notice of Work applications, and ensuring operators understood their responsibilities under their approvals. Andrea is currently Manager, Indigenous and Regulatory Affairs with Galore Creek Mining Corporation based out of their Smithers office.

Darcy Vis
Tripoint Geological Services Ltd.
Read BioDarcy Vis was born and raised in northern British Columbia. Growing up in the forests and mountains he developed a strong connection to the land, its people, and its rocks that persists to this day. His journey into geology began at the age of sixteen, conducting till sampling and terrain mapping northwest of Prince George. In the seventeen years since, he has contributed to numerous mineral exploration projects spanning British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, the Yukon, and the United States. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Earth and Ocean Science from the University of Victoria and is a Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) with Engineers and Geoscientists BC.
Currently, Darcy is the President and Co-Founder of Tripoint Geological Services Ltd., a full-service exploration consulting company that has been in operation since 2019. Tripoint provides technical expertise, equipment, and personnel for exploration projects from initial staking to definition drilling. Darcy is also the owner of a specialized geological tool design startup, a privately held mineral exploration project generator, and is the Vice President Exploration for Red Pony Exploration Ltd. He enjoys quietly innovating and building sustainable systems and team environments that work well, and benefit everyone involved.
Darcy lives in Victoria, BC with his wife and dog. When not in the office, he can be found excitedly pointing out roadside outcrops on family vacations, walking with his head down looking for rocks on hikes, and breaking pace to check out outcrops while training for marathons.

Chris Wild
Wildrock Resources Consulting & Drafting
Read BioChris Wild has over 35 years of experience associated with a wide range of mineral exploration and development projects and operating mines, mainly in BC, but extending to South America and Africa. He has served in executive positions for several BC-based junior mining companies and in senior technical roles at a number of BC mines including Goldstream and Mount Polley for Imperial Metals. As Project Manager with KGHM’s Ajax Project near Kamloops, B.C., he led the Project’s Environmental Assessment application process with the BC Government (EAO). Chris takes a consensus-based approach to mineral exploration and development. In roles in Canada and overseas he has managed exploration and development programs, spending considerable time meeting with local community leaders, addressing issues ranging from employment opportunities and local environmental concerns, to support for healthcare and education infrastructure.
Currently, Chris is Exploration Manager for Red Canyon Resources where he leads exploration planning, permitting activities and community engagement. He is a graduate of the Geological Engineering program at the University of British Columbia and is a Registered Professional Engineer in BC.
Appointed Directors

Sam Adkins
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Read BioSam is a lawyer primarily serving clients in the resource sector, with a strong focus on Indigenous and project development matters. His practice is national in scope, acting for clients across Canada on a wide range of Indigenous law issues, including consultation, negotiation and the regulatory process.
Sam has significant industry expertise in the exploration and mining sector, and has represented clients on commercial and transactional matters across all project phases.
Sam is recognized as a leading lawyer on Indigenous law and natural resource matters in a number of national publications and rankings, including Chambers Canada: Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business, the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, and the Legal 500 Canada.

Vesta Filipchuk
NorthWest Copper
Read Biois a recognized leader in sustainability and social, environmental, and governance (ESG) management and performance. She has over 30 years of experience in community engagement, public consultation, Indigenous relations and negotiations, environmental assessment, and water use planning. Over the last fifteen years, Vesta has worked in the mining sector where she held positions with Teck Exploration and the Galore Creek project. In 2021, she returned to her consulting practice at Liard Consulting to support mining and exploration companies and took on the role of VP Sustainability at NorthWest Copper.
Vesta has a history of building strong relationships and implementing innovative programs using collaborative planning and decision methods that bring together companies, governments, and Indigenous leadership and communities to achieve sustainable benefits. During her time at Teck, she mentored many junior and senior geoscientists in the art and science of ESG and was instrumental in changing management’s perspective on the value and importance of meaningful engagement and economic partnerships with Indigenous communities across Canada and parts of North America.
Working with Indigenous governments and teams Vesta applies her knowledge of environmental science, cross cultural awareness, and business acumen to develop strategies related to sustainability and economic reconciliation. Vesta has an MA and BSC in Geography focused on Natural Resources Management and Policy from the University of Victoria and a Diploma in Environmental Science from Lethbridge.

