Mining and Land Resources Institute

Robert Ghiglieri

Administrator, Nevada Division of Minerals

Rob currently serves the rolf of Administrator for the Nevada Division of Minerals. He received his degree in Geology from the University of Nevada, Reno, and started his career as an exploration geologist in precious metal exploration for a small junior company in Nevada. In 2012 Rob transition to public service at the Division of Minerals and gained experience in Abandoned Mine Lands program management, bond pool administration, agency administration, and Governor relations. He currently serves the role of Nevada’s Delegate to the Interstate Mining Compact Commission, Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission and the National Association of Abandoned Mine Lands Program. Rob is also a member of the Nevada State Environmental Commission, University of Nevada Mackay Advisory Board, and the University of Nevada Center for Economic Development Advisory Board.

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Adam Hawkins

President, Global External

Adam Hawkins is an expert on external affairs in the mining industry. His decades of experience span every phase of the mining process, from early stage exploration and entitling projects to permitting new facilities, expanding operations, and closures. He has worked on projects on every continent except Antarctica.

Adam began his career as a US Senate staffer and spent seven years in-house with Rio Tinto. A MSHA Part 48 certified surface miner, past board trustee of the Arizona Mining Association, and the 2020 president of the American Exploration and Mining Association, Adam is a go-to on mining policy.

He holds an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and has a range of domestic and international professional experience.

Adam’s expertise is trusted and sought by mining companies in identifying and addressing social, political, legislative, regulatory, and reputational risk factors - vital for firms seeking effective guidance in moving mining projects from concept to closure.

Adam’s knowledge has proved highly valuable for clients seeking to more effectively position their projects with the public. Adam works with clients on how to effectively position their projects in the public arena, including how to identify key stakeholders, activate the community through conventional contact and social media, develop effective talking points that support communications efforts, as well as forge long-standing partnerships with key non-governmental organizations. This includes conducting analyses of critical permitting milestones and conforming activities to the client's needs. Adam helps his clients interpret this data and craft targeted messaging to influence the best possible outcomes.

Adam is also an advisory board member of the US Global Leadership Council, an advisory council member of US Veterans Initiative, and serves on the boards of several other non-profits.

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Andrew Irvine

Attorney, Stoel Rives, LLP

Andrew leverages nearly 20 years of experience in the global mining and energy sectors, along with a background in geology and mineral economics, to advise clients on all aspects of mine development, including mineral tenure, transactions, permitting, and environmental and regulatory compliance. His practice spans domestic and international matters, with deep experience navigating complex federal and state regulatory frameworks.

Andrew joined Stoel Rives’ Boise office in his home state of Idaho after serving as Legal and Corporate Engagement Director for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in Oslo, Norway. In that role, he worked closely with governments, nongovernmental organizations, and companies to strengthen natural resource governance and support the mining and energy industries in meeting international standards related to transparency, anti-corruption, ESG, and responsible sourcing.

Earlier in his career, Andrew practiced law in Colorado and Wyoming, advising clients on land status, mining claims, permitting, NEPA compliance, and related regulatory and litigation matters. He was also a Fulbright U.S. Scholar to Ecuador, where he researched and developed recommendations to improve legal compliance, governance, and environmental protection in the artisanal and small-scale mining sector.

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Jerris Johnson, CPL

AI Strategist and Consultant - Land and Energy Technology SME

Jerris Johnson, a Certified Professional Landman, is a leading expert and AI strategist in energy land management, with over twenty years of experience in the oil, gas, and renewable energy industries. He advises companies on blending traditional land practices with advanced AI to help professionals and maximize productivity from land department operations. Jerris also co-hosts the Real Deal Landman Show Podcast, available on all major streaming platforms.

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Charles Kazaz

Environmental and Mining Lawyer, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Charles specializes in mining law and practices all aspects of environmental law. He is based in both Toronto and Montréal. Charles advises mining companies in day-to-day legal matters related to their operations and commercial transactions, including earn-in, joint venture, and royalty agreements, mine acquisitions and divestitures, mine reclamation and closure issues and mineral rights concerns, as well as in respect of indigenous matters. He has extensive expertise in environmental aspects of commercial transactions, project development, regulatory compliance, and liability issues. Charles advises on permitting, investigations and defending prosecutions under environmental legislation. Charles is also experienced in negotiating agreements with indigenous groups. Charles has been recognized as a leading mining and environmental lawyer by numerous publications. Charles is named in Lexpert's Leading 500 Cross-Border Lawyers for 2026, is ranked Band 1 in Chambers Legal Guide 2026 for both Mining: Development and Operations and Environment and was named a Thought Leader by the Lexology Index for his work in the Mining sector.

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Alex Moyes

Vice President of Mining and Processing, USA Rare Eartch

Dr. Alex Moyes serves as Vice President of Mining and Processing at USA Rare Earth, where he leads the development of mining operations, resource characterization, and process engineering for the Round Top project in West Texas. With oversight of upstream activities, including mine planning, heap leach optimization, and separation technologies, he is instrumental in advancing the company’s integrated mine-to-magnet strategy.

