Become a Speaker

Tom McCulley

Speaking At:

• AME Lunch

As Chief Technical Officer, Tom leads Anglo American’s global technical disciplines from Discovery and Geosciences through to Processing, as well as critical Safety, Health, and Environment work. He also has responsibility for Anglo American’s Crop Nutrients business which includes the development of the Woodsmith polyhalite mine in the UK. Prior to his current role, Tom led the successful development and commissioning of the world-class Quellaveco copper project in Peru. Tom previously held several senior global roles at Newmont, having begun his career at Fluor.

David Thornton

Speaking At:

• Finance Lunch

David Thornton is the Managing Director of Newmont’s Americas business unit.

Dave has more than 20 years of mining sector experience with a demonstrated track record of delivering safe operational performance in surface and predominantly underground mining operations.

Dave joined Newmont in May 2016 as Mining Manager for Leeville and was promoted to General Manager of the Carlin Underground mines in February 2017 before being promoted to Vice President Operations – Canada and USA in 2019.

Before joining Newmont, Dave spent 11 years with Gold Fields in Australia, where he held a variety of engineering and leadership roles.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering from the Curtin University Western Australian School of Mines and an Executive MBA from the University of Utah.

Anne Thompson

Speaking At:

• Mentorship Mingle

Anne Thompson is the host of the SEG Discovery to Recovery Podcast. She has thirty-five years’ experience working in mineral exploration, from field work to applied mineralogy and was an early adopter of field spectroscopy. Co-editor of the Atlas of Alteration, a resource for geologists and a WIMUK Global 100 Inspirational Woman in Mining 2020.

Sasa Jarvis

Speaking At:

• Government-Industry Forum

Sasa Jarvis, National Co-Leader of McMillan’s Mining Group, advises mining companies and strategic investors on financings, IPOs, listings, M&A, and continuous disclosure. Her mining work includes property option agreements, mineral asset acquisitions and joint ventures. A frequent writer and speaker, she focuses on Canadian mining law and technical disclosure.

Paul D. Gray

Speaking At:

• Critical and Base Metals

Mr. Gray brings a proven track record of global precious metals and base metals exploration success spanning multiple continents over 30 years. His expertise includes the design, management and execution of multi-million-dollar advanced exploration and resource delineation programs as well as authorships of numerous NI 43-101 Technical Reports.

Matthew Manor

Speaking At:

• Advances in Geoscience

Matthew Manor is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Mineral Deposit Research Unit, UBC. He completed his MSc at UBC and PhD at Memorial University. His current research in the BC Porphyry Project develops industry-applicable criteria for exploring Cu-Au porphyry and orthomagmatic deposits using integrated geological, geochemical, and spectral datasets.

Avery Shenfeld

Avery Shenfeld is Managing Director and Chief Economist at CIBC, having been with the firm since 1993. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University. A sought-after commentator, Avery follows economic developments and their implications for financial and asset markets. He is consistently ranked as one of the top economists in a survey of Canadian institutional equity investors, and has multiple awards for forecast accuracy in the US and Canada from Dow Jones Market Watch, Bloomberg Markets and Consensus Economics. His prior background includes experience in management consulting, on the economics faculty at the University of Toronto, and lecturing in the summer program at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Charles Macmichael

Speaking At:

• The Gathering Place 1/2
• The Gathering Place 2/2

Charles Macmichael is the Managing Partner for ERM Canada working out of ERM’s Calgary, AB office with Technical, Commercial and Operational responsibilities for the business unit across Canada. Charles has over 17 years of professional consulting experience supporting federal and provincial environmental impact assessments, permitting and planning for midstream, electrical transmission and mining projects across Canada. His experience includes supporting National Energy Board and Canadian Energy Regulator projects from strategy, planning, assessment, application, hearings, approvals and construction. Charles has been contributing to or lead account management for large environmental consulting firms for the majority of his career with a focus in the midstream sector in North America. Charles supports active indigenous partnerships and engagements in BC, Yukon, NWT and Nunavut, placing priority on collaborative mutual benefit.

Bill Arling

Speaking At:

• The Gathering Place 1/2
• The Gathering Place 2/2

Bill is an accomplished Environment and Social Responsibility Professional with global experience in corporate, operations and project development with a BASc in Industrial Ecology. He is a strategic leader with proven track record of building and leading effective cross-functional, multi-site, and multi-business teams.

