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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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

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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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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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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