TONOGOLD LEADERSHIP
200 years of combined experience
Tonogold’s leadership team has well over 200 years of combined experience in the mining and mineral exploration industries.
MARK J. ASHLEY
Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Ashley has 35-years of experience as a senior mining executive. He specializes in launching, turning around, and/or optimizing internationally listed companies in the mining & natural resources sectors. He exercises strong global leadership and possesses deep knowledge of U.S. and international investment, financial, and accounting methods, including SEC, IFRS, and GAAP reporting. From 2006-2012, Mr. Ashley served as CEO & Managing Director of Apex Minerals NL, where he took the helm of a stagnant gold explorer resting at eight cents/share with a market cap of $5M and grew the organization to its highest market value in company history with innovative leadership and a series of strategic acquisitions. Before that, Mr. Ashley was CEO & Executive Director/CFO of LionOre Mining International, where he helped transform the organization from a junior company to a $6B enterprise across 8 years. By the end of his tenure, LionOre had grown into the world’s 8th largest nickel producer, when it attracted a lucrative buyout from Russia-based Norilsk. The buyout cemented US$6 billion of value for LionOre shareholders. In addition to Nevada, he has worked out of London, Shanghai, Turkey, Africa, and Australia.
TRAVIS J. MILLER
Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director
Mr. Miller was founder and CEO of Mil-Ler Resources and Energy SA de CV. While at ML he was responsible for tenement consolidation, fleet selection and equipment procurement, project development and daily operations, project logistics and port operations, operational growth and development of landholdings and also, Iron Ore sales and marketing. Before starting ML, Mr. Miller was a VP with the Sunshine Mining Company (2008-2010), a private company which owned and controlled the Sunshine Mine in Idaho as well as other mining assets and properties.
BRIAN METZENHEIM
Vice President of Exploration
Mr. Metzenheim has over 25 years of experience in mineral exploration with a focus on gold-silver epithermal systems similar to the Comstock Lode. Over his career he has worked on projects throughout the western U.S., Mexico and Argentina. Prior to joining Tonogold, Mr. Metzenheim spent 15 years with Minefinders Corporation, where he managed generative reconnaissance programs and project exploration across Northern Mexico, including the advanced stage La Bolsa property. Following the acquisition of Minefinders by Pan American Silver Corp., Mr. Metzenheim became Manager of U.S. Exploration for Pan American Silver, managing the drill confirmation of a 100+ million-ounce silver deposit and evaluation of potential acquisition targets. Mr. Metzenheim holds a BSc in Geology from the University of Nevada, Reno and is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.
ALAN EDWARDS
Non-Executive Chairman of the Board
Mr. Edwards has more than 35 years of diverse mining industry experience. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mining Engineering and an MBA (Finance). Mr. Edwards is currently the President of AE Resources Corp., an Arizona based company. Mr. Edwards is a director of Entree Resources Ltd., Americas Silver Corp. and Orvana Minerals Corp.He served as the Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Mason Resources until its acquisition by Hudbay. He also served as the non-executive Chairman of the Board of Rise Gold Corp. from April 2017 to September 2018, AQM Copper Inc. from October 2011 to January 2017 and AuRico Gold Inc. (Alamos Gold Inc. following its combination with AuRico Gold in July 2015) from July 2013 to November 2015. Mr. Edwards served as the Chief Executive Officer of Oracle Mining Corporation, a Vancouver based company, from 2012 to 2013. He also previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Copper One Inc. and Frontera Copper Corporation, and as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Apex Silver Mines Corporation, where he directed the engineering, construction and development of the San Cristobal project in Bolivia.Mr. Edwards has also worked for Kinross Gold Corporation, P.T. Freeport Indonesia, Cyprus Amax Minerals Company and Phelps Dodge Mining Company, where he started his career.
DR. THOMAS VEHRS
Non-Executive Director
Dr. Thomas Vehrs holds Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in geology from Syracuse University and a B.S. degree in geology from the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh and is a highly regarded exploration geologist with over 40 years of experience in mineral exploration, mine development, and mine operations. Dr. Vehrs has developed and managed exploration programs in the United States, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, and Central America with a strong focus on epithermal and porphyry-related mineralized systems. Dr Vehrs served as Vice President of Exploration for Fortuna Silver Mines for ten years. In addition, Dr. Vehrs has consulted for and/or held senior positions with Gold Fields, Cyprus-Amax, Western States Minerals Corporation, and Anaconda Minerals Company, as well as being a founder, President, and COO of Aquest Minerals Corporation. Currently, Dr. Vehrs serves as a non-executive director for Rise Gold Corporation. Dr. Vehrs is a Founding Registered Member of The Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists, and a Member of The Geological Society of America.