Ocean Van Mierlo

Speaking At:

• The Gathering Place 1/2
• The Gathering Place 2/2

Ocean is a member of the Tahltan Nation from the Quock family and Crow Clan. Ocean grew up in Dease Lake before completing secondary school in Terrace. She is currently completing her last year of her undergrad in a double major in biology and environmental studies at the University of Victoria. She has spent the past few summers working at proposed and operating mining projects in Tahltan territory such as Galore Creek, and Brucejack project. This past summer she has worked as a field technician with TEEM.

Calvin Carlick

Speaking At:

• The Gathering Place 1/2
• The Gathering Place 2/2

As Vice President Partnerships, Calvin is responsible for creating, managing and stewarding impactful partnerships, growing TNDC’s revenues, and maximizing economic opportunities for the Tahltan Nation through employment and contracting opportunities.

Calvin a highly driven and results-focused executive leader, with more than 15 years of experience working within First Nations organizations. As a proud member of the Tahltan Nation, Calvin’s dedication to Tahltan economic prosperity is deeply rooted. Prior roles as Chief Administrative Officer with Tahltan Central Government and Economic Development Officer for Kitselas First Nation and Iskut Band informs his leadership.

Calvin embraces a strong commitment to corporate service. He currently serves on the Community Futures BC Board of Directors and is chair of the Community Futures 16/37 Board of Directors. Past appointments include chair of the Northern Business Development Society board and 11 years on the TNDC Board of Directors, including seven years as chair.

Calvin holds a Master of Business Administration in Executive Management and Bachelor of Commerce in Entrepreneurial Management, both from Royal Roads University.

Calvin is Tahltan from the Crow Clan and Carlick family.

Ernest Betsina

Speaking At:

• The Gathering Place 1/2
• The Gathering Place 2/2

Ernest Betsina, Chief of Dettah of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, is a respected leader of the community who champions community development, motivates members and leads by example by assisting community members. Ernest is a certified journeyman carpenter with experience in construction and diamond mining.

Zoe Mullard

Speaking At:

• Environmental, Social and Governance

Zoë Mullard specializes in social performance, including social risk assessment, socio-economic and land use assessments, engagement, social management planning and social audits. She works across several sectors including mining, oil and gas, technology and transportation sectors.

Sabrina Dias

Speaking At:

• Environmental, Social and Governance

Sabrina Dias, CEO of SOOP Strategies, helps junior and mid-tier mining companies navigate investor ESG expectations and reduce risk. With 20+ years of global experience, she authored Integrating Sustainability into Major Projects and is a CIM sustainability award winner. SOOP has contributed ESG insights to TMX since 2021.

Geneieve Pelletier

Speaking At:

• Environmental, Social and Governance

Bio coming soon.

Kyle Patterson

Speaking At:

• Geophysics Session

Kyle is a knowledgeable geophysicist with over fifteen years of experience in the mining industry. His expertise in data acquisition, working for large corporations, and as an independent consultant gives him a comprehensive perspective on quality control and interpretation, which has significantly contributed to his clients’ discoveries of orebody deposits.

Darcy Vis

Speaking At:

• Government-Industry Forum

Darcy is an economic geologist with over 17 years experience in mineral exploration. He is the President of Tripoint Geological Services, is a board member of AME, sits on the Policy and Government Relations Committee, and is a member of the EGBC Natural Hazards and Natural Resources Advisory Group.

Jeremy Niemi

Speaking At:

• Critical and Base Metals

Jeremy Niemi, P.Geo., is a Northern Ontario–born geoscientist with over 30 years in mineral exploration and discovery. His work spans Archean and rift-related terranes, including the 10× expansion of the Eagle’s Nest Ni-Cu-PGE deposit in the Ring of Fire and the Romero Au-Cu discovery in Hispaniola. He now leads Sterling Metals’ Soo Copper porphyry discovery.

Robert Cohen

Speaking At:

• Precious Metals

Gold miners have traditionally immediately liquidated their gold upon production rather than holding onto a true monetary asset on the balance sheet. Holding gold has enhanced benefit over cash giving gold companies purchasing power protection as well as enhanced leverage to gold for the shareholders. After all, gold company shareholders are seeking specific leverage to gold and trying to escape the ravages of purchasing power erosion of cash.

