Western Coal Corp. announced that John Byrne, chairman, will retire in May.
Pickland Mathers Coal Co. announced that Jack Grinwis has joined the company as an equity member of the coal sales and marketing firm.
D. Michael Miller has been named senior vice president, general counsel and secretary at AEP.
Engineering Consulting Services, Inc. recently named Kimberly D. Wells director of business development.
Skelly and Loy announced that Barbara J. Gundy, Ph.D., has been promoted from manager to assistant vice president of the firm’s Cultural Resources Services Group.
The Wise County & City of Norton Chamber of Commerce has been presenting the “Outstanding Citizen of the Year” award since 1956. A special blue ribbon committee consisting of community leaders evaluates all nominations and follows a selection procedure to choose the recipient. This year, the committee named Donald Ratliff, vice president of external affairs for Alpha Natural Resources, 2009 Outstanding Citizen of the Year.
A student team from the Virginia Tech College of Engineering has won for the third consecutive year first place in the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME)/National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association (NSSGA) Student Design Competition. The team won a $2,000 cash prize, as well as school lab equipment donated by InfoMine USA. Comprising the winning team, the New River Aggregates, were Blane Bowers, a senior from Fredericksburg, Va.; Ben Fahrman, a senior from Appomattox, Va.; Ricky Rose, a senior from Mechanicsville, Va.; Scott Hutchins, a senior from Wirtz, Va.; Dan Sadtler, a senior from Damascus, Md.; and Susie Underwood, a junior from Marion, Va.
Novariant, Inc. announced that Dr. Kurt Zimmerman has been promoted to chief technology officer and vice president of emerging business.
