Walter Energy announced that Victor P. Patrick will retire and not seek re-election to the board. The company has named board member Joseph B. Leonard interim CEO. Senior Vice President-Controller Lisa A. Honnold will serve as interim CFO and Catherine C. Bona, currently vice president, assistant general counsel and secretary, will serve as interim general counsel. The company also announced Michael T. Madden has been promoted into the role of senior vice president-sales and marketing.
Patriot Coal Corp. announced that James N. Magro has been named to the newly created position of senior vice president of underground mining.
Arch Coal, Inc. announced that Eisenhower Fellowships has selected Robert Shanklin as a 2010 St. Louis Eisenhower Fellow. During his six-week fellowship to Australia and China, Shanklin will cultivate new technical and executive contacts in the energy industry as he builds a stronger technical and commercial knowledge base. As vice president of coal technology at Arch Coal, Shanklin focuses on researching, developing and investing in technologies to identify ways to use our world’s natural resources in a safer, cleaner and more efficient manner. He is charged with taking the innovations being developed at universities, national research labs and entrepreneurial ventures and infusing business strategy and capital in a way that provides a pathway to commercialization. Shanklin currently oversees Arch’s investment in coal-related technologies, including a proposed coal-to-gasoline conversion facility in Wyoming.
ISEE’s 2010 Blaster’s Leadership Award was presented to John S. Crawford during the 36th Annual Conference on Explosives & Blasting Technique. This award is presented to an individual who has distinguished themselves through outstanding service to their fellow blasters in the field. Crawford is the mine planner and senior technical representative at Alpha Coal West, Eagle Butte mine located in Gillette, Wyo. He is the liaison between operations and engineering in the development of effective mine plans. In addition, he supervises and coordinates the drilling and blasting process and personnel, and is responsible for compliance with federal, state and company regulations, policies and procedures. Before joining Alpha Coal, he worked for 26 years in the blasting industry at various companies, including Ireco, Atlas Powder, and Nelson Brothers.
Additional awards recipients presented at the Annual Awards Banquet were Dr. Pieter Halliday and Kevin Hachmeister, who were each recipients of the President’s Award.
The Kentucky Coal Association (KCA) announced that the board of directors of the KCA has elected Bill Bissett to serve as president of the association. He is currently employed as the chief of staff/senior vice president for communications of Marshall University. The KCA also announced that Brian Wells has been elected to the board of directors. He is currently a member of Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, LLP’s natural resources and environmental service team.
The Tennessee Valley Authority announced that Charles McEntyre, a senior specialist for environmental engineering services from its environment and technology group, has been named a finalist for the National Society of Professional Engineers’ “Federal Engineer of the Year” award. McEntyre has published more than 45 papers and articles and is a certified master-level hazardous materials manager. He also serves on the Water and Environment Research Foundation Advisory Council as an expert in wastewater treatment plant optimization and energy efficiency.
Novariant, Inc. announced that Herb Satterlee, CEO, will be leaving the company. Dr. Michael O’Connor, a Novariant co-founder and chief technology officer, will become the CEO.
