Governance

As the first female president in MAMI’s history, Stacy Kennedy is proud to be part of a positive shift in the mining industry, where there is now a growing commitment to diversity, inclusion and respect for Indigenous communities. Stacy first came to Manitoba to work as a Professional Geologist, mainly focused on finding metals as opposed to understanding the extraction of them. Once she became part of the mining industry, about 16 years ago, she realized there was no going back.  She continued to progress through numerous Geology positions, including Chief Mine Geologist of Birchtree and T1 mines. At Vale Manitoba, which she joined in 2007, she has served as Operations Superintendent, Mine Manager, and Interim General Manager, Manager of Health, Safety and Operational Risk, and her current role as Head of Manitoba Operations. She remains involved with Engineers and Geoscientist Manitoba and serves on the Community Wellness & Public Safety Advisory Committee for the City of Thompson, and the Diversity and Inclusion Council for Vale. 

Stacy sees reshaping perspectives and perceptions about the mining industry as a key priority in her role as MAMI’s President. This includes increasing awareness of mining as a clean, modern, safe, ethical and socially/environmentally conscious industry and as a large employer that has far-reaching and positive impacts on many communities and on the local/provincial economy.

Joey Champagne is currently Operations Director of Tantalum Mining Corporation of Canada Ltd (TANCO). He has held prior positions as a Safety, Health and Environment Manager and Production Manager. His formal training was gained from University of Manitoba and Red River Community College. Joey is a key team leader in achieving the various facets of the business, which includes managing daily activities by overseeing several departments along with directing actions across the company on a number of projects. He also leads strategic and tactical operations and quality management deliverables to ensure customer, product and quality standards are adhered to within all regulations and requirements. Joey brings this expertise to his role as Treasurer and as an active member of the MAMI Board.

Robert Bauch is a 20-year veteran of the mining industry with past experience as a Production Supervisor, Maintenance Supervisor, Mechanical Maintenance Mechanic, and multiple roles within the mine and processing plant. He currently is the Plant Manager at Graymont. He has extensive training in Crisis and Media Management, Lean Six Sigma, Green Six Sigma, Strategic Organizational Management, Management Skills for Professionals, Materials Management, Finance for Non-Financial Professionals, and numerous safety and environmental training courses. In addition to serving as a director on MAMI’s Board, he gives his time to the Moosehorn Community Recreation Committee and Moosehorn Curling Club, as well as the Grahamdale Development Corporation.

Robert wants to see responsible development, growth and sustainability of the mining industry in Manitoba, as well as recognition of the economic value the industry has to the province of Manitoba and the municipalities where mines are operating.  This, he believes, will contribute to local and provincial growth and development of Manitoba’s resources.

Amy Byers is a professional engineer with nearly 20 years of leadership experience in mineral processing, tailings, and dams with Vale Base Metals. She is now the Manager of Health Safety Risk, having served as Vale’s Tailings and Dams Technical Leader for Manitoba Operations in Thompson for a number of years.
 
Amy brings a wealth of experience improving operational safety and environmental performance. She is distinguished for identifying solutions in proactively remediating impacted mining areas through the reclamation of valuable minerals from waste products.

Robert Carter was appointed Hudbay’s Vice President, Manitoba Business Unit in April 2022. As leader of the Manitoba Business Unit, Rob is responsible for the strategic and operational performance of the company’s activities in Manitoba. He brings extensive experience with a deep focus on safety and continuous improvement having spent a majority of his career in key roles within the Manitoba Business Unit. Rob has been the General Manager of our Manitoba mines since 2018 and has previously held various other positions at Hudbay, including Manager of the Lalor Mine in Manitoba and Director of Business Development and Technical Services in Hudbay’s corporate group. He has nearly 25 years of mining industry experience in technical, operational and senior leadership roles with 23 of those years at Hudbay. Rob holds a Bachelor of Science, Geological Engineering from the University of Manitoba and is a Professional Engineer registered with Professional Engineers Ontario and Engineers Geoscientists of Manitoba.

Jeff has over two decades of experience in the environmental field with six years in mining specifically. He is currently the Environmental Superintendent at Vale Manitoba Operations, where has been tasked with updating the entire environmental management system for Manitoba Operations, leading closure planning updates and negotiations with the province, and communicating with local communities, including First Nations, on environmental concerns.  Jeff worked previously as a metallurgical analyst with lab functions, critical quality management test and auditing as his focus.

Prior to joining Vale, Jeff spent twelve years with Manitoba Conservation and Climate as an Environmental Officer.  He has also been fortunate to serve a term as a city councilor for the City of Thompson, where his duties included chairing the Public Safety Committee and the Recreation Committee.  A pivotal accomplishment was successfully restructuring and rightsizing the municipal bus service.      