Thomas Lamont

Speaking At:

• Advances in Geoscience

Thomas Lamont is a field geologist and petrologist interested in how tectonic processes influence ore-formation. He obtained is undergraduate degree and PhD from the University of Oxford, UK, where he investigated accrectionary orogenic and metamorphic processes in Cyclades, Greece. He then undertook a BHP funded postdoc at the University of Bristol, where he investigated the geodynamic controls on porphyry copper deposits in the SW USA. He is now an Assistant Professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas where he is focussing research efforts on flat-slab subduction and the upper plate response, using the SW USA as a case study.

Dawn Kellett

Speaking At:

• Advances in Geoscience

Dr. Dawn Kellett, Research Scientist at the Geological Survey of Canada, studies orogen deformation, exhumation, and links to ore deposits. She earned degrees from UBC, Queen’s, and Dalhousie, with postdoctoral work at UC Santa Barbara. Kellett is Associate Editor for leading journals and Adjunct Professor at UBC, SMU, and Dalhousie.

Andrea McLaren

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Bio coming soon.

Marcus Adam

Speaking At:

• BC, Yukon & Alaska

Marcus Adam is the Director of Exploration at Seabridge Gold, responsible for overseeing Seabridge’s exploration programs across North America. He was part of the team that discovered the Deep Kerr and Lower Iron Cap deposits at KSM and most recently, Snip North at Iskut. Marcus holds a BSc from the University of Leeds, an MSc from Western University and an MBA from Dalhousie University.

Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty

Speaking At:

• The Gathering Place 1/2
• The Gathering Place 2/2

Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty was first elected Grand Chief of the Tłı̨chǫ Nation in 2021 and re-elected in 2025 for a second term (2025–2029). Before serving as Grand Chief, he represented the Mǫwhì constituency in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories for over five consecutive terms, a period of over 16 years. In this time, he has served many senior cabinet positions included Deputy Premier; Minister of Education, Culture and Employment; Minister of Justice; Minister of Public Works and Services; Minister Responsible for Official Languages; and Minister Responsible for the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission.

Throughout his career within NWT Government and aboard, Grand Chief Lafferty has been defined by his unwavering commitment to advancing education, youth development, language revitalization, and cultural preservation. He envisions the Tłı̨chǫ Nation built upon the principles of unity, language, and sustainable development, often recognized for addressing the Legislative Assembly in his Tłı̨chǫ language during question period.

Prior to entering territorial politics, Mr. Lafferty worked in the early 2000s with Rio Tinto at the Diavik Diamond Mine, where he played a pivotal role in the implementation of the Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. (DDMI) Participation Agreement with northern Indigenous groups.
With his extensive experience across many sectors, he remains deeply committed to advancing Tłı̨chǫ self-governance, fostering collaboration across governments and industry, and ensuring that resource development proceeds responsibly.

Minister Caroline Wawzonek

Speaking At:

• The Gathering Place 1/2
• The Gathering Place 2/2

Deputy Premier
Minister of Finance
Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation
Minister Responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy and Supply Chains
Caroline Wawzonek, Deputy Premier Minister of Finance Minister, Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation Minister Responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy and Supply Chains Caroline Wawzonek was first elected to the 19th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in 2019 as the Member for Yellowknife South. She served in multiple cabinet roles, including Minister of Justice, Minister of Finance, Minister responsible for the Status of Women, and Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
In 2023, Ms. Wawzonek was acclaimed to the 20th Legislative Assembly and returned to Executive Council as Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance, Minister of Infrastructure, and Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. Ms. Wawzonek holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary and a law degree from the University of Toronto. Her academic and professional journey includes language studies in China and Taiwan, and legal internships in the Philippines and England.

Emily Miller

Speaking At:

• Advances in Geoscience

Emily joined the BCGS in 2022. She is a regional geological mapper who focusses on the rocks of Stikine terrane, mainly in northwest British Columbia. Emily’s research is directed at using structural and stratigraphic frameworks to provide insight into the tectonic evolution and distribution of mineralization in the province.

Before joining the BCGS Emily spent approximately a decade working in mineral exploration in the Cordillera of British Columbia and the Yukon on diverse deposits, focusing on geological mapping, historical data compilation, and geochemical surveys for target generation and evaluation.

Tania Barron

Speaking At:

• Environmental, Social and Governance

Tania Barron is a recognized thought leader in sustainability and social performance. She advises mining companies and international organizations on ESG, equity, and human rights frameworks to advance social performance goals. Her global experience integrates risk and social performance management, GISTM, and social closure, emphasizing community relationships, equity, and resilience in the context of mining projects.