Geena Jackson
Indigenous Initiatives Inc. and Bears' Lair
ReadGeena Jackson is a devoted advocate for Indigenous rights, self-determination, and economic development with over 25 years of experience serving First Nation communities and the industry at large. As a proud member of the Shishalh Nation (Sechelt), she is deeply committed to strengthening Indigenous communities through strategic partnerships with industry experts and government bodies.
Over the years, Geena has been instrumental in helping over 800 Indigenous entrepreneurs grow their businesses and social enterprises.
Her commitment to Indigenous economic growth has only grown with the creation of the Bears’ Lair TV show on APTN. Geena created and is a core judge on the Bears Lair TV show and has been successful with two seasons so far. This unique platform is dedicated to supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs on a national scale, offering them exposure, guidance, and opportunities to scale their ventures and an opportunity to win a grand prize of $100,000.
In addition, Geena has created the Bears’ Lair Youth Dream Camps that teach Indigenous youth 11-18 years old all over Canada about entrepreneurism, life skills and creating tools for success in their futures. To date she has facilitated 25 camps in 2023 and will be facilitating 40 additional camps for 2024, educating, elevating, and inspiring over 1000 Indigenous youth across the country.
Geena’s passion for fostering economic development within Indigenous communities, combined with her wealth of experience and entrepreneurial spirit, makes her an impactful figure in the realm of Indigenous economic advancement. Through her initiatives, she continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Indigenous economies and future Indigenous Leaders.

Elaine Jang
Independent
ReadElaine is an accomplished leader with over 25 years of corporate experience. She has expertise in financial planning & analysis, financial & operational reporting, business process improvement, along with cost and project management. Her nearly two decades of mining industry experience is complemented with career experiences in engineering consulting, utility and telecom industries.
Executive leadership and board experience was started with PDO Solutions as co-founder and expanded with a term on the Advisory Council of CTEM where she currently serves as finance committee chair. In support of the Mining & Exploration industry, she has volunteered with industry community initiatives including Mining for Miracles and Soup Sisters.
Elaine was the Director of Finance of Allnorth Consultants Ltd, a multidisciplinary engineering, construction services and project delivery firm. Prior to joining Allnorth, she was an independent consultant with BC Hydro and TELUS supporting the complex financial requirements of their joint use governance committees. Elaine also has expertise in project accounting and cost management on major capital construction projects through PDO Solutions, a firm she co-founded, and at Hatch Ltd, a global engineering consultancy. Through these experiences she has demonstrated her ability to work collaboratively, communicate effectively and build trust.
Elaine is a graduate of BCIT, in Financial Management, and holds an Executive MBA from Simon Fraser University. She is certified as a Prosci Change Practitioner and Prince2 Agile Practitioner.

Sean Kennedy
ReadHappily married and with two little kids, Sean Kennedy is dedicated to working to preserve their rights to earn a living in a healthy British Columbia exploration industry. Born, raised, and residing in the East Kootenay, Sean is a fourth-generation Kootenay area prospector. His earliest memories are of being dragged around in the bush by his dad and two older brothers, all of whom are still active, full-time prospectors in BC. Sean is a sole-proprietor and has worked full-time in the exploration industry since 1999, both as a contract prospector and as an independent property generator. Throughout those years he’s seen some good times but has also had to take shares for debt.
Sean is an active member of the East Kootenay Chamber of Mines (EKCM) working on advocacy, conference planning, and helping manage the EKCM Core Library. He works closely with several junior exploration companies that operate in BC and abroad. He and his family have optioned numerous properties to junior and major companies in BC.

Bernie Kreft
Read BioBernie Kreft is a born and raised Yukoner who operates a family-run private prospecting business active throughout BC and the Yukon. The business specializes in the identification, acquisition and development of early-stage exploration projects along with operating a seasonal placer gold mine in the Yukon. These pursuits have led to him being named Yukon Prospector of the Year in 1998 and his family being highlighted on the TV show, Yukon Gold.
Bernie currently sits on the advisory board of Kestrel Gold and Gambier Gold and has signed numerous option deals with a wide variety of public and private companies. He knows that an environment that fosters early-stage exploration is absolutely critical to the long-term health of the entire industry and that community engagement is key to helping dispel myths and negative perceptions that often surround the industry.
A physical fitness buff, Bernie also enjoys Scrabble, strategy games and watching hockey. He can be found on Twitter at his personal account @Bernie_Kreft dispensing snippets of “gold” as well as posting videos and pictures of his various prospecting adventures.
Ex-Officio

Gavin C. Dirom
Geoscience BC
Read BioGavin is well known as a trusted professional with an extensive business and government network and industry profile in Canada.
Gavin has over 25 years of experience in the Canadian mineral exploration and mining industry, with a focus on government and stakeholder relations, industry advocacy, not-for-profit association management and governance, public policy development, corporate affairs and project permitting, safety, environmental management and sustainability.
Gavin holds a M.Sc. degree in Environmental Management from Royal Roads University and a B.Sc. in Physical Geography and Environmental Science from the University of Victoria. He is also a registered Professional Agrologist (P.Ag.) in the Province of British Columbia. His M.Sc. thesis and hydrogeology-related research of the Lynx underground mine on Vancouver Island was undertaken with the Geological Survey of Canada.
By invitation of the BC and Canadian governments, Gavin has represented the mineral exploration and mining industry on a number of domestic and international trade and investment missions.
Gavin continues to serve on a number of academic, industry and government-related committees and boards.

