Patrick Highsmith
CEO – DIRECTOR
A seasoned resource company professional with over 25 years experience in exploration, operations, business development, and executive roles for various companies, including: Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Newmont, and Lithium One.
Mr. Highsmith has evaluated and worked on more than 250 projects around the world. His project management experience includes leading diverse teams through major engineering and development milestones, including delineating several mineral resources, a successful PEA on the Sal de Vida lithium brine project.
Patrick has BSc and MSc degrees from the Colorado School of Mines in Geological Engineering and Economic Geology (Geochemistry).
Mary Little
DIRECTOR
More than 25 years mining industry experience, including senior technical and business development positions at Newmont, Cyprus Amax, and WMC Ltd., and fifteen years in Latin America.
Serves on the board of Sandstorm Gold Ltd. and Tinka Resources. Founding CEO of Mirasol Resources; led multiple joint ventures and a major asset transaction, valuing the project at more than $60 million.
Mary has an MSc Earth Science University of Calif. MBA University of Colorado.
Scott Shellhaas
DIRECTOR
Scott Shellhaas has more than thirty years of diverse experience in the mining industry including a long tenure with various divisions of Cyprus Amax Minerals Company (“Cyprus Amax”) spanning the lithium, gold, copper, iron ore, and coal divisions
Mr Shellhaas also has experience in junior mining companies that have transitioned into mid-tier producers. He was the President and COO of Thompson Creek Metals Company, where he led the $650 million mill expansion and modernization at the Endako Mine and the $1.6 billion start-up of the Mt. Milligan copper gold mine, both in British Columbia. In 2015, Mr. Shellhaas was the co-recipient with Rob Pease of the E.A. Scholz Award for Mine Development from AME BC for the Mt. Milligan Project.
Mr. Shellhaas has a BA in Economics from the University of North Carolina and a Juris Doctor from the University of Wyoming.
Michael Dake
DIRECTOR
Mr. Dake has 15+ years experience providing Investor Relations and advisory services for a number of public companies. Mike serves on the Board of Directors for several TSXV companies and has had led several financial capital funding successes during his career.
Frank Wells
DIRECTOR
Frank Wells has more than 35 years of diverse experience as a financial analyst, business development specialist, financial officer, and director. He spent 17 years with Santa Fe Pacific Gold Corp. and Newmont Mining Corp. in senior business development and planning positions in the western US and around the world. Mr. Wells also acted as Finance Director and CFO of Central Asia Metals Ltd. His recent experience includes extensive financial modeling in association with advanced engineering studies and acquisition opportunities in the gold, lithium, copper, lead-zinc, rare earth element, and chromite sectors.
Mr. Wells has considerable financing and transactional experience, including helping to raise tens of millions of dollars as Central Asia Metals built its portfolio of assets and put its SX-EW Kazakhstan copper project into production. He is also an expert at project valuation, having participated from both the buy and sell sides in the negotiations and execution of numerous mineral asset transactions. Mr. Wells has a bachelor of arts degree from The Johns Hopkins University and an MBA from Duke University.
