Friday's Summit Speakers: Energy and Critical Materials Summit

Dr. Thomas Lograsso, Director of the DOE's Critical Materials Innovation Hub and Ames Laboratory's Division of Critical Materials, has recently led transformative efforts to secure and innovate the U.S. critical materials supply chain. Under his direction, the Hub receives over $30 million annually to advance research in rare earth recycling, substitutions, and efficiency. In 2024, he received the DOE AMMTO Visionary Award for renewing the Hub. He has been a materials scientist at the Amesthomas National Laboratory since 1988. Tom is a co-inventor of a rare-earth free substitute for the magnetostrictive alloy, Terfenol-D (contains the critical elements Tb and Dy), used in high precision machining operations for small engine components and as an ultrasonic driver in petroleum exploration. 

Moderator:

Rolf Ziesing is Vice President of Maritime Programs at General Atomics responsible for Ford-class carrier Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) programs, undersea domain programs, and a portfolio of advanced commercial products and systems supporting the defense and energy market.

Rolf began his professional career as an officer in the U.S. Navy assigned to Naval Reactors headquarters in Washington DC. After 12 years in the Materials Division where he was promoted to Branch Head for Welding, Nondestructive Testing and Quality, Rolf was assigned to Naval Reactors field office duty and received an appointment to the Senior Executive Service in the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).  Ziesing’s field assignments included oversight of the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory as the NNSA Operations Manager at Bettis, oversight of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program industrial base as the Naval Sea Systems Command Technical Representative – Pittsburgh, and oversight of nuclear submarine construction and operations as the senior Naval Reactors Representative at Electric Boat Shipyard and the U.S. Naval Submarine Base in Groton, CT. In his last position, he oversaw and participated in “alpha” sea trials of the first VIRGINIA-class nuclear submarine (USS VIRGINIA) and the last SEAWOLF-class nuclear submarine (USS JIMMY CARTER).

Before coming to General Atomics, Ziesing was Vice President of National Security Programs and Vice President of Nuclear Equipment Manufacturing at BWX Technologies; and at Westinghouse Nuclear was Director of Quality, US/Asia Nuclear Fuel Operations, Director of US AP1000 Licensing, and Director of AP1000 Site Operations and Licensing at the Vogtle nuclear power generating station (Units 3&4).

Rolf is a Butte native and received his Bachelor of Science (with honors) in Metallurgical Engineering from the Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology. He successfully completed the Naval Reactors staff nuclear engineering course (masters equivalent) at the Bettis Reactor Engineering School and completed the Executive Course on Leading Strategic Growth from Columbia University Business School. Rolf is a recipient of the National Nuclear Security Administration Gold Medal for Distinguished Service and the Navy Superior Public Service Medal.

Jack Skinner

Dr. Jack L. Skinner is the Dean of the Lance College of Mines and Engineering at Montana Technological University.

Dr. Skinner graduated in 2000 from Montana Tech with a B.S. in General Engineering with a Mechanical Engineering Option. He went on to receive an M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Washington State University and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Davis. Dr. Skinner worked as a graduate researcher at the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center (BSAC), Berkeley, California, during his time as a Ph.D. student. He worked at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) for nearly 10 years, earning the rank of principal member of technical staff before becoming a faculty member at Montana Tech in 2012. While at SNL Dr. Skinner led multidisciplinary teams focused on addressing national security and defense issues with solutions provided by materials and devices enabled through engineering and science at the nanoscale.

During his time at Montana Tech, he has been honored with four Rose and Anna Busch Teacher of the Year awards, three merit awards for excellence in teaching, research, and service, two distinguished researcher awards, and an alumni recognition award at Montana Tech. Dr. Skinner founded the Department of Mechanical Engineering and created Montana Tech’s first cleanroom facility and continues to direct the Montana Tech Nanotechnology Laboratory. His research portfolio exceeds $14 million in funding, with 70 journal publications, 127 conference presentations, and 13 patents to his name. He serves as Associate Editor of MRS Advances and as Conference Chair and Chief Executive Officer for the 69th Electron, Ion and Photon Beam Technology and Nanofabrication Conference (EIPBN or 3-Beams), the world’s longest-running nanotechnology conference to be held in Denver in 2026. He is committed to ensuring Montana Tech provides excellent educational opportunities with strong industrial ties.

