People (September 01, 2007)

Toronto-based BANRO CORP. has named Michael Prinsloo its new CEO. Peter Cowley will retain his duties as president. Prinsloo comes to Banro after a long and rewarding career with Anglo American Gold and Gold Fields, where he was most recently CEO of the Gold Fields Business & Leadership Academy.

Bruce Humphrey has moved into the chairman’s seat at Crowflight Minerals of Toronto. Outgoing chairman Stan Bharti will remain on the board. Michael Hoffman has become president and CEO replacing Tom Atkins, who was terminated without cause.

Toronto’s FNX Mining has named John Lill its new president and CEO, effective Sept. 17, 2007. From 2003-07 he was executive vice-president and COO of Dynatec, and responsible for mining operations of the FNX-Dynatec Sudbury Basin joint venture. Current president and CEO Terry MacGibbon will become executive chairman.

Frontera Copper of Toronto has named Alan Edwards its new president and CEO effective September 2007 with the resignation of current president Gary Loving. Most recently Edwards was executive vice-president and COO at Apex Silver Mines.

Great Panther Resources of Vancouver has appointed Charles Brown its new COO. Before accepting this position, he was New Gold’s project manager during exploration and development of the Afton mine in British Columbia.

Pershimco Resources of Rouyn-Noranda, Que., has a new president and CEO, Michael Curtis, effective immediately. Roger Bureau, the former president and CEO, has become chairman of the board.

Louis Gignac, former president and CEO of Cambior Inc., is joining the board of directors at St. Andrew Goldfields of Oakville, Ont.

Superior Diamonds has named Donald Boucher its new vice-president of exploration. He was part of the team that discovered the Victor kimberlite, which will be Ontario’s first diamond mine.

Taseko Mines of Vancouver has named Brian Battison vice-president of corporate affairs. His brief will include government and community relations, First Nations liaison and sustainability, plus economic and social responsibility.

Toronto-based Verena Minerals has named Ron W. Stewart its new president and CEO. Stewart was previously senior vice-president exploration at Kinross Gold.

Obituaries

Kenneth E. Mathews has died in Vancouver, B.C. He began his mining career in 1953 in Australia and, as a senior member of the engineering staff of Mount Isa Mines in Queensland, was responsible for the mining research program, including the design and application of large-scale mine backfilling methods.

He successfully combined research and teaching positions with full time mining consultancy throughout his life. He was an Associate Professor (Mining) at the University of British Columbia and Visiting Professor at the University of Minnesota (1974-78); Mining Research Director of the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre, University of Queensland (1982-86); and Director of Mining Research for HDRK Engineering in Ontario (1989-94).

As Golder Associates’ senior mining consultant for more than 20 years since 1978, Mathews became widely known in the industry in Canada, Australia and the U.S.A. for sage and practical advice on mine planning and design, rock excavation and handling systems, geomechanics and mine backfilling. The empirical stope design system developed by Ken and his colleagues at Golder, which became known as “the Mathews method”, is still widely used in underground mine design.

Mathews is survived by his wife of 54 years, Geraldine, and children Gregory, Jennifer and Leigh.

Written by Gordon Ley

Gerald L (Jerry) Colborne died in July. He was born in Fort William, Ont., and served throughout the Second World War with the Royal Canadian Navy in the North Atlantic Theatre. Following the war, he graduated with a BSc in Mining Geology from the University of Alberta.

Colborne had wide experience in mineral exploration and development, working in all provinces but P.E.I.. He worked with the Saskatchewan Department of Mineral Resources before joining the Saskatchewan Department of Industry and Commerce as Mineral Consultant; in 1967 he was appointed Deputy Minster. The same year he was awarded the Canada Centennial Medal for services to the nation.

He is survived by wife Julia, son Terry, stepsons Len, Larry, and Lloyd, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.