AMA AWARDS
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Rob Retherford, Alaska Earth Sciences Presented by John Shively
ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR AWARD Shane Lasley, North of 60 Mining News Presented by Anna Atchison
Over the course of this individual’s 50-year career in Alaska he has made numerous contributions to the Alaskan mining and explora- tion industry, as well as mento- ring and helping to advance the careers of many young geologists working in the state today. In 1985, still early in his career, he was one of the original found- ers of a prominent exploration company, and to this day he is still actively working as their president. The longevity of the company is a testament to his tenacity and drive, as the company has weathered numer- ous lows and highs over the last 40 years. Arguably the biggest feather in his cap is leading the discov- ery team for the Donlin Creek Deposit in 1989; this discovery led to him receiving the Thayer Lindsley Award in 2009. His efforts at Donlin were instrumen- tal in advancing the project to its current stage, as well as starting a foundation for strong cooperation with the underlying landowners — Calista Corporation and the Kuskokwim Corporation. After his time at Donlin, the lure of exploring large mineralized systems in Southwestern Alaska continued to tug at him. From 2005 up to the present-day he worked with a variety of native corporations, and other
It was my true honor to nominate someone who I consider a friend and colleague, who tirelessly advo- cates for our industry, each and every day, in a unique, skilled and perhaps underappreciated way. As has usually been the case, as this room is filled with people who aren’t doing this for awards, who tend to shy away from the attention, and would never search it out — miners just want to be able to get up tomorrow and go to work again — it is truly a gift to be able to present this award to night. And, it will be impossible to string this person along with a group guessing game — he is too unique in his advocacy, so I am just going for it! For over 20 years, Shane Lasley has been Editor and Publisher of North of 60 Mining News, and Metal Tech News. Shane, Rebecca and their very small team provide timely updates on events and developments significant to the mining sector, including mineral exploration properties, mine development projects, and oper- ating mines across Alaska and Canada’s North. In this time, they have archived over 7,500 articles covering mining in Alaska and the North!Weekly, the North of 60 Mining News provides an email update to subscribers, which fea- tures product from what must be hours and hours of effort scouring
team, his work is there when you need it, and I bet he doesn’t even know it! I also know that companies ref- erence Shane’s reporting to help them understand a jurisdiction better and make decisions. I myself have shared articles many times over the years, to bring focus to continued and further investing in Alaska. We all have some sense of the reality of his business these days — one doesn’t do it for sponsor- ship or advertising dollars, which are essential to keep the lights on. We can be 100% certain that Shane does what he does for the love of the industry, Alaska, and all miners.
complete their preliminary feasi- bility study. One of his five nominators said, “His legacy is cemented by the contributions of the hundreds of mining industry workers he and his company have mentored over the decades. I can state unequiv- ocally that he is the best mentor I have ever met and my life is sig- nificantly better for the opportuni- ty. That tradition and care can be traced back to similar mentorship he received from the namesake of this award, Chuck Hawley himself. Pillars of industry are built, not simply born, and he has done his part to pay forward and promul- gate that care and knowledge.
company press releases, agency reports, and more, to succinctly and informatively summarize the latest mining activity in Alaska and Canada. A monthly print edition goes into in-depth analyses of issues, projects, companies and individuals crucial to the mining sector. There is no doubt, that many of us learn what we need to know by reading Shane’s arti- cles. In fact, if we are in a bind and have a time-sensitive media or other inquiry, we can rely on Shane’s accurate, reliable, timely, fact-based reporting to get the answers needed quickly. Shane is like another vital member of the
companies to explore for large copper-gold porphyry systems. Most notably from 2005-2016, in conjunction with his business partner Bill Ellis, he worked with clients to delineate gold rich base metal systems on land under their control. This spell of experience dovetailed into the efforts on the Groundhog project, north of Pebble, which he continues today. Always one to keep a finger on the pulse of industry trends and rec- ognize the importance of mineral resources outside of precious and base metals, he has spent the last four years consulting for Graphite One; assisting with conceptual targeting for ongoing exploration and supporting the efforts to
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THE ALASKA MINER - THE MAGAZINE OF THE ALASKA MINERS ASSOCIATION
WINTER 2026 | ALASKAMINERS.ORG
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