AMA Board Members: Fairbanks Brenna Schaake Brenna Schaake is the External Affairs Supervisor for Kinross Alaska with a deep-rooted passion for her home state and sustainable development within the mining sector. Brenna works to help oversee the external relations for a significant segment of the mining industry, including the Fort Knox mine in Fairbanks, the satellite mine Gil, and the Manh Choh mine situated on Tetlin tribal land near Tok. Her work is driven by a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, and education, underscoring the importance of sustainable and ethical practices in the mining industry. Born and raised in the heart of Alaska, Brenna's journey began at North Pole High School. Her dedication to enhancing her understanding and skills took her beyond Alaska's borders to the University of Idaho in Moscow, ID, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Relations. Beyond her professional commitments, Brenna is deeply involved in her community as a volunteer and serves on several boards, including the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce and the Fairbanks Community Museum. Ken Hall Both my wife and myself were raised in Fairbanks, attended school here and have three grown children that also live in Fairbanks. My wife Debbie recently retired as an educator. Between the heavy equipment and transportation industry I have over forty years of work history in the interior. I have been a member of the Alaska Miners Association for many years and have always enjoyed the association. Aside from the Alaska Miners Association I have served on The Alaska Support Industry Alliance and Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce boards and volunteer for Special Olympics and others as time allows. In our limited spare time we enjoy curling and spending time with family and friends. We have cabins in the interior we frequent as often as possible and enjoy the opportunity to get out of town. I believe in responsible development of our resources and they are key to a healthy economy creating a place where future generations can afford to live and raise a family. Paul Manuel Paul was born and raised in Montana. He started his mining career early as one of his first jobs was at the Climax Molybdenum Mine in Colorado. He moved to Alaska in 1974 and began working as a mechanic for a trucking company whose owners also had a gold mine in Chicken. He soon started his own business as a truck repair shop to acquire the mining equipment to start mining for himself. He has mined mostly in the Circle and Fairbanks mining districts, mining on most of the creeks near Central, Alaska. During the winter Paul often took on projects involving off road recovery of equipment and winter freighting. He has done reclamation projects for the federal and state governments as well as private industry. Paul enjoys travel and has been to many countries. He and his wife Joni spend the winters in warmer climates but return to their Fairbanks home every spring. After more than 47 years in the mining industry, he currently mines on Fairbanks Creek near Fairbanks. Steve Masterman Steve grew up on a small farm in Wales, earned a Bachelors in Mining Geology at the Royal School of Mines, a Masters in Geological Engineering at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Prior to joining the State of Alaska, Steve worked on placer mines, for gold explorers and miners in Alaska, Peru and Nevada. Steve joined the State in 2004, and became State Geologist in 2013. He is married with two children. His wife Sarah is a retired teacher and works in the children’s section of the Fairbanks library. They enjoy ski, raft, canoe, hiking and snow-machine camping trips in Alaska, have a large garden and orchard and enjoy harvesting Alaska salmon and game. David (Zoom) Szumigala David (Zoom) Szumigala is employed as a Geologist IV in the Mineral Resources Section of the Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys. He has over 40 years of experience in the western U.S. and Alaska with mineral exploration experience at scales from grassroots regional programs to mine feasibility drilling projects. Zoom was part of the team that rediscovered gold skarn mineralization at the Nixon Fork Mine, and he was part of the Placer Dome Exploration leadership team that discovered the Donlin Creek gold deposit. Zoom was a senior minerals geologist with the State of Alaska’s Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys for 14 years. Zoom returned to DGGS in 2022, after 10 years in mineral exploration, to conduct geologic mapping in eastern Alaska as part of the DGGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative team. Zoom has been active with the AMA Fairbanks Branch for more than 25 years, serving in all executive positions and as director, as well as chairing the technical sessions committee for the biennial Fairbanks AMA Conference since 2000. Dave and his wife, Ellen Daley, have three adult children, Matias, Antonio and Nayeli. Zoom is involved with Running Club North and other local groups in the Fairbanks community, including serving as Vice President and coach for the Hockey Club of Fairbanks, and as an assistant soccer coach for Monroe Catholic High School. Bob Tsigonis Bob migrated to Alaska in 1973 with an engineering degree and a gold pan in his hand. Since then, his adventures have included prospecting in the Brooks Range, consulting to the mining industry, working as an environmental engineer and landman at Fort Knox, and working on ADNR’s large mine permitting team. Twenty-six years ago he founded Lifewater Engineering Company, which manufactures onsite sewage treatment systems for businesses and homes in cold remote places and rough duty riverboats that will get you almost anywhere you want to go on a river in Alaska. A member of AMA’s Fairbanks Branch for ~40 years, Bob and his wife Jean stay busy with their five children and eleven grandchildren, most of whom live in Alaska and all of whom love Alaska. KEN HALL DAVID (ZOOM) SZUMIGALA BOB TSIGONIS PAUL MANUEL STEVE MASTERMAN BRENNA SCHAAKE
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