Hecla Mining Co. has announced the appointments of Ed Sutich as vice president and general manager of the Lucky Friday mine, John Jordan as vice president of technical services, and Michael Wegleitner as director of health and safety.
“We are pleased to announce the further strengthening of the Hecla management team as the company prepares for its next level of growth,” said Phillips S. Baker, Jr., Hecla’s president and CEO. “These professionals have a combined 88 years of mining experience, and we are confident in their ability to deliver on our continued and relentless focus on the highest levels of mine safety, planned mine development, and expected silver production increases.”
Sutich, with more than 30 years of mining experience, has been appointed the new vice president and general manager of the Lucky Friday mine. For the last six years, he was the manager of underground development for Freeport Indonesia. For the 12 years prior to Freeport, Sutich held various positions for Newmont on the Carlin Trend and in Uzbekistan, the last position being the underground manager of the Deep Post mine. Prior to Newmont, he worked for Independence Jerritt Canyon, Cominco Buckhorn, Freeport Indonesia and Newmont San Manuel. He holds a mining engineering degree from the University of Nevada, Reno.
Jordan, a mining engineer with 33 years of experience, has been appointed to the corporate team as vice president of technical services with responsibility for mining engineering, geotechnical engineering, metallurgy, feasibility studies and continuous improvement. In addition to his previous position as vice president and general manager of the Lucky Friday mine, Jordan was with Coeur d’Alene Mines for two years, his last position as general manager of the Galena mine. He also worked for Stillwater, TVX, Sunshine, Kennecott, and also previously with Hecla at the Sherman mine. Jordan has both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in mining engineering from the University of Idaho and the Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology, respectively.
Michael J. Wegleitner has been appointed the director of safety and health. He was previously health and safety manager with more than 25 years of experience as a health and safety professional in the mining, construction and energy industries, most recently as health and safety manager with Rio Tinto at its Simandou iron ore project and from 2006 to 2011 at Rio’s Resolution Copper Mining operation in Superior, Arizona. Wegleitner holds an MS in Occupational Safety & Health/Environmental Management from Columbia Southern University, and a BS in Business Administration and Economics from North Dakota State University. In his previous work, he has helped garner top safety awards, including two separate MSHA Sentinels of Safety Awards and seven MSHA Sentinels of Safety Merit Awards between 2001 and 2010.
During January, the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) ordered Hecla to close the Silver Shaft at the Lucky Friday mine in Mullan, Idaho. The company placed the operation on care and maintenance to remove built-up material in the shaft. This order from MSHA was pursuant to the investigation following the December 14, 2011, rock burst. Compliance with the order is expected to take through year-end.