Michael Goehring
Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC)
Read BioMichael Goehring joined the Mining Association of British Columbia as President and CEO in 2019. Mr. Goehring brings more than 20 years’ experience providing public affairs and strategic communications counsel to many of Canada’s leading natural resource companies. He joined MABC following a successful career as a partner in the Vancouver office of Canada’s largest communications firm. Michael has built a strong reputation for advancing challenging public policy files and delivering successful advocacy and communications campaigns. He brings expertise in a number of communications disciplines, including reputation management, issues and crisis management, corporate relations, media relations, stakeholder and community relations, government relations, advocacy and regulatory affairs.
Michael is a member of the Public Affairs Association of Canada, serves as vice president of the board of the Vancouver Thunderbird Minor Hockey Association, and is past president of the board of directors of the Turning Point Recovery Society.
A native of British Columbia, he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of British Columbia and pursued Graduate Studies in International Political Economy at Simon Fraser University.
Past Presidents

Keerit Jutla (2023-2025)

Kendra Johnston (2019-2023)

Edie Thome (2017-2019)

Gavin C Dirom (2008-2017)

R.E. Legg (1961-1962)

Dr. Christopher Riley (1959-1960)

James A Pike (1958)

Henry L Hill (1956-1957)

Stanley J Crocker (1955)

Dr Harry V Warren (1952-1954)

Mel O’Brien (1947 – 1951)

A E Jukes (1942-1946)

Gomer P Jones (1941)

Dr. William Brenton Burnett (1935-1940)

Dr Victor Dolmage (1930-1934)

Frank E Woodside (1922-1928)

James M Lay (1921)

Nicol Thompson (1916, 1917 and 1929)

Prof John M Turnbull (1915)

Dean Reginald W Brock (1914)

Hon Lytton Wilmot Shatford (1913)

Robert Rist Hedley (1912)
Staff

Jonathan Buchanan
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
778-840-0620 | [email protected]
As Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Jonathan is responsible for advancing policy initiatives that impact mineral exploration and development. These initiatives are wide-ranging and include permitting, reconciliation, land access and use, geoscience, and financial incentives among many other topics. Jonathan also helps to drive AME’s three-year strategic work plan by ensuring the annual work plans are completed and members are kept informed.
Read MoreJonathan joined AME in 2005. Jonathan grew up in the mining town of Elliot Lake, Ontario, and first moved to BC to study at the University of British Columbia, graduating with a B.A. in Geography. In addition to a background in communications for the mineral exploration and mining sector, Jonathan has studied, lived, and worked in Japan, and is the author of Inside the Torii Gate: The Journal of an Exchange Student in Japan.
He served as 2015-2016 Chair of the BC Technical & Research Committee on Reclamation, on which he represents AME and is a member of the Health & Safety Committee of the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada. He has received the Advanced Communicator Gold award from Toastmasters International, and is an active member of Vancore Toastmasters.

Jack Middleton
Vice President, Policy & Advocacy
604-404-2337 | [email protected]
As Vice President, Policy & Advocacy, Jack is responsible for advancing policy initiatives. Jack previously worked for Sedgwick Strategies as the Director of Policy, leading mineral exploration, mining, and clean energy files. This included significant work for the AME on the Mineral Tenure Act (MTA) and other key policy and land-based files. Prior to this, Jack led stakeholder and municipal government relations in B.C. for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP).
Read MoreHe worked on and helped deliver positive industry outcomes on B.C. policy files like the 2021 royalty review, emissions cap, output-based pricing system (OBPS), First Nations equity financing framework, and the implementation of Treaty 8 land-use agreements. Jack has also led grass roots campaigns that engaged hundreds of thousands of Canadians to share their voice in support of industry through the Canada’s Energy Citizens (CEC) program.
Jack is currently the volunteer President of the board of the BC Schizophrenia Society, where he helped secure a three-year, $5-million grant from the provincial government for the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He grew up in the foothills of Southern Alberta and has a degree in Political Science from the University of Calgary and an ESG Micro-Credential from BCIT. In the winter, you can find Jack at a ski hill or curling rink, and in the summer, on other people’s sailboats, racing in English Bay.

