Profiles in Mining: Dave Larimer, Felix Gold
'Our opportunity is Alaska'
SPECIAL TO THE ALASKA MINER In a few words tell us about your work and role in Alaska min- ing. I Love Alaska! My introduction to Alaska was through the Military. Fort Wainwright was my first duty station and Fairbanks became my home. I met my wife Vanessa here where we met the old fashion way…in a bar (Silver Spur). Following several combat deployments into the “desert,” I was fortunate to have the opportunity to move our family back to Fairbanks where I started some graduate studies at UAF in Economic Geology. It was this time I was hired on to work exploration at Pogo Mine. I continued to work at Pogo for over 10 years, the last five as the Chief Geologist for the Mine and Exploration. I next had an opportunity to lead the Exploration in the Red Dog district with Teck Resources. While this opportunity moved us from Alaska to the Teck Head office in Vancouver BC, our work deployments had us at Red Dog 6 months of the year. This was a great oppor - tunity for me to see and learn new rocks experience a dif - ferent mineral system. Working the Mine Exploration, the Anarraaq/Aktigiruq Exploration you get very spoiled as an Economic Geologist. After three years, mid-COVID Era, I accepted a position as the Mineral Resource Manager for the Carlin complex with Nevada Gold Mine. Since every American geologist needs to do a stint in Nevada … I jumped on it. I was settling into this role, preparing for the next long stint to do good geology work when I got a call about an opportunity back here in Fairbanks, Alaska with Felix Gold. For the last 18 months, I have served as the Vice President of Exploration for Felix Gold, building, growing, and leading our current exploration efforts in the Fairbanks District. Who was your mentor in this industry and what did they teach you that remains true today? I have had several great mentors through my separate careers. In the military, I look back and two have impacted my careers and life the most. Major Huse and Major Beagle were instrumental in teaching and shaping me as a young Army Captain. The lessons (sometimes hard learned lessons on my part) in the commitment to excellence, operations, and leadership have stuck with me. Specifically, it is the personal sacrifice, and personal commitment to those you lead, that will go unnoticed and unrecognized that will separate you as a leader from a man - ager. Geologically, it is Ken Puchlik. We worked closely for many years at Pogo and I learned and grew from his many lessons. The advice that has helped me the most as a Geolo - gist was to present the data as facts without embellishment while minimizing the “hype.” As Geologists, we get excited, and we tend to see and talk the abstract…however it was his lessons on how to “simmer down” the geology and present the facts to the managers/ boards that have stuck with me.
What lessons have you learned that you would like to share with new miners? Opportunities come and go. It's important to know what opportunities to jump on and which ones to exercise pa - tience on. For me it has been a continual evaluation of where we are at and what our dreams and goals are. Photo Courtesy Dave Larimer Dave Larimer, Vice President of Exploration for Felix Gold, with an ore sample.
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The Alaska Miner
Summer 2022
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