Jeff is a proud father of two great kids, happily married to his wife of 18 years and has a deep connection to his family, his hometown and region. In his spare time, he operates a seven-acre berry orchard and chicken farm and advocates for food security for the local area.

Jeff is deeply committed to his work in the environmental field, which allows him to make lasting and observable improvements to the area he loves, while also helping to provide the world with essential metals that can impact future generations.  

Landice Yestrau is an Environmental Professional (EP) with over 12 years of experience specializing in mining operations. As the Manager of Environment & Indigenous Relations at Hudbay Minerals’ Manitoba Business Unit, she leads a team that obtains operating licenses and permits, ensures compliance with regulatory standards, oversees the Environmental Management System, and executes water and air quality programs across the Snow Lake and Flin Flon areas. In addition to her environmental responsibilities, Landice manages Indigenous Relations, guiding her team in building meaningful relationships with local Indigenous communities, advancing the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #92, and promoting cultural awareness within the company. She is committed to collaborative approaches to ensure Indigenous perspectives and environmental considerations are integrated into business strategies and everyday operations.

Pam is a member of the Navajo Nation from Albuquerque, New Mexico and holds Treaty from Swan Lake First Nation, Treaty 1. She has been involved in the mining industry for over 17 years, with particular focus on Indigenous Relations and community engagement. She is currently the Indigenous Relations Lead with Hudbay Minerals Inc., and co-chair of the MAMI Indigenous Relations Committee. Pam also participates on several boards and committees, where she aims to incorporate Indigenous culture and teachings and insight. She provides added value in industry, education, employment and training committees and Indigenous circles to have the opportunity to make change and see a reflection of her contributions.

Donelda is a member of the Manitoba Métis Federation and works for Vale – Manitoba Operations as the Indigenous and Community Relations Specialist. She has worked in the mining industry since early 2012 in a variety of roles including benefits, pension and disability management and is now the Indigenous and Community Relations specialist.Prior to joining Vale, Donelda also worked in health care and in education. Her personal and professional experiences helped build the foundation for the role she is currently in.

She is a lifelong Thompson resident who understands the importance of volunteering at work and in the community and has found opportunities to participate in local boards and committees. She is committed to building relationships with communities and finding ways to celebrate Indigenous culture through creative educational opportunities. 

Doug Peterson has had a successful 35-year career with Hudbay Minerals Inc. and is currently the manager of Health and Safety for the Hudbay Manitoba Business Unit. He oversees the health and safety programs for all Manitoba Business Unit employees and contractors.  

Doug is excited about the continued safety performance improvement realized by the mining industry in Manitoba and is honoured to support MAMI’s safety efforts as co-chair of the MAMI Safety Committee.  Doug’s focus is on sharing systems, information and innovation to advance safe, diverse and inclusive workplaces.  

Ray Solski has worked in the mining Industry for over 16 years with experience in operations, learning & development, and safety & health. His career includes roles in several management positions, and he is currently Vale’s Superintendent of Health, Safety & Risk Management. In this role, Ray is responsible for integrating corporate safety & health programs, developing and maintaining programs required under federal/ provincial legislation, including the occupational health and safety management system and occupational exposure monitoring. 

Ray is active in leading and supporting various other Vale business objectives; he is recognized for exploring creative methods with internal and external stakeholders to simplify processes for effective results. Ray looks forward to bringing this approach to his newly appointed role as MAMI’s Safety Committee Co-Chair. 

Neil Richardson has worked in the mining/exploration industry for over 34 years for junior and major mining companies. He is currently Director of Exploration for Hudbay Minerals Inc. Early in his career, he worked as a mine exploration geologist in base metal and gold environments. He then became a Chief Operating Officer for various different junior mining companies exploring for nickel-copper-PGE’s in Canada and Greenland, gold in Nevada and Manitoba, and copper-zinc in Manitoba and Ontario. He graduated from Cambrian College with a Geological Engineering Technology diploma. In addition to co-chairing MAMI’s Indigenous Relations and Exploration Committee, he currently sits on the technical advisory board for a junior mining company. He is a member of the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario, Engineering Geoscientists Manitoba, and Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada. Neil cares about making sure people understand the importance of sustainable, environmentally friendly exploration and the evolving understanding of deposits and their characteristics. He believes in the importance of exploration to find metals to continue to build new technology (green energy) and to show the world that mining is an environmentally friendly industry focused on working towards a cleaner future.