Marlena Anderson

Speaking At:

• Environmental, Social and Governance

Marlena Anderson is a member of the Nlaka’pamux Nation and with over 14 years of experience in the natural resource sector. She brings operations and corporate level experience developing and implementing social performance activities, including agreements with Indigenous Nations. Marlena has played key roles in company and asset level initiatives, including strategy, policy, program and procedure development, audits, training and advisory services for operations and exploration teams.

Dr. Robert Carpenter, P.Geo.

Speaking At:

• BC, Yukon & Alaska

Over 30 years of corporate and technical mineral exploration experience. Co-Founder, President and CEO of Kaminak Gold Corporation (acquired by Goldcorp) and led the company through the discovery of the 5 million-ounce Coffee Gold Project. Completed his Ph.D. at Western University, London, ON.

Rudy Bakker

Speaking At:

• BC, Yukon & Alaska

Rudy Bakker is a Geology Superintendent for Northern Star Resources at the Pogo Mine in Alaska. With over 12 years’ experience exploring and developing gold deposits across Australia and North America, his current work focuses on advancing geological understanding to support sustained resource growth, orebody optimization and resource extraction.

Dr. Rohan Wolfe

Speaking At:

• Critical and Base Metals

“Dr Wolfe is a highly experienced exploration geologist with over 25 years experience conducting exploration throughout Asia, Australia and South America, with a focus on porphyry Cu-Au, breccia Cu-Mo-Au and IOCG systems.

A graduate of CODES at the University of Tasmania Rohan’s recent focus has been on the exploration and development of extensive belts of IOCG mineralization in his native Tasmania.”

Audrey Graham

Speaking At:

• Advances in Geoscience

Audrey joined the BCGS in 2024 after enjoying over ten years of grassroots to advanced-stage mineral exploration throughout western and central BC., Manitoba, and Yukon. She studies the diversity of mineral systems and their metal content to evaluate the critical mineral endowment of the province.

Brigette A. Martini

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Brigette is the Global Principal in Spectral Geology for Anglo American across exploration and operations globally – specializing in hyperspectral, radar/SAR and LiDAR. Her career spans from minerals and geothermal exploration and development through to academia/government R&D and guiding high-tech startups. She received her BS from UofArizona and PhD from UCSC.

Mark Saxon

Speaking At:

• The Gathering Place 1/2
• The Gathering Place 2/2

Mr. Saxon has 30 years exploration and mining experience, with the past 15 in CEO roles. He has worked globally with major and junior resource companies, with a particular focus on the development, processing and politics of critical minerals. He brings a very strong record of discovery across rare earth elements, lithium, base metals and gold.

Geraldine Estay

Speaking At:

• Geophysics Session

Geraldine is a Senior Geophysicist with over 15 years of experience in applied geophysics and mineral exploration across South America. Since 2021, she has led geophysical exploration programs at Lundin Mining, focusing on a collaborative approach that integrates advanced geophysical techniques with multidisciplinary data to drive strategic growth in the region.

Jean-Philippe Mercier

Speaking At:

• Geophysics Session

Dr. Jean-Philippe Mercier is a seismologist and electrical engineer with over 20 years of experience in mining seismology. As Founding Partner at CAUR Technologies, he leads innovation in seismic instrumentation, artificial intelligence, and data processing to advance efficient, low-impact, and intelligent mineral exploration.

Bob Carmichael

Speaking At:

• Critical and Base Metals

Mr. Carmichael is a registered Professional Engineer in British Columbia and has over 30 years of experience in international mineral exploration. He has worked with the Lundin Group since 2006, and in the Vicuña District since 2011 advancing the Los Helados, Josemaria and Filo del Sol deposits and leading the team that discovered Lunahuasi in 2023.

Jim Lang

Speaking At:

• BC, Yukon & Alaska

Jim earned his PhD in economic geology in 1991 and joined the nascent MDRU where he participated in industry-supported research on Alkalic Porphyries and Reduced Intrusion-Related Gold Deposits. His international career is diverse but has focused on Au-rich porphyry copper deposits. Jim has been fortunate to work with exploration teams that have made several significant Cu-Au-Ag porphyry discoveries.

Steve Blower

Speaking At:

• BC, Yukon & Alaska

Steve is a geologist with over 30 years of experience in the minerals industry including open pit copper mine geology at the Similco and Huckleberry mines, resource estimation and exploration for a variety of commodities. He is the VP, Exploration of Vizsla Copper Corp. and is Chairman of Cosa Resources Corp. In 2022 he was a co-winner of the Colin Spence award for his role in discovering the Hurricane uranium deposit in Saskatchewan.

