Executive Director’s Report
new focus on green energy and electric-powered vehicles is perfect timing for projects including UCore and Graph- ite One that can provide the lithium, graphite and other minerals that electric vehicles need, but which are current- ly produced only outside the United States, in addition to adding to critical supplies of copper, silver, gold and more. What is particularly impressive is these projects are not only focused on new minerals but are planning a new and innovative approach to go to market that bodes well in coming years. Sadly, we lost a dear friend and a personal hero this month. Gail Phillips with her husband, Walt, was a mem- ber of AMA for more than 55 years. In this issue, we look back at Gail’s life and legacy. She was one of the great Alaskans who saw Alaska from statehood to today and took an active role in shaping what it is today. She served in the Legislature with dis- tinction including as speaker of the house from 1995-98, at a time when doing the right thing for Alaska was more important than partisan politics. She provided sage advice, gentle encouragement and a quick smile to a generation of us, and her impact on Alaska will live on and be carried on by them for generations to come. And, we will miss her. It has been a long, hard year for your association, too. We at AMA and with our incredible team of leaders are working extremely hard to provide the key benefits that you expect from your AMA membership. Our weekly Zoom branch meetings have consistently drawn 100 or more attendees. This has been one of the few big wins from this social distanced year. But it is not the same as gathering as a big extended family each fall. And our convention committee is work- ing very hard toward a full good-old-fashioned in-person convention this November in Anchorage. If we can make it happen, we will! I also need to take a moment to again thank the hun- dreds of companies and individuals — friends all — who have stepped up this year as sustaining members to pro- vide critical support to keep our association not just viable but lean, mean and more dedicated than ever to represent you! This has been a year of belt tightening, refocusing and resetting priorities for us all. For your association, when our biggest fundraisers including the annual convention were impossible due to safety concerns, we never missed a beat. We have stayed the course and have not stopped doing anything that you or we expect — to keep Alaska mining successful and thriving. Thanks for continuing to make our association a priority. We will never forget that.
Dear Alaska Miners:
Welcome to another field season! As you are reading this, we are waiting only for this stubborn winter to relinquish its hold so we can get into the field and begin another year of exploration drilling and mining in Alaska. And like winter, we are cautiously hope- ful COVID-19 is also losing its grip on our people and our economy. It is about time! On the cover, you will see a glimpse of the incredible aurora displays that have lit up our winter nights, and are a reminder that, challenges aside, we live and work in the most beautiful and inspiring place on earth. In this issue of your Alaska Miner, we look at the good news of new projects, big wins at existing mines and suc- cess despite new regulatory challenges here and coming. Our country and leaders have begun to realize that Alaska is rich and ready to deliver the key critical minerals that will be key to any evolution in our power needs. The
Respectfully,
Deantha Skibinski AMA Executive Director
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The Alaska Miner
April 2021
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