| Mining and Minerals Education Foundation |
Robin J. Hickson Independent Mining Consultant 2026 Medal of Merit Recipient Robin J. Hickson is an independent mining consultant and mining author with some 50 years of experience building mines around the world. Today he provides senior management consulting services, expert advice and analysis to entities involved in the development, expansion and operation of both underground and surface mines. Mr. Hickson has served as President of three mining organizations, was the Senior Mining Executive for four engineering / construction firms, and spent 29 years in the field directing operations and projects at some 100 mines in over 20 countries. Mr. Hickson has proven leadership skills along with strong project management expertise in the evaluation, acquisition, feasibility, process design, engineering, development, construction, operation and reorganization of mines and mining projects. He has practical hands-on project execution and field start up experience. Mr. Hickson led the building of 15 grassroots mines including Grasberg and DOZ (Indonesia), El Abra and El Tesoro (Chile), Cerro Verde (Peru), Karonie and Bow River (Australia), Kubaka (Russia), Fort Knox (Alaska), Mesquite (CA), Ortiz (NM), Big Springs (NV), American Soda (CO), Willow Creek (UT) and Santa Cruz (AZ), as well as 9 major brownfield plant expansions in Peru, Chile, Zambia and the US – all delivered in budget, on schedule, and operating at design throughput. He has managed mining operations on six continents, both union and union-free. Mr. Hickson has a record of successfully building new mines and then operating those mines profitably. He is the co-author of the "Project Management for Mining" book, published by SME in January 2015 and has co-authored three other books for the mining industry and numerous technical papers. Mr. Hickson obtained his B.Sc. degree from the Royal School of Mines in England. He went on to receive his MBA, with honors from Tulane University in Louisiana. He is a Chartered Engineer and a certified Qualified Person in Mining Engineering. Specialties: Mining expert advice. Mine property evaluations, due diligence, and mining property acquisition. Feasibility studies, mine and process design, mine engineering. Mine development & construction. Mine management and operation. Project management, project controls. Practical hands-on project execution and field start-up. Robin has experience working within the copper, lead-zinc, nickel molybdenum, gold, silver, diamonds, uranium, coal, iron, soda ash, phosphate and potash industries. |
David L. Kanagy
CEO and Executive Director of the SME
2026 Medal of Merit Recipient
Kanagy, winner of the Medal of Merit award, has served as the executive director and chief executive officer of SME since 2004. His tenure has been marked by significant growth and innovation making it the world’s largest mining-related professional societies. With a keen financial sense, he was able to add value while cutting excess to expand the Society in every measure. One of his first accomplishments as the executive director was to streamline the SME Boad of Directors from 29 members to nine, making it much more effective. Kanagy also helped to create advanced programs including OneMine.org, the world’s foremost online mining research library. The current estimate is that OneMine.org has over 112,000 documents and 2 million pages available for research.
Under Kanagy’s guidance SME established the following:
The Minerals Education Coalition which was created by merging MII and GEM to form a stronger K-12 mining and minerals outreach program.
The SME Government and Public Affairs Committee which included hiring a Committee Director who travels to Washington D.C., on a regular basis to meet with congressional staff and provide technical information about mining and minerals.
The SME Congressional Fellowship.
The World Federation of Engineering (WFEO)-SME Task Force on Sustainable Mining, a global task force that focuses on capacity building in developing nations.
The SME Foundation, which is the funding organization for special projects within the SME, e.g. Miners Give Back, Academic Career Development Grant, the PhD Fellowship Program and the re-establishment of the Mining in Society Merit Badge for the Boy Scouts of America.
Kanagy enhanced legacy programs and increased collaboration with international organizations. Kanagy demonstrated visionary leadership and was willing to make the hard decisions for the betterment of the Society while remaining open to new ideas and opportunities. Kanagy is the recipient of prestigious awards, including the Colorado Society of Association Executives’ Professional of the Year award and the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America’s Gold Medal award. He has a B.S. degree in industrial education from the University of Maryland, an M.S. degree in technology education from Eastern Illinois University and is a certified association executive by the American Society of Association Executives.
Juilia Potter
GCE Director and WIM President
2026 Medal of Merit Under 40
Julia Potter, winner of the Medal of Merit Under 40, is the Director of the Geotechnical Center of Excellence (GCE) at The University of Arizona. In this role since 2022, she has led a team of engineers and students conducting applied research and developing professional development courses for the mining industry. Her work includes advancing research in thermal imaging technologies for detecting rockfalls in open-pit mines and expanding globally recognized professional training programs. Potter has broad experience across the mining industry, including highly technical work, leadership roles, advanced academic research, and impactful community service. Julia spent 11 years with Call & Nicholas, Inc. in their Tucson office, ultimately becoming a part-owner. During this time, she worked on some of the most technically challenging mining projects in the world. Her work involved geotechnical modeling and analysis to support safe and efficient mining operations on complex international projects. Potter has been asked to serve in 2026 as Co-Chair of the International Slope Stability in Mining Conference and the American Rock Mechanics Association Symposium. Julia’s work with Women in Mining has also been exemplary. As President of Women in Mining Arizona (2020-2022), she played a key role in expanding the organization’s reach and impact. She was elected as Vice President and President of WIM USA in 2022 and 2025, respectively. Under her leadership, the organization has experienced significant growth in membership, conference participation, programming, and fundraising. Potter was named to Women in Mining UK's 2024 WIM100 list.
| MINING AND MINERALS EDUCATION FOUNDATIONP. O. Box 42317 Tucson, Arizona 85733Phone - (520) 577-7519 E-mail: |
