Mining Minds

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#231 — 40th Annual Elko Mine Expo Keynote Podcast

August 04, 2026

Episode #231 is LIVE — 40th Annual Elko Mine Expo Keynote Podcast  Mining Minds sat down with Amanda Hilton, President of the Nevada Mining Association; Don Dwyer, General Manager of Orla Mining's South Railroad Project; and Vern Goglio, Senior Manager at Cementation USA, for a conversation on the past, present, and future of Nevada Mining. From the evolution of safety and leadership to workforce development, women in mining, contractor partnerships, community trust, and what it will take for...

#230- Pat Risner

July 30, 2026

  From a Coal Mine Summer Job to Leading America's Next Critical Minerals Project Pat Risner had no mining background, no family in the industry, and no plan to end up here. One summer underground changed everything. Now, as President of South32 Hermosa, he's building one of the most important zinc and manganese projects in the country — from the ground up. In this episode, Pat joins Mining Minds to share his journey from Oklahoma to BHP's global operations, the leadership lessons he ...

#229- Scott Shields

July 24, 2026

What does it mean to truly think like a miner? In this episode of Mining Minds, we head underground to the University of Arizona's renowned San Xavier Underground Mining Laboratory for our first-ever underground podcast recording. Joining us is Scott Shields, General Manager of Sales for Komatsu Southwest, Strategic Advisor to the San Xavier Laboratory, and a fifth-generation Arizona miner whose career has taken him from the copper mines of Morenci to more than 150 mining operations across 24...