ROBERT KOPPLE
Non-Executive Director
Mr. Kopple is an experienced investor, businessman and lawyer. He is involved in a broad range of corporate financing activities with public companies. Mr. Kopple is a senior partner in a law firm based in Los Angeles specializing in estate planning, tax law and business transactions. His investments include diverse interests in real estate and in several operating companies in mining, health care, and technology.
GUSTAVO MAZÓN ESCALANTE
Non-Executive Director
Mr. Mazon’s business interests in Mexico include being founder and director of numerous entities, including SIACComedores (a company servicing the mining and manufacturing sectors throughout Mexico) and BiologicosEspecializados (an out-patient clinic network specialized in chronic degenerative deceases and cancer treatments). In addition, Gustavo has been a board member of OPESSA since 2007, a corporation owned by the Mazon family, which has interests in various industries, including mining, in the Sonora State and throughout Mexico. Gustavo co-founded—with OPESSA—Minera Puma SA de CV and Mulatos through which he generated several projects such as “Daniela” and “Arenillas.” Through OPESSA, Mr. Mazon has been actively involved in the construction, mining, exploration and sustainable energy sectors. The Mazon family is one of the most respected, influential and successful families in Northwest Mexico, being one of the oldest business organizations in the region with interests in numerous sectors, such as: livestock, telecommunications (Megacable), agricultural, transportation, development and tourism. Finally, Gustavo holds a Degree in Business and Finance from the ITESM University and a high school degree from Culver Military Academy (USA).
JORDAN MOELIS
Non-Executive Director
Jordan Moelis currently serves on the Company’s board of directors. Mr. Moelis is the Founder and Managing Partner of Deep Field Asset Management L.P., an investment advisor making sector-agnostic long-term investments in public markets. Prior to founding Deep Field in 2014, Mr. Moelis was a Research Analyst at Serengeti Asset Management L.P. At Serengeti, Mr. Moelis played a key role in investments in the metals and mining sector, among others. He has been a Non-Executive Director of Tonogold Resources, Inc. since October 01, 2014. Mr. Moelis attended The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his MBA in 2010 and graduated summa cum laude in 2009.
Dr. ODIN CHRISTENSEN
Advisory Board and Technical Committee
Dr. Christensen is a geologist with over 45 years of experience in the mineral exploration and mining industry. Since 2003, Dr. Christensen has been a consulting minerals exploration geologist with Hardrock Mineral Exploration of Flagstaff, Arizona. Prior to that, he was with Newmont Mining Corporation for 21 years. From 1985-1989, Dr. Christensen served as Exploration Manager for Newmont Mining Exploration Limited and Carlin Gold Mining Corporation in northeastern Nevada with responsibility for exploration and mine geology on the Carlin trend. From 1989-1991, Dr. Christensen served as Vice President of Exploration for Newmont Gold Company. From 1991-2000, he was appointed Chief Geologist for Newmont Mining Corporation, with responsibility for technical oversight of Newmont’s worldwide exploration and mine geology programs. Dr. Christensen has worked in 26 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and North and South America. He holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Minnesota and a PhD in geology from Stanford University.
KIERSTEN BRIGGS
Independent Consultant (MDA/RESPEC)
Ms. Briggs has 21 years of experience working in geologic modeling, exploration, environmental compliance, and geotechnical projects in the western U.S. Ms. Briggs’ mining experience includes three dimensional (3D) modeling of precious-metal deposits, surface and underground exploration drilling and geologic mapping, and mine operations supervisory duties. Additionally, she has experience in geotechnical investigations for open-pit mines, railroads, bridges, and streets and in environmental investigations for sites with impacted soil and groundwater. Ms. Briggs has also worked as a geographic information system (GIS) professional in support of mining, environmental, and geotechnical projects. She holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of California, Davis, CA and an AAS in Geographic Information Systems, Western Nevada College, Carson City, Nevada.
GREGORY CROUCH
Historical Mining Consultant
Gregory Crouch is a veteran nonfiction author who became fascinated with the Comstock Lode in 2013-2014—at the same time as, but totally disconnected from, Tonogold’s initial investigations of the Comstock Mining District. Unaware of Tonogold’s existence, Crouch spent the next four years researching and writing The Bonanza King: John Mackay and the Battle Over the Greatest Riches in the American West, which tells the gripping true story of the struggle to control the Comstock Lode in the 1860s and 1870s through the lens of John Mackay’s rise from obscure miner to master of the Comstock’s astounding “Big Bonanza,” the most concentrated and valuable body of gold and silver ore ever discovered in the United States. Tonogold reached out to Crouch after Scribner published The Bonanza King in 2018. Crouch has been serving as Tonogold’s “historical mining consultant” ever since, using detailed, granular research into Comstock history and working closely with the Tonogold’s geological team and consultants to help plan and “de-risk” the initial modern-day exploration program of the Comstock Mining District. Crouch is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.