FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sudbury, ON, July 3, 2012 – The Board of Directors of MIRARCO Mining Innovation is pleased to announce the appointment of Vic Pakalnis, P.Eng. as President and Chief Executive Officer of the corporation effective July 1st, 2012.
Marc Boudreau, President and CEO of BESTECH and Chairman of the Board of Directors for MIRARCO welcomes Vic to MIRARCO. “Vic’s experience and relationships in both the industrial and public sectors will help to shape strong and vibrant strategic objectives for the long term success of MIRARCO. The Board of Directors looks forward to working with Vic and believe that he will bring; renewed energy, innovative ideas, growth, and diversification to the organization.”
Vic Pakalnis earned a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Mining Engineering and a Master of Engineering Degree from McGill University in 1972 and 1976 respectively. In 1994, he obtained a Master of Business Administration from Queen’s University.
Vic brings expertise from a career with various mining companies including Inco Ltd, Iron Ore Company of Canada and Falconbridge Nickel Mines Ltd. In the later company, he served as their Senior Ground Control Engineer. While at the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Vic worked as the Provincial Director of Mining, the Industrial Health and Safety Director and Regional Director, Eastern Ontario, with corporate and program responsibilities for Health and Safety Programs and Employment Standards. Most recently, he held the position of the Kinross Professor in Mining and Sustainability at the Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining at Queen’s University in Kingston.
Says Vic: “I am delighted to return to Sudbury, it’s a beautiful thriving community. Already well known in Canada, I will work to ensure MIRARCO is known world-wide as mining’s most trusted partner in innovation and applied research.
MIRARCO— Mining Innovation, Rehabilitation and Applied Research Corporation, founded in 1998, is a not-for-profit applied research and technical service company established at Laurentian University. Located in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, MIRARCO is the partner of choice in delivery of quality research and innovative solutions to the global mining industry and serves as an innovation bridge between researchers and industry. Visit www.mirarco.org for more information.