Janessa Kosar North

Speaking At:

• The Gathering Place 1/2
• The Gathering Place 2/2

Janessa Kosar North is the CEO of Kiciwapa Cree Nation and Mamawewin Productions Corp. She supports partnerships that strengthen community, protect the land, and advance self-determination. Guided by kinship and purpose, Janessa works to bridge community, governance, and industry through respect, collaboration, and shared responsibility.

Tiera Naber

Speaking At:

• Regional Overviews

Tiera Naber is an Economic Geologist at the Yukon Geological Survey. She completed a B.Sc. (Hons) at UCalgary (2018) and an M.Sc. at UBC (2023), studying alkaline volcanics in Nunavut and a rare earth element occurrence in Yukon. She has worked as a research assistant for multiple companies and consulted for industry clients at projects in BC and QC.

Mark Ferguson

Speaking At:

• Commodities and Financial Markets

Bio coming soon.

Gloria Lopez

Speaking At:

• Geophysics Session

Gloria Lopez is a geologist with over 20 years of experience in mineral exploration. She received a MSc from University of Chile in structural geology, and a PhD from the Colorado School of Mines in economic geology. She has been involved in exploration for a variety of commodities and a wide range of ore deposit types.

Dr. Catherine Mottram

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Catherine is a geochronologist and structural geologist whose research focuses on directly-dating deformation. Catherine studied in St Andrews and at the Open University, completing a PhD on Himalayan Tectonics. She held postdoctoral positions in the USA and Canada before joining the University of Portsmouth where she is an Associate Professor.

Kevin Byrne

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Kevin Byrne, MSc, PhD, is geoscientist with 20 years of international exploration and mining operation experience. With a career bridging academia and industry, he combines fieldwork, geological processes, geochemistry, and data science to guide discovery and orebody knowledge. He is also advancing the use of AI in exploration technology.

Dave Lawie

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Bio coming soon.

Mason Dykstra

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Mason Dykstra has a PhD in Geology, has worked at Colorado School of Mines, as a geoscientist at Statoil, the Director of Geoscience at Anadarko, and helped develop Deep Learning applications for major Oil and Gas companies at Enthought. Mason co-founded MinersAI, focusing on AI data processing and analysis for exploration.

Steven Gray

Speaking At:

• Precious Metals

Bio coming soon.

David Rhys

Speaking At:

• Precious Metals

David Rhys is a consulting geologist based in Vancouver specializing in applied structural studies of advanced projects and mines, as well as district exploration opportunities. He has more than 30 years experience in global project work.

Cam Bartsch

Speaking At:

• Precious Metals

Cam is a structural geologist with B2 Gold based out of their corporate office in Vancouver. He has 25 years of combined experience in mineral exploration and production, with a strong emphasis on structural controls in orogenic gold systems.

Rick Rule

Speaking At:

• Commodities and Financial Markets

Rick began his career in 1974 in the securities business. He is known for his expertise in many resource sectors, including oil and gas, mining, and water. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and is interviewed for numerous television, print and online media outlets concerning natural resource investments.

Michael Gentile

Speaking At:

• Commodities and Financial Markets

Michael Gentile is widely recognized as a leading strategic investor in the junior mining sector. He holds the top shareholder position in more than 25 small-cap mining companies and currently serves on six boards of mining and resource companies.

Dr. Dean M. Peterson

Speaking At:

• Precious Metals

Dean Peterson, Chief Geologist of Big Rock Exploration, received his PhD from the University of Minnesota in 2001. He focused his PhD on digital mineral potential modeling of analog Superior Province orogenic gold and VMS deposits. His 40-year geologic career in economic geology includes stints in government, academia, and industry.

Kenneth Bush

Speaking At:

• Precious Metals

Kenneth Bush is an experienced exploration and mine geologist specializing in structural geology and 3D geological modelling. He has worked extensively on Victoria’s highest-grade gold mines, including Costerfield and Fosterville, and is now the Exploration Manager for Southern Cross Gold, exploring for high-grade gold and antimony in Victoria, Australia.