Richard Truman
Senior Director, External Affairs
604-404-1031 | [email protected]
As Senior Director, External Affairs, Richard leads AME’s external relations efforts by bringing innovation, pragmatism and strategic counsel to the mineral exploration, mining, energy and carbon solutions sectors. He believes that responsible resource development is essential to solving climate challenges and creating opportunities for all Canadians.
Read MorePrior to joining AME, Richard worked with a consulting firm focusing on supporting Indigenous communities’ planning and assessment processes. This included spending significant time in communities, developing processes and protocols, and balancing the needs of First Nations, governments and companies at all stages of the mining cycle.
Richard has also worked with public geoscience research non-profit Geoscience BC. In these roles, he focused on involving industry, government, communities, academia and Indigenous groups in public geoscience research planning, implementation, dissemination and use. He significantly grew Geoscience BC’s collaborative partner network and was part of a team responsible for securing millions of dollars in research funding from governments and industry.
Richard holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Studies from the University of Huddersfield (UK) and a Chartered Institute of Public Relations post-graduate diploma from Manchester Metropolitan University. He has completed Institute of Leadership Management and Indigenous Canada certificates.

Candice Appleby
Director, Communications and Strategic Projects
604-354-5877 | [email protected]
Candice is the Director, Communications and Strategic Projects at AME. She is a communications professional with over 18 years of industry experience working at exploration, mining and non-profit organizations. Previously, she was a member of the AME Roundup Committee. Prior to joining AME, Candice’s previous positions focused on a wide range of activities including: website and social media management, marketing and communications, event planning, investor relations and corporate governance.
In her role at AME, Candice is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of AME’s communications, accountable for providing exceptional value to AME members through communication and strategic project initiatives, is responsible for creating and executing AME’s communication strategy and for oversight of BCRMA planning and initiatives.

Brenin Nobleman
Director, Events and Membership
778-227-8340 | [email protected]
As Director, Events and Membership, Brenin oversees the strategic direction of AME events including the annual AME Roundup conference. In her role, Brenin focuses on increasing AME membership value. Brenin started at AME as Manager, Events, then moved into her current role in March 2024. Prior to joining AME, Brenin worked in the non-profit sector, operations and events. Brenin serves as a volunteer Board Director with the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House as well as an active volunteer with ElderDog Canada.

Becky Pitre
Manager, Accounting and Human Resources
604-630-3922 | [email protected]
Becky is the Accounting and Human Resources Manager at AME and reports to the President and CEO. She is responsible for all of AME’s accounting functions as well as the administration of all Human Resources functions. Previously, Becky worked as an accountant in the tire recycling industry and for an energy systems manufacturer.

Jasmine Lad
Manager, Member Relations
[email protected] | 778-957-5949
Jasmine is the Manager, Member Services at AME and reports to Director, Events and Membership. Jasmine plays a key role for membership services in maintaining the efficiency of the member database, coordinating member benefits and handling member inquiries. She also works closely with AME staff in the planning and execution of all AME Events and the annual AME Roundup conference.

Irene Parlati
Coordinator, Events
778-772-5509 | [email protected]
Irene is the Events Coordinator at AME and reports to the Director, Events and Membership. She is responsible for planning and executing AME’s member events, managing Roundup volunteers on-site, as well as assisting with Roundup registration pre-conference. During her studies in Hospitality Business Management, Irene was introduced to AME through volunteering at AME Roundup 2020, followed by 2 years as AME’s Office Administrator.

Zoey Lê
Coordinator, Digital Marketing
778-233-1440 | [email protected]
Zoey is the Digital Marketing Coordinator at AME and reports to Director, Communications and Strategic Projects. She is responsible for promoting AME’s initiatives and events across digital platforms, including website content, e-news, social media, content strategy, engagement campaigns, and event support for AME Roundup.
Zoey graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Business Administration, concentrating in Marketing. Prior to joining AME, she has worked in various communications and marketing roles in education and EdTech.

Michela Traina
Administrative Assistant
604-630-8269 | [email protected]
Michela is the Administrative Assistant at AME and reports directly to the President and CEO. She is responsible for all AME’s office administrative functions and works closely with AME staff to support membership and events.
Prior to joining AME, Michela worked in events management in Canada and Chile. She holds a Bachelor of Business Management and Master of Strategy and Administration from Adolfo Ibanez University.

Jillian Lucas
Assistant, Operations
As the Operations Assistant at AME, Jillian reports to the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. She is responsible for developing strategic maps for land access and use, leveraging her expertise in GIS. Additionally, she collaborates closely with AME staff to provide critical support for membership services and event logistics.
Jillian holds a Geological Resources diploma from Douglas College. During her studies, she gained practical experience through soil sampling and volunteering at AME Roundup in 2022.