Mining Industry NL

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Board members
Paul McNeill
Paul McNeill
  • Signal Gold
  • VP Exploration

Paul McNeill joined Signal Gold in 2014. Formerly, he served as Principal Geologist with Paladin Energy Ltd. of Perth, Australia and Vice President – Exploration for Aurora Energy Resources Ltd. based in St John’s NL, where he was focused on the development of the Michelin Project in Labrador, as well as working on uranium projects in Australia and a gold project in Nevada. Mr. McNeill has developed expertise in structural controls on mineralization, project development and grassroots exploration. Mr. McNeill is a Professional Geologist registered in the Provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia.  He currently serves on the board of Mining NL and is the Past President of the CIM NL branch.

Paul Moore
Paul Moore
  • Buchans Minerals
  • VP Exploration

Paul holds a M.Sc. and B.Sc. Honours degrees in Earth Sciences from Memorial University and is a registered Professional Geoscientist in Newfoundland and Labrador (PEGNL) and New Brunswick (APEGNB). Paul currently serves as Vice President Exploration for Buchans Resources and has worked in mineral exploration throughout Canada for more than 30 years having held senior technical roles with several Canadian and international mining and exploration companies, including Teck Corporation (now Teck Resources), Anglo American, and several Canadian junior exploration companies. Paul has served on executives of several industry and professional associations including Director of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Newfoundland and Labrador (PEGNL), Vice President of the New Brunswick Prospectors and Developers Association (NBPDA), and Director of Newfoundland and Labrador Chamber of Mineral Resources (NLCMR, now MiningNL). Paul is a Fellow of both Geoscientists Canada and Society of Economic Geologists and continues to serve on various industry-focused committees, including a long-standing member of the Technical Program Committee for Mineral Resources Review (2006-2022).

Lawrence Winter
Lawrence Winter
  • Altius Minerals
  • VP Exploration

Lawrence holds B.Sc. Honours and M.Sc. degrees from Memorial University and a Ph.D. from The
University of British Columbia, is a registered Professional Geoscientist (PEGNL), and a Fellow of the
Society of Economic Geologists (SEG). He has worked in mineral exploration internationally and as Vice
President Exploration is responsible for Altius’ project generation and marketing efforts both in
Newfoundland and Labrador and globally. Lawrence has served on the board of the PDAC, as chair of
the Technical Program committee for Mineral Resources Review, and currently sits on the board of the
SEG Canada Foundation and the CIM NL Awards committee.

Justin Hewitt
Justin Hewitt
  • Stewart McKelvey
  • Senior Associate Lawyer

Justin Hewitt is a corporate lawyer in the St. John’s office of Stewart McKelvey. He has particular experience in the areas of mining and natural resources, real estate, and business and corporate finance. He also has experience in advising boards of directors of for-profit and not-for-profit corporations. In the mining space, Justin regularly acts for mining companies, exploration companies and prospectors on a wide range of commercial, corporate finance, land tenure and mineral rights matters. Justin holds a BA from Memorial University, a JD from the University of New Brunswick, and a Certificate in Mining Law from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University.

Roberto Damasceno
Roberto Damasceno
  • Vale NL
  • Head of Vale NL

Roberto Damasceno was named the Head of Vale’s Newfoundland and Labrador Operations in 2022. He has over 20 years of domestic and international mining experience, particularly in the hydrometallurgical field. He joined Vale in 2010 as a senior engineer before holding various management roles in project, process engineering and operations. Roberto holds a degree in chemical engineering, a post graduate diploma in process engineering and a Masters in Executive Business Administration. He has also completed global leadership training at MIT and Yale.

Amy Stoodley Thorne
Amy Stoodley Thorne
  • Rio Tinto
  • Principal Advisor, External Affairs and Media

Amy leads Rio Tinto IOC’s engagement with external stakeholders, including industry, government, and media. An accomplished leader, senior public affairs professional, and a national award-winning journalist, Amy brings a wealth of experience in communications and engagement in large-scale natural resource projects.

Amy is committed to contributing to the thriving mining industry in Newfoundland and Labrador, and to establishing meaningful community partnerships, promoting collaboration and inclusivity.

Staff members
Marcel Clift
Marcel Clift
  • Mining Industry NL
  • Manager Policy and Programs

Marcel Clift is the Manager of Programs and Policy at Mining Industry NL. Over the last ten years, Marcel has; owned and operated his own business; worked as a business, regulatory, and supply chain analyst in biotech; has worked with Shorefast of Fogo Island, and as a research assistant with Grenfell University through the Environmental Policy Institute lab.

He attended Harlow Campus, where he studied Public Policy with renowned public policy expert Dr. Chris Dunn, and graduated from Memorial University with a B.A. in Political Science. He then studied Economic Public Policy until being accepted into the Master’s Program for Environmental Policy at the School of Science and the Environment of Memorial University and graduated with his M.A.

Marcel has long believed that Newfoundland and Labrador’s natural resources belong to its people and that the province should fully utilize and benefit from them in an environmentally and socially conscious way.