Craig M. Bleile is Director of Future Capabilities for Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Keyport, WA leading numerous emerging technology projects.

Past tours included Office of Naval Research (ONR) Science Advisor for the Navy Warfare Development Command where he authored numerous advanced warfighting concepts. Prior to joining ONR, served at the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, with duties including project management and field engineering for numerous Foreign Military Sales installations throughout Asia and Africa. Much of Mr. Bleile’s early career was spent with the Naval Surface Warfare Center where his areas of expertise included Amphibious Warfare, Strike Warfare, Ship Self-Defense, and Joint Interoperability. During 2002-2003, Mr. Bleile was stationed in Bahrain serving as the US Navy Central Command, Fifth Fleet and US Marine Forces Central Command Science Advisor supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

 Mr. Bleile received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Boston University and several degrees and certificates from the Naval Postgraduate School in Systems Engineering, Optical Sciences and Information Sciences. He is the recipient of the Wayne E. Meyer Award for Excellence in Systems Engineering.

Robert Smith, director of the Special Activities Office (SAO) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), is driving high-impact technical solutions and leveraging key partnerships with private sector and government security stakeholders to keep our nation secure and competitive in an ever-changing and challenging geopolitical landscape. The Special Activities Office is a leader in technical expertise for the defense of irregular warfare and brings to bear the most effective capabilities needed to address the growing demands and threats inherent to modern, indirect warfare.

Rob manages programs at INL across diverse mission sets, supporting the energy sector, intelligence community (IC), DOE, DoD, and others. Prior to INL, Rob served as an operations officer at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with years of field operations and covert action experience around the world, having spent most of his time in Eastern Europe, East Asia, and Africa. He has extensive experience with energy, cybersecurity, nonproliferation, counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and emerging technologies. He has sector-specific experience regarding insider threats and tangible vulnerabilities to US critical functions. Rob holds degrees from Brigham Young University and Boise State University. Originally from Salt Lake City, Utah and having lived overseas and throughout the United States, he now resides in Idaho Falls, Idaho with his wife and six children.

Moderator

Zack Kelly, Plant Production Manager, REC Silicon

Graduated from Montana Tech in 1998, B.S. Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. 

1998-2001: Base metals smelting and refining. (Kennecott and ASARCO)

2001-2004: High-purity metals/compounds for semiconductor and PV industries. (ASARCO)

2004-present: Polysilicon and silicon gases production for semiconductor, PV and battery industries.  (ASiMI/REC Silicon)

Eric Dahlgren is the Mining Bureau Chief at the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.  He leads the Mining Bureau’s efforts to review applications and ensure mine operations are performed in compliance with the Metal Mine Reclamation Act, Opencut Mining Act and Montana Strip and Underground Mine Reclamation Act. Eric is committed to championing a healthy environment for a thriving Montana to ensure economic development and environmental sustainability.  Eric is a graduate of Montana Tech of the University of Montana (BS Metallurgical Engineering, 1999, MS Metallurgical Engineering, 2000) and the University of Missouri-Rolla (PhD Metallurgical Engineering, 2003).

Heather McDowell is the Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Legal and External Affairs for Sibanye-Stillwater in the Americas where she leads the company's legal and sustainability strategies, including the Good Neighbor Agreement, a collaborative venture with Northern Plains Resource Council that promotes responsible mining practices to protect the environment and the rural vitality of local communities.  She was raised on her family's ranch in Bridger, Montana and graduated summa cum laude from Gonzaga University School of Law.  When not behind her computer or driving the beautiful vistas around Sibanye-Stillwater's Montana operations, she can be found watching her son on the basketball court and saddling her twin daughters' horses at local Little Britches rodeos.  Heather is passionate about the responsible mining and recycling of domestic critical minerals and is working to create a fair global playing field for Sibanye-Stillwater's Montana-made metals.

John Metesh worked for the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology for 36 years in positions ranging Research Hydrogeologist to Research Division Chief and finally as Director and State Geologist for the past 13 years.  He recently served as President of the Association of American State Geologists (2023-24).

He has published 50+ reports, articles, and abstracts related to hydrogeology and geochemistry as well as many unpublished reports relied upon for critical decisions related to legislation, mine permitting/reclamation, water rights, and natural resource development.

He recently became Executive Director of Critical Materials Initiatives for Montana Technological University.

Matt Vincent is the Executive Director of the Montana Mining Association, leading the Treasure State’s trade association for the mining industry in support of its mission “to protect and promote responsible mining in Montana.” Named a distinguished alumni of Montana Tech (B.S. Chemistry ‘95) in 2011, Vincent is a contracted consultant having served a variety of private and public sector clients in mining, energy, environmental policy and technology since 2017. He has also received multiple awards as a former journalist and science educator, and served as the elected Chief Executive of Butte-Silver Bow City-County from 2013-2016 and a citizen appointee on Montana’s Environmental Quality Council from 2017-2021. He lives in Butte with his wife, Alicia and together they have four kids (two girls, two boys).

Moderator:

Thomas F. McIntyre is a retired Extractive Metallurgist who has had a varied career for the past 45+ years since graduating from Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mineral Processing Engineering. He completed his MS in Metallurgy in 2006 at Montana Tech.

Tom worked at the ASARCO Inc Primary Lead Smelter, East Helena, MT for 20 years, Advanced Silicon Materials High Purity Polycrystalline Silicon in Silverbow, MT for 20 years. Finally, he has spent 5 years consulting process engineering for Metallica Commodities Corporation – Non-Ferrous Metals of White Plains, NY.

Tom has worked as a Production Manager, Maintenance Manager, Plant Engineer, Construction Manager, Metallurgist, Process Design Engineer and Business Consultant during his career.

Tom is active with the Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) for the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering department at Montana Technological University. He is the father of 4; 3 sons and a daughter and grandfather to 8 (+?)  and has been married to his soulmate, Pam for the past 48 years. Tom is a native of Butte, MT. 

Stefanie Hill is a fifth-generation Montanan from an entrepreneurial mining family that first settled in Butte in the early 1880s and went on to build successful mining and milling businesses in Philipsburg over the generations.

For nearly three decades, Stefanie built her career in management consulting across the U.S. and abroad, leading firms and advising Fortune 500 companies and startups alike. Her expertise spans corporate strategy, futures thinking and foresight, operations, P&L leadership, systems thinking, solution architecture, large-scale program delivery, and people management across a wide range of industries and challenges.

After 30 years away, Stefanie returned home to Montana and immersed herself in her family’s multi-generational mining and milling legacy. She now runs her own strategy consulting firm while leading efforts to reinvent the family’s mining and related portfolio—positioning it within the critical mineral supply chains vital to U.S. national, economic, climate, and energy security.

Victoria Morton is an Environmental Engineer at Nucor Corporation. Victoria has spent the majority of her 15-year environmental career in the steel industry, working for both integrated and electric arc furnace steel manufacturers. Over that time, she has supported dozens of steel facilities with various environmental activities including regulatory reporting, permitting, and sustainability initiatives. She now focuses on Nucor's environmental compliance program to ensure Nucor meets environmental obligations to governing agencies and local communities. 

Victoria received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Engineering Management and Master of Environmental Management from Duke University.

Dan Janney worked for Rio Tinto for 25 years in numerous operational leadership positions in Copper (Utah), Uranium (Australia) and Coal (Australia). He also worked in a technical support role as the Global Head of Productivity in Rio Tinto’s Technology and Innovation group based in Montreal, CA. After a period of consulting on his own where he was engaged at a gold mining operation in Turkey, Dan took a position with Newmont and spent over 4 years in the North America region where he wound up as the Senior Vice President for North America Dan is currently the Vice President of Operations at Montana Resources.