State selects Hughes of Fairbanks as mining development specialist

Rich Hughes, a former project manager at the Nolan Creek mine in northern Alaska, has been selected by the state of Alaska to serve as the development specialist for mining in Fairbanks.

Hughes started the job July 1, working in the Office of Economic Development, Mining, a part of the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development.

"I've been playing catch-up, because no one has been in the position since early April," he said.

Rich Harris held the minerals development specialist position, beginning last September, until accepting a position this spring with Kinross Gold as the company's Alaska and Russia exploration manager. Harris replaced Dick Swainbank, who had represented the state in the mining and exploration industry for a number of years.

Hughes, who also worked at the now-shuttered Ryan Lode Mine near Fairbanks, will experience his first outing as the new Alaska minerals representative later in September.

He will attend the MinExpo 2004 conference in Las Vegas, from Sept. 27 to 30, manning an information booth about Alaska's mineral industry. More than 40,000 people are expected at the conference, Hughes said.