Paul Köttering

Speaking At:

• Geophysics Session

Paul Köttering leads the work in mineral exploration at Vorticity Inc., where he develops GPU-accelerated inversion technology to improve outcomes. He holds a Master’s in Scientific Computing from NYU and a Bachelor’s in Applied Mathematics from UC Berkeley, with prior research experience at ETH Zürich and Berkeley. His work bridges high-performance computing and geoscience innovation.

Wade Greene Brunham

Speaking At:

• The Gathering Place 1/2
• The Gathering Place 2/2

Wade Brunham is a Partner with ERM, bringing over 20 years of consulting experience. He is a people-focused business leader with a proven track record of guiding multidisciplinary teams and driving strategic growth in the environmental consulting sector. Wade is deeply committed to operationalizing sustainable development on complex natural resource projects, balancing environmental integrity with business performance.

Allan Cramm

Speaking At:

• Geoscience Innovation

Bio coming soon.

Wyatt Bain

Speaking At:

• Advances in Geoscience

Wyatt Bain is the Robert W. Hodder Chair in Economic Geology in Western University’s Department of Earth Sciences. He specializes in mineral deposit research with an emphasis on critical minerals, mineral exploration, and field-based geoscience education. His current work focuses on critical mineral deposits in northern Ontario, coastal and central British Columbia, and the southwest US.

Matthew Penney

Speaking At:

• Geophysics Session

With over 20 years of global experience, Matthew has led geophysical teams for major and mid-tier mining companies across 14 countries. An expert in advanced exploration technologies, he is the founder of Hardrock Geophysics, a consultancy dedicated to providing exploration guidance and geophysical support to help companies make their next discovery.

Alex Coutu

Speaking At:

• Geophysics Session

Alex Coutu is the founder of Rosor Exploration, a leader in drone-enabled geophysical and geospatial surveying for the mining and energy sectors. By integrating airborne magnetics, LiDAR, and advanced data analytics, Alex focuses on delivering deeper insights that help exploration teams make smarter, faster, and more confident decisions in complex terrains.

Theron Finley

Speaking At:

• Advances in Geoscience

Theron has a diverse background in tectonic geomorphology, paleoseismology, drone-based remote sensing, and structural geology. He completed a BSc (Hons) at UVic (2017), an MSc at UAlberta (2020), and a PhD at UVic (2025) before joining the Yukon Geological Survey as a Surficial Geologist.

David Szumigala

Speaking At:

• Regional Overviews

David (Zoom) Szumigala is currently employed as a Geologist IV in the Mineral Resources Section of the Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys. He has spent over 45 years conducting mineral exploration and mineral systems studies in the western U.S. and Alaska at scales from grassroots regional programs to mine feasibility drilling projects. He has worked on exploration projects in most regions of Alaska. Zoom was part of the discovery team for the world-class Donlin Creek gold deposit.

Gordon Clarke

Speaking At:

• Regional Overviews

Gordon Clarke is the Director of the Geological Survey of British Columbia’s Vancouver based, Mineral Development Office. Mr. Clarke holds a B.Sc. in Geology from Acadia University and a M.Sc. in Geology from the University of New Brunswick. Prior to joining the Survey in 2014, Mr. Clarke had over thirty years of industry experience, including consulting and as an officer in public exploration and mining companies.

Christy Smith

Speaking At:

• Environmental, Social and Governance

Christy Smith is a member of the K’ómoks First Nation and a highly skilled professional with 25 years of proven expertise in Indigenous-centered planning, engagement, and strategic advisory work. Her career is grounded in reconciliation and in decolonizing how business, government, and industry engage with Indigenous Peoples.

Christy specializes in building long-term, trust-based relationships; leading consultation and engagement processes; and developing 8(e)/8(f) socio-economic assessments, socio-economic and land-use baselines, and management plans that support permitting and Environmental Assessment processes. She also brings extensive experience in negotiations, strategic planning, risk assessments, facilitation, and mediation.

Recognized for both her professional expertise and her lived understanding of Indigenous worldviews, Christy consistently works to bridge Western and Indigenous knowledge systems, helping projects, communities, and partners move forward in ways that are respectful, balanced, and grounded in shared success.

Thomas Mumford

Speaking At:

• BC, Yukon & Alaska

Dr. Mumford is a Professional Geoscientist with a comprehensive field, technical and academic background in the Golden Triangle mining district. He has served as a lecturer at Carleton University and BCIT. He holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from UNB and a Ph.D. from Carleton University. Dr. Mumford is currently President, of Scottie Resources Corp. and serves on the Board of Directors for Thesis Gold and AME.