Rich Nolan takes lead at NMA
We’re On A Mission
The National Mining Association has elected Rich Nolan its new presi- dent and CEO. Nolan replaces Hal Quinn, who announced in April that he planned to retire. The search to replace NMA’s longest serving lead- er led back to Nolan, who has spent 13 years working on behalf of more than 300 members in the hardrock and coal industries. “Strategy already bears the mark of his innovative thinking,” said NMA Chairman Phillips Baker Jr., president and CEO of Hecla Mining Co. “That experience, coupled with his proven leadership, management and advocacy abilities, makes Rich the right leader for the next chap- ter.” Nolan started his career in Washington, D.C., working as an economist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Republican National Com- mittee before becoming a congressional staffer. After Capitol Hill, he lobbied for various industries, working for the American Forest & Paper Association and CropLife America, before coming to mining. Nolan said his goal remains to “make a difference for American busi- ness.” Coal has long been NMA’s primary moneymaker, but the industry has shrunk dramatically in the face of competition from natural gas and renewables. Clean energy, however, presents a major opportunity for hardrock mining companies to meet skyrocketing demand for copper, lithium and other minerals needed in electric vehicles and solar panels. Unlike its foes, Nolan said, NMA will not pick “winners and losers.” “We don’t put down one portfolio just to pick up another,” he said. “We’re resourced to meet the challenges and opportunities however they arise, and we have no intention of changing that.”
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Rich Nolan
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As he reviews priorities, Nolan sees exports and grid reliability as po- tential growth for coal, while hardrock tries to make the most of new technologies. But Nolan intends to carry out what was started under Quinn, who will remain his adviser until the end of the year. “He’s taught me a tremendous amount about the industry, the people and the process,” he said. “I have big shoes to fill.” — By Energy & Environment Publishing LLC
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November 2019 I The Alaska Miner I www.alaskaminers.org
www.alaskaminers.org I The Alaska Miner I November 2019
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