Earlier this week, two great leaders and supporters of the industry,
former Association Chairman and President of Riverton Coal Production
Randy Hansford and Kingston Mining President Dale Birchfield announced
their retirements from Foundation Coal. Their long service and
dedication will be missed on a daily basis but we hope they will
maintain their interest and involvement in lots of activities. We wish
both Randy and “Preacher” Dale the best with a great appreciation for
all they have done for the industry through the years.
The following announcement was released by Foundation Coal on Monday
regarding the replacements for Randy and Dale. Congratulations to
Mark, Phillip, George and John on their new assignments.
Earlier this week, two great leaders and supporters of the industry, former Association Chairman and President of Riverton Coal Production Randy Hansford and Kingston Mining President Dale Birchfield announced their retirements from Foundation Coal. Their long service and dedication will be missed on a daily basis but we hope they will maintain their interest and involvement in lots of activities. We wish both Randy and “Preacher” Dale the best with a great appreciation for all they have done for the industry through the years.
The following announcement was released by Foundation Coal on Monday regarding the replacements for Randy and Dale. Congratulations to Mark, Phillip, George and John on their new assignments.
Mark Schuerger, Vice President of Operations, has been named President of Riverton Coal Production, Inc. replacing Randy Hansford who is retiring. Riverton Coal Production, Inc. provides shared services to Foundation’s affiliated operations in West Virginia. Schuerger has an undergraduate degree in civil engineering and a Master’s degree in mining engineering. He joined Riverton Coal Production, Inc. in 1997. Prior to that, he held various engineering and managerial positions in the mining industry. Schuerger has his Professional Engineer license along with certificates as a licensed Land Surveyor, Assistant Mine Foreman and Mine Rescuer.
Philip Saunders, Vice President of Engineering for Riverton Coal Production, has been named President of Kingston Mining, Inc., replacing Dale Birchfield who also is retiring. Saunders has held various positions in engineering, production and management. He has more than a dozen years experience in the coal industry.
Both Hansford and Birchfield are retiring after many years in the coal industry. They have both held various positions throughout their careers. Hansford has been with Riverton Coal Production and its predecessors since 1994. Birchfield joined Kingston Mining in 2000. Kurt Kost, President and COO, commented, “We are sorry to see Randy and Dale leave. We appreciate their many years of hard work and dedication.”
George Smith, Chief Engineer at Kingston Mining, Inc., has been named VP of Engineering for Riverton Coal Production, replacing Saunders. He has held numerous engineering and management positions in his career. He is a graduate of Penn State and has his Professional Engineer license.
John Borla is the Technical Services Superintendent for Foundation Coal’s affiliate in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. Borla will assume Mark Schuerger’s position as Vice President of Operations at Foundation Coal Corporation. He will report to Jim Bryja, Senior Vice President, Operations. Borla has an undergraduate degree in mining engineering and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Utah. He also has his Professional Engineer license. He has been with affiliates of Foundation Coal and its predecessors since 1981.
Kost stated, “We are committed to excellence and we are confident all of these men will provide great leadership for our affiliated operations. They have the mining and leadership experience every company seeks and we are glad to have them working for our team.”
Featured