Dr. Moyes brings nearly two decades of expertise in mining engineering, geology, and resource development. Prior to joining USA Rare Earth, Dr. Moyes held the role of Director of Critical Minerals and Planning at Ramaco Resources, where he spearheaded initiatives in rare earth and other strategic minerals, including exploration, process flowsheet development, and techno-economic modeling. Before that, he served as Vice President of Economics and Planning at FREYR Battery, directing financial modeling and risk analysis for lithium battery projects. His earlier career at Dominion Energy and Questar focused on innovation in energy technologies, subsurface planning, and geoscience leadership, marked by a consistent emphasis on project execution and bringing complex deposits into production.

Dr. Moyes holds four degrees from the University of Utah, including a Ph.D. in Mining Engineering, an MBA, an MSc in Economic Geology, and a BSc in Geoscience.

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Kyle Reynolds

President, AAPL

Kyle Reynolds, CPL, is a managing member for RBG Permian LLC. He previously worked for Chesapeake Energy in Oklahoma City in the Permian, Eagle Ford and New Ventures groups as well as led a number of cross-functional steering committees. He then moved to Birmingham, Alabama, to lead Energen Resource Corp.’s business development team and served as manager over Permian and mineral assets.

He also co-owns several companies: Benjamin Lee Bison, a direct-to-consumer meat business; Fair-Weather Friend, an Oklahoma City brewpub; and Greenway Capital Partners, a real estate investment firm.

Reynolds holds a Bachelor of Arts in writing from the University of Central Arkansas and a J.D. from the University of Arkansas School of Law. He is an active member of the American Bar Association, Arkansas Bar Association, Oklahoma Bar Association, Permian Basin Landmen’s Association, Fort Smith Association of Professional Landmen and Urban Land Institute. Over the years he has served in many AAPL leadership roles, including first vice president in 2024-25, treasurer in 2020-21, Black Warrior Association of Professional Landmen director and chairman of the Marketing Committee, the Sustainability Taskforce, and  the Bylaws, Policy and Procedures Rewrite Taskforce. He also has served as a member of the Blankenship Student Awareness Initiative, Finance Committee, Investment Advisory Committee and NAPE Operators Committee.

Reynolds and his wife, Amy, have three beautiful children: Lila, Anne Douglas and Hardin. He enjoys cooking, traveling, reading, and all things Razorbacks sports, including writing weekly articles for The Pig Sty.

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Tara Righetti

Occidental Chair of Energy & Environmental Policy, University of Wyoming

Tara Righetti is the Occidental Chair of Energy and Environmental Policy and a Professor of Law at the University of Wyoming, where she also co-directs the Nuclear Energy Research Center. Professor Righetti's research focuses on administrative and property law issues associated with extractives, energy, and industrial projects. Prior to joining the University, she worked in land and legal roles in an E&P. She received her CPL in 2014. 

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Vanessa Robertson

Director of Policy and Education, Geothermal Rising

Vanessa received her master’s in International Environmental Policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and has over 13 years of experience in energy, education, and nonprofit leadership. She has worked across the public and private sectors to advance pragmatic, bipartisan energy solutions grounded in data, stakeholder collaboration, and responsible resource development.

Over the past year, Vanessa has focused on advancing geothermal energy policy at the state, local, and federal levels—coordinating cross-sector engagement, supporting policymakers with technical and market insights, and building coalitions among industry, Tribal governments, agencies, and community partners to accelerate responsible geothermal deployment. She also leads national education and outreach initiatives, including workforce development programs, student mentorship and scholarship efforts, and regional geothermal education events designed to strengthen the talent pipeline and broaden industry participation across the United States.

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Jake Tibbitts

Natural Resources Manager, Eureka County

Jake Tibbitts was born and raised in Blackfoot, Idaho on a family farm and ranch. He has a B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Geographic Information Science with a focus in geo-spatial rangeland science, both from Idaho State University. He is the Eureka County Natural Resource Manager (since July 2008) where he manages the County’s natural resources and keeps the County leaders involved and engaged in natural resource issues of importance to the County. Jake is active on various state boards and organizations related to natural resources management. He has a deep interest in sustainable natural resource use and management and preservation and enhancement of rural communities and working landscapes.

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Mark Travis

President and Principal Geologist, Arkenstone Exploration

Mark Travis, CPG, is an exploration geologist and technical advisor with more than two decades of experience advancing mineral projects across the western United States and internationally. He specializes in early- to mid-stage exploration, where geological interpretation, land access, permitting, and regulatory realities intersect.

Through his firm, Arkenstone Exploration, Mark works with public companies, private groups, and land stakeholders to translate complex geological data into practical, decision-ready insight, helping teams navigate risk, regulatory pathways, and capital expectations at critical inflection points. His work spans uranium, gold, silver, and critical minerals, with a particular emphasis on U.S. brownfields projects and federal land management processes.

Mark is an active speaker and industry contributor, focusing on improving collaboration between exploration teams, land professionals, regulators, and stakeholders to advance responsible resource development.

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