Directors

Chairman
Director since 2013
Member of the Audit Committee

Mr. Grandey has over 40 years of executive leadership in the mining industry.  He is the former Chief Executive Officer of Canadian-based Cameco Corporation, one of the world’s largest uranium producers.  In 2010, Harvard Business Review recognized Mr. Grandey as being one of the Top 100 CEOs in the world because of the value created for shareholders during his tenure at Cameco.  After 18 years with Cameco, he retired as Chief Executive Officer and as a director in 2011.  Previously, he held senior executive positions with Concord Services and Energy Fuels Nuclear.  Mr. Grandey was recognized in 2014 for leadership in the nuclear industry with the U.S. Nuclear Energy Institutes’ William S. Lee Award; inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame in 2013; awarded the Canadian Nuclear Association’s Ian McRae Award in 2012 for his work in advancing nuclear energy in Canada; and was nominated for the 2011 Oslo Business for Peace Award in recognition of his efforts to facilitate nuclear disarmament.  He is the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Colorado School of Mines Foundation and is Chairman Emeritus for the London-based World Nuclear Association.  Mr. Grandey is a former board member of Nutrien Ltd. (2018–2019), Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (2011–2018), Cameco Corporation (1999–2011), Centerra Gold Inc. (2004–2010), Inmet Mining Corporation (2012–2013), Sandspring Resources Ltd. (2010–2015) and Canadian Oil Sands Limited (2011–2016).  He has a degree in geophysical engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and a law degree from Northwestern University.

Director Since April 2024

Mr. Bartels has over 50 years’ experience in hydrocarbon, mineral extraction and processing industries and is currently Senior VP and Chief Operating Officer of General Atomics Uranium Resources LLC. In his leadership roles, he has been instrumental in developing some of the key technology used globally to optimize In Situ Recovery (ISR) of uranium. He is currently a Director of Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd (Heathgate) and was President of that firm from 2010 until 2022. Heathgate is affiliate of General Atomics that operates the Beverley and Four Mile uranium mining and processing facilities in South Australia, Australia as well as undertakes mineral exploration for multiple commodities throughout Australia. Mr. Bartels graduated from the Montana School of Mines with a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering.

Director since 2019
Chairman of the Audit Committee 

Mr. Brundage currently serves as President (since May 2021) of Cordillera Corporation (“Cordillera”), an affiliate of General Atomics and Synchron.  In his current role and prior role as Executive Vice President (June 2007–May 2021), Mr. Brundage is and has been responsible for the day-to-day management of Cordillera’s real estate operations in Colorado, Utah, and California.  In addition, he has served as Chairman of the board of directors (since June 2007) of jetCenters, Inc. (“JCI”), a subsidiary of Cordillera, an aviation fueling operation, and as Chairman of the board of directors (since January 2021) of Ohio Gas Company, an affiliated company of Cordillera, which operates as a regulated gas utility based in Bryan, Ohio.  Mr. Brundage also serves as a director and/or executive officer for several other Cordillera-affiliated companies (2007–Present), including San Miguel Valley Corporation, Silver Cliff Land And Cattle Company, Colorado Barns Corporation, First City Investment Corporation, Lamartine Consolidated Mines Corporation, Boston Commons, Inc., Oceanic Exploration Company, Oceanic International Properties Corporation, and Sorrento West Properties, Inc.  Prior to his current position with Cordillera and its affiliates, Mr. Brundage served as the Chief Financial Officer of JCI (July 1996–May 2007).  Prior to his position with JCI, Mr. Brundage was employed by Brundage & Company (June 1985–July 1996), a regional investment banking firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions and long-term corporate financing.  At Brundage & Company, he was employed in various capacities in the family-managed business, including Vice President, Senior Financial Analyst, and Analyst. He continues to serve as a member of Brundage & Company’s board of directors (since 1980).  Mr. Brundage received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Fort Lewis College and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Denver.

Director since 2022
Chair of Nominating, Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee

Ms. Champine has served as Vice President and General Counsel of Cordillera, an affiliate of General Atomics, since July 2007, and previously served as Cordillera’s Legal Counsel (July 2001–July 2007).  She has served as the President and a director of San Miguel Valley Corporation, a subsidiary of Cordillera, since June 2007 and July 2009, respectively.  In addition, since May 2010, Ms. Champine has served as the President and a director of Oceanic Exploration Company, an oil and gas exploration company affiliated with Cordillera.  From May 1998 to June 2001, she was a real estate and land development lawyer at the law firm of Otten, Johnson, Robinson, Neff & Ragonetti, P.C.  From June 1993 to August 1995, Ms. Champine served as a project engineer for Peter Kiewit & Sons in Utah and Colorado on heavy-highway projects.  She received her Bachelor of Science in Structural Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver.

Director since 2023
Member of Nominating, Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee

​Mr. Hickey is a Wyoming attorney whose practice has focused on energy and natural resource issues. Mr. Hickey practiced law from 1975 until his retirement in 2022.  From 1976 to 2022, he was a partner with the law firm of Rooney & Horiskey, which later became Hickey & Evans, LLP. Since June 2022, he has served as a consultant to Rare Element Resources. Over the years of his practice, Mr. Hickey was a leading energy law attorney in the Rocky Mountain region. He represented regulated utilities in Wyoming, Utah and Idaho. In addition, he has represented natural gas producers, interstate natural gas pipelines, renewable energy projects and interstate transmission projects. Mr. Hickey represented the State of Wyoming before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in the certification proceedings for the Kern River Interstate natural gas pipeline. He has served on the University of Wyoming Law School Advisory Committee since 2002 and was Chairman of that Committee until 2022 and continues to teach at this Institute. From 1997 to 1998, he served as President of the Wyoming Bar Association.  He has served as the Wyoming Representative on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals’ Advisory Committee. He also served as a Director and President of the Historical Society of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Hickey graduated from the University of Wyoming with a BA in History in 1972 and a Juris Doctorate in 1975.

Director since 2022
Member of Nominating, Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee
Interim President and Chief Executive Officer

Kelli C. Kast has over 25 years of in-house legal experience, including as top legal officer in the precious metals industry for seven years and 12 years in the rare earth industry. She has served as a consultant of Rare Element Resources, Inc., a subsidiary of the Company, since June 2015 and as a director of the Company since August 2022. From July 2012 to May 2015, Ms. Kast served as the Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Administrative Officer and Corporate Secretary of the Company. She served as Coeur d’Alene Mine Corporation’s Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary from May 2005 to March 2009 and as its Chief Administrative Officer from March 2009 to December 2011. From 2004 to 2005, Ms. Kast served as Corporate Counsel for HealtheTech Inc. From 1997 to 2003, she served as the Assistant General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Global Water Technologies Inc. and Psychrometric Systems, Inc. From January 1996 through December 1997, she served as corporate counsel for Boise Cascade Corporation. Ms. Kast earned her Juris Doctor from the University of South Dakota School of Law and her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho.