Speakers

Jon HerouxCorporate Counsel for External Affairs, Westmoreland Mining LLC

Jon Heroux has built a career at the intersection of law, government, and business strategy,

advising policymakers, corporate leaders, and national security stakeholders on complex

regulatory, legislative, public policy and corporate governance challenges. His diverse

background across government service, corporate leadership, and private consulting allows

him to bring strategic insights to organizations navigating legal and policy landscapes.

Jon began his career in Congress in the 1990s, serving as Senior Legislative Assistant to

Congressman Bob Riley covering issues ranging from Agriculture, Banking, to Veterans

Affairs. He later served as a Law Fellow to U.S. Senate under Senator Chuck Grassley’s Crime

Subcommittee to the Senate Judiciary Committee and later served as Counsel for the

House Government Reform Committee. Throughout these roles, he played a key part in

shaping policy on federal oversight, environmental regulations, and national security.

In 2007, President George W. Bush appointed Jon as Chief Counsel for the U.S. Merit Systems

Protection Board, where he provided legal research, analysis, and counsel on cases involving

whistleblower protections, federal employment law, and agency labor compliance. He also

implemented the Vice Chairman’s first legal internship program and played a pivotal role in

reducing a massive backlog of cases.

Jon’s career expanded further into national security, aerospace, defense, and intelligence

consulting. As founder of three firms: Macroux Group, LLC; Heroux & Associates, PLLC; and

Bell Heroux & Zelden, LLC, Jon has advised clients such as Harris Corporation, Jacobs

Engineering, Geocent, the Arthroscopic Association of North America, the Sickle Cell

Disease Association, Birmingham Water Works, and MRIGlobal — helping them navigate

federal regulations, federal appropriations, government contracts, and strategic growth in

highly regulated sectors. His expertise in governance and regulatory affairs has also made him

respected advisor to senior organizational leaders.

For the past five years, Jon has been at the forefront of the energy sector as Corporate Counsel

for External Affairs at Westmoreland Mining LLC. In this role, he leads the company’s external

affairs, communications, regulatory, environmental litigation, and government affairs

portfolio, which also ties into business development efforts. His work ensures that

Westmoreland is positioned effectively in a constantly shifting regulatory landscape while

advancing its strategic growth objectives.

Jon holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Denver – Sturm College of Law and a master’s

degree in public administration. He has held a Top-Secret clearance, reflecting his ability to

maintain positions of trust when dealing with high-level national security information.

With a background spanning government service, corporate leadership, legal advisory, and

national security consulting, Jon brings a unique and valuable perspective. His ability to

bridge public and private sector interests, navigate complex regulatory frameworks, and

develop forward-thinking strategies makes him a trusted advisor in industries where law,

government, and business converge.

Caleb DorseyGroup Vice President, Ocean Solutions Dry

Caleb Dorsey is a founding partner and Group Vice President of Ocean Solutions Dry in Stamford, CT. Ocean Solutions Dry is a boutique brokerage shop specializing in servicing cargo clients in a variety of industrial materials from some of the largest producers in the world as well as smaller clients with only a few shipments a year. The brokerage and operations team has over 150 years of combined experience with Caleb’s focus being on coal and petcoke trades in the industry. OSD has built lasting relationships with the world’s leading ship Owners in all size segments from coasters to Capesize ships.

Kristin HansenGeneral Director, Coal Marketing

Kristin Hansen

General Director, Coal Marketing

BNSF Work History
Kristin Hansen has led the Coal Marketing team since September 2023. The team specializes in providing reliable service to meet the needs of BNSF’s coal customers. Kristin joined BNSF in 2027 as a management trainee and has held various roles in Agricultural Products, Consumer Products, Customer Support, and Economic Development before being promoted to general director Coal Marketing.

Education
Bachelor of Business Administration, Carthage College

Family/Hobbies
Kristin is a native of North Texas, where she enjoys spending time with her husband and three boys and being outdoors.

Andrew HamptonVice President, International Sales at Blackhawk Mining

Andrew Hampton is Vice President of International Sales at Blackhawk Mining.  Andrew has been in the coal industry for sixteen years, eleven of which have been focused on international sales to steel companies, primarily in South America, Europe and India.  Prior to joining Blackhawk in 2014, Andrew served in various roles at James River Coal Company and Massey Coal Company.  Andrew is a licensed attorney, beginning his career in private practice with a focus on corporate and securities law.

Dianna RidgwayResearch & Analysis Associate Director, McCloskey by OPIS

Dianna Ridgway currently serves as Research & Analysis Associate Director at McCloskey by OPIS. She came to the Dow Jones family of professional information businesses by way of acquisition from IHS Markit in 2022 and previously through boutique energy research firm Doyle Trading Consultants.

As a leader of McCloskey’s North American coal team, Dianna works meticulously to provide timely, relevant, and insightful analysis on both domestic and seaborne coal sectors. During her career over two decades, her work has focused on coal supply and demand drivers including global trade, production, project development, transportation, regulatory issues, utility and power demand, price trends, coal vs gas competition, stockpiles, steel production, port and terminal throughput and impacts of geopolitical events. She actively engages with clients and industry contacts while speaking at and attending conferences to keep a finger on the pulse of energy markets.

Dianna was the first female President of the New York Coal Trade Association, a coal industry fraternal organization of which she has been a member since 2006 and is currently serving on its Board of Directors. She is also a member of The Coal Institute.

Andrew BlumenfeldData Analytics Director, McCloskey by OPIS, a Dow Jones Company

Andrew Blumenfeld, Data Analytics Director, McCloskey by OPIS, a Dow Jones Company

Andy manages market analysis for the North American Coal Market Service for McCloskey by OPIS.
The North American Coal Market Service provides daily coverage of coal and steel raw materials for clients in both the United States, Canada and overseas. The service has multiple daily reports including price assessments, industry news, fundamental analysis, and perspective. The service also provides consulting services including market studies and regulatory support. The North American Coal Market Service’s core strength is its understanding of financial components along with the regulatory and logistical mechanisms that affect industry direction and investment.
Andy brings over thirty-five years of experience to McCloskey after spending most of his career at Arch Resources (formerly Arch Coal) where he primarily performed market analysis and strategy. He advised all departments at the company regarding domestic and international coal supply, demand, transportation, regulatory analysis, litigation support and prices. In addition to internal clients, he presented his findings at numerous conferences and seminars. For about two years, Andy was a senior research consultant with Resource Data International (now Platts) in Boulder, Colorado where he authored an extensive study on Central Appalachia coal supply and demand. He also wrote numerous articles for industry publications.
Additionally, Andy served as Chairman of the National Mining Association’s Economic Committee and was President of the American Coal Council. Andy earned his MBA from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri and a BS in Geology from Denison University in Granville, Ohio and completed his geological field studies at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Emily ArthunChief Executive Officer, American Coal Council

Emily Arthun is the current CEO of the American Coal Council. Her background includes twenty years of experience in the coal and hardrock segments of the mining industry. Prior to joining the ACC Emily worked for the Women’s Mining Coalition (WMC), an advocacy organization for mining with members nationwide in hardrock and industrial minerals, coal, energy generation, manufacturing, transportation, and service industries.  Emily serves on the board of the Washington Coal Club and Women’s Mining Coalition.

Emily is a native Montanan who currently resides in  Gillette Wyoming the Energy Capital of the World.  Emily was raised on a working cattle ranch in northeastern Montana.  Emily holds a BS degree in Business Management from Montana State University.  One of Emily’s professional highlights was to testify before a U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources subcommittee, where she addressed the subject of “American Energy Jobs: Opportunities for Women and Minorities” in 2014.

Takatoshi Yamamoto Deputy Director of Coal Policy Office of Natural Resources and Fuel Department, ANRE, METI

TAKATOSHI YAMAMOTO
Deputy Director of Coal Policy Office of Natural Resources and Fuel Department, Agency for Natural resources and Energy (ANRE)
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan

Takatoshi Yamamoto serves as the Deputy Director of Coal Policy Office of Natural Resources and Fuel Department, ANRE, METI since May 2023, where he promotes Energy Security of Coal and International Cooperation to achieve a stable supply of coal, under the close and solid cooperation among the government and private sectors. He has diverse experiences, especially in the areas of Energy, Manufacturing Industry and Trade Policy of METI. In the energy sector, he worked at the Policy Planning Division, and Petroleum Refining and Stockpiling Division of Natural Resources Department. In the manufacturing industry, he worked at the industrial Machinery Division, Textile Division and Commodity Industry Division and has experience of International Cooperation and negotiations. In the trade sector, he has experience in the negation of RTA at Europe Division. He also worked for other divisions at METI, such as Information Economy Division. Takatoshi Yamamoto holds a BS in Law from Meiji University

Chris MarklundDeputy Staff Director, House Committee on Natural Resources, Republican

Chris Marklund
Deputy Staff Director
House Committee on Natural Resources, Republicans

A native of California’s Central Valley, Chris currently serves as Deputy Staff Director for the House Committee on Natural Resources Republican staff. In his role, he manages the Committee’s policy work with a collective jurisdiction including the United States’ federal lands and waters, fisheries, wildlife, energy and mineral resources, federal policy regarding Indian tribes and the insular territories and broad oversight authority over the Department of the Interior and the U.S.D.A. Forest Service.

Prior to joining the Committee, Chris was Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment at U.S.D.A, where he served as the number-two political appointee overseeing the Forest Service, an agency with more than 28,000 employees and a more than $7.5 billion budget.

Chris has also served in numerous other senior roles on and off Capitol Hill including, Deputy Staff Director of the House Committee on Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Federal Lands, Associate Legislative Director for Public Lands and Executive Director of the Western Interstate Region at the National Association of Counties and as a Legislative Director, Legislative Assistant and district staff member to several Members of Congress from California.

Chris lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Rebecca, son, Sebastian, and English bulldog, Toña.

Brittany BolenPartner, Sidley Austin, LLP

Brittany Bolen, Partner, Sidley Austin, LLP

Brittany Bolen is a partner in the environmental group of Sidley Austin LLP’s Washington, DC office. Brittany has a wide-ranging regulatory practice in which she draws upon her extensive, senior-level experience in the federal government and deep understanding of the rulemaking and legislative processes. She assists clients with a full suite of regulatory matters, including comments on agency proposals, engagement with regulators, enhancements to internal compliance programs, and enforcement defense under federal environmental laws. Brittany also provides strategic advice on federal funding and voluntary programs, and contributes to environmental diligence for transactions and joint ventures. Her knowledge of the substance, staff, and inner-workings of the executive and legislative branches helps clients navigate the federal policymaking process and craft the most effective strategy for success.
She joined Sidley from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) where she served as Senior Counsel to the Administrator and the Associate Administrator for Policy, overseeing all aspects of agencywide (i.e., air, water, waste, and chemicals) policymaking and EPA’s environmental reviews of other agency’s major federal actions under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Prior to her executive branch service, she served on congressional committees in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, including as Counsel with the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee which has jurisdiction over EPA and environmental policy issues.

Matt LatimorePresident, M Resources Pty Ltd

Matt Latimore is President of M Group (M Resources Pty Ltd) a company he founded in 2011 to focus on marketing, investment and trading of metallurgical coal and other steelmaking raw materials. Matt is a Non-Executive Director of Stanmore Resources, and GM3 (which owns Illawarra Coal Holdings). Prior to establishing M Resources, Matt held various positions initially with Mitsui & Co Coal Department. He then joined Wesfarmers Curragh Coal as General Manager Sales and Marketing, responsible for global sales to steel mills and power utilities, rail, port facility and finance functions. He was also a Director of Curragh Coal Sales.

Matt has a Bachelor of International Business from Griffith University, and an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and the Columbia University Senior Executive Program in New York. He also holds an Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management from the University of Western Australia and a Diploma of Export Management from the Australian Institute of Export. Matt is a motoring enthusiast and an avid bird watcher. He has photographed more than 500 native Australian species.

Adam AndersonChief Executive Office & General Manager, Western FuelsSS

Bryan ZumwaltFounding Partner, Ridgeline Advocacy Group

Bryan Zumwalt is a Founding Partner at the newly formed Ridgeline Advocacy Group and is based in Washington D.C. Mr. Zumwalt is a skilled, tested leader with substantial experience in executing government affairs initiatives and advocacy campaigns. Through his work, he has achieved regulatory and legislative victories that have impacted the bottom lines of some of the world’s most iconic companies.

Mr. Zumwalt spearheaded his career working on Capitol Hill where he served in both the House and the Senate focusing on energy and environmental policy, most recently as Chief Counsel on two committees in the U.S. Senate, the Committee on Environment and Public Works and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Mr. Zumwalt has consistently been recognized as one of D.C.’s top lobbyists and has extensive experience navigating complex policy issues through integrated campaigns.

Prior to co-founding Ridgeline Advocacy Group, Mr. Zumwalt was Senior Managing Director and Head of Government Affairs for FTI Consulting. He previously served as Executive Vice President for Public Affairs at the Consumer Brands Association (“CBA”), where he oversaw all advocacy and communications while relaunching one of Washington’s most venerable trade organizations during the transformation of the Grocery Manufacturers Association to the CBA.

Preceding the CBA, Mr. Zumwalt was Vice President of Federal Affairs at the American Chemistry Council, where he was responsible for developing and leading comprehensive advocacy campaigns across a broad range of complex legislative and regulatory efforts, successfully executing on some of the most difficult public policy issues impacting the chemicals industry.

Max UkropinaHead of Projects, Valar Atomics

Max Ukropina is Head of Projects at Valar Atomics. Valar Atomics builds nuclear SMRs that fully utilize Coal flue CO2 to produce hydrocarbons. Valar Atomics’ goal is to encourage existing and new coal plants to be levered up to 100% capacity factor, increasing off takers. MAKE COAL GREAT AGAIN.

Lori ReadCo-founder, Pinnacle Genie

Lori Read is a highly accomplished senior executive, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and health and fitness coach. She is a subject matter expert in leadership development, organizational health, and revenue growth.

With over 34 years of experience driving revenue growth and transformative change across diverse sectors, Lori began her career in financial services, where she spent 29 years working with mid-market and enterprise clients.

In 2011, she launched a consulting company that focuses on go-to-market strategies and revenue growth for banks. She later transitioned to the nonprofit sector, serving as CEO of two co-branded companies that provide technology

 and donation processing services, leading them to become the number one provider in the industry. Since then, she has held C-suite positions with two of the largest service providers for nonprofits in North America.

Most recently, Lori co-founded Pinnacle Genie, a niche consulting firm where she specializes in leadership development and organizational health for research and private equity firms. She also launched Lori Read, Inc. and the podcast

 “Lead Boldly, Live Fully.” Additionally, she serves on the advisory board for the University of Colorado’s Women in Leadership program.Lori resides in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with her husband, Steve, and their two dogs, Finn and Leo. Together, they have a blended family that includes five adult children and one grandson.

Richard RussellSenior Vice President of Government Affairs and Political Affairs, National Mining Association

Richard M. Russell is Senior Vice President for Government Affairs and Political Affairs at the National Mining Association.

Most recently, he was the Republican Staff Director at the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee. Prior to joining ENR, Richard was Staff Director for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW). He previously served as Republican Staff Director for the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

He also served President George W. Bush in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Economic Council, and as a U.S. Ambassador. 

Earlier in his career, he worked in the U.S. House of Representatives as Deputy Chief of Staff for the House Science Committee, among other assignments.

Richard graduated from Yale University with a bachelor of science degree in biology.

John MouraDirector of Reliability Assessment and Performance Analysis, NERC

John Moura joined NERC in 2008 and is NERC’s director of Reliability Assessment and Performance Analysis.  He leads NERC’s efforts to assess and report on the reliability, adequacy, and associated risks to the North American bulk power system (BPS). Mr. Moura oversees the development of NERC’s annual long-term and seasonal reliability assessments —a primary statutory obligation identified in the 2005 Energy Policy Act— as well as evaluating system performance, resilience, event analysis and system forensics, critical infrastructure interdependencies, and emerging issues facing the North American BPS. He has extensive experience in cultivating relationships within the North American electric industry, government and leading experts on BPS reliability, informing and educating key policy makers at federal, state, and provincial levels. Mr. Moura also coordinates the efforts of NERC’s Reliability and Security Technical Committee and other stakeholder groups, bringing together the industry’s expertise on electric system operations, resource and transmission planning, and cyber and physical security.

Throughout his career, Mr. Moura has been dedicated to improving and safeguarding the grid and has been instrumental in advancing NERC’s mission as the Electric Reliability Organization by co-authoring numerous special reports and technical publications and is recognized as an expert in the field of electric reliability.

Mr. Moura graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2008. 

Michael DayChief Executive Officer, Eagle Specialty Materials LLC

Michael D. Day is Eagle Specialty Materials LLC. Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Advisors.  Mike graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering.

Mr. Day has held several senior and executive level positions with Leeco, Arch Coal, Magnum Coal, Patriot Coal, and Blackhawk Mining.  Prior to joining Eagle Specialty Materials in 2021, Mike held the position of President and Chief Executive Officer for ArcelorMittal Mining Operations.

He is a licensed Professional Engineer and recently served as Chairman of the West Virginia Coal Association.  Mr. Day has proudly served on numerous boards including the University of Kentucky Mining Engineering Foundation Board, National Mining Association, West Virginia Coal Association, and Kentucky Coal Association.

Proudly, Mike was inducted into the University of Kentucky Engineering Hall of Distinction in 2018 and named University of Kentucky Mining Engineering Foundation Distinguished Alumni in 2016.    

Mr. Day and his wife Jacalyn believe strongly in being involved in their community, where they are involved in major projects that benefit many youth organizations. The Day Family established the Michael and Jacalyn Day and Friends Coal Community Endowment Fund to provide educational scholarships annually to high school seniors in Boone and McDowell Counties in West Virginia.  Proudly in 2022, he established the Michael D. Day Mining Engineering Scholarship Endowment Fund at the University of Kentucky.       

Andrew BradfordSenior Vice President of Energy, FactSet

Andrew Bradford is the Senior Vice President of Energy for FactSet where he leads teams covering oil & gas, power & utilities and energy transition.  Formerly Andrew was the co-founder and CEO of BTU Analytics where his responsibilities included commercial operations, business development, product development, and project consulting covering natural gas and power in North America.  BTU Analytics was acquired by FactSet in July 2021.  Prior to BTU Analytics, Andrew has held positions at Amoco Production Company, Constellation Energy, Bentek Energy and S&P Platts. He holds a Masters in Energy and Environmental Analysis from Boston University and a Bachelors in Geology from Colorado College.

Michelle BloodworthPresident and Chief Executive Officer, America’s Power

Michelle Bloodworth is President and Chief Executive Officer of America’s Power. Bloodworth represents coal electricity and its supply chain before Congress, state and federal regulatory agencies, and the Administration and sets the association’s strategic agenda. America’s Power is the only national trade association whose sole mission is to advocate at the federal and state level on behalf of coal-fueled electricity and the coal fleet, responsible for supplying sixteen percent of U.S. electricity needs.

Before becoming President and CEO in 2018, Bloodworth served as Chief Operating Officer for America’s Power. In the past, she served as Executive Director of External Affairs for the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO); Vice President of Business Development and State Affairs for America’s Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA); and Vice President of Marketing, Sales, and Communications for Energen/Alabama Gas Corporation. She began her career as a power plant engineer after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Auburn University.

Over the last two decades, Bloodworth has worked with groups focused on utility, electricity markets, regulatory policies, and state affairs. Due to her expertise in the energy industry, she continues to serve as a resource for national groups, publications, state legislatures, and federal agencies on issues related to wholesale markets and regulatory policies impacting the coal fleet and the coal supply chain. She has recently participated in both PJM, and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) fuel security initiatives and now serves as the Vice-Chair of the Affiliate Sector of MISO’s Advisory Committee, where she is actively involved in discussions around the reliability and resilience of the electric grid and market reforms within MISO. She was instrumental in the formation of two national trade organizations and currently serves on the board of directors at the Keystone Policy Institute.

Peter Balash, Ph.D.Associate Director of the Strategic Systems Analysis and Engineering Directorate at the United States Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory

Peter C. Balash, Ph.D., is Associate Director of the Strategic Systems Analysis and Engineering Directorate at the United States Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has followed energy markets, energy security, and technology issues for DOE/NETL since 2002, focusing on market and technology interactions across the entire energy value chain. Recent activities include studying reliability and resilience of the electricity system.  Current duties include managing the SSAE directorate, an enterprise of 140 professionals forming interdisciplinary teams of engineers, economists, and scientists that produce economic, systems, optimization, regulatory, environmental life cycle, and infrastructure reliability analyses, all to inform strategic planning.   In the recent past he has directed studies of the economic impacts of energy and climate change mitigation policy and assessed energy security options in a carbon-constrained world, inclusive of fossil-energy based solutions.  From 2018-2022 he served in the leadership of the DOE Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium.  From 2017-2023, Mr. Balash served in the leadership of the U.S. Association for Energy Economics, including as President in 2022.  Prior to DOE Mr. Balash worked for the Internal Revenue Service in Houston, TX, engaged in multinational corporate audits and transfer pricing issues.  Mr. Balash earned his doctorate in economics in 1992 from the University of Texas at Austin. He received a bachelor’s in economics from Xavier University, Cincinnati, in 1987.  

Randall AtkinsFounder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ramaco Resources

Randall Atkins has been involved in energy and commodity related development, investment, and financing for over 40years. He is the founder, Chairman of Board and Chief Executive of Ramaco Resources, Inc. (Symbol: METC)., a NASDAQ publicly traded metallurgical coal with operations in Central Appalachia and an emerging rare earth producer with operations in Wyoming. 

He served as the last Chairman of the Department of Energy’s National Coal Council and was appointed by the White House to be the current U.S. representative to both the International Energy Agency’s Coal Advisory Board and the Critical Minerals Working Group in Paris, France. He also currently sits on the Board of Directors of the National Mining Association.

Atkins has become the leading spokesman for transformingthe coal industry to become a provider of carbon feedstock for higher value advanced carbon products and critical materials. He has testified before the Energy Committees of both the United States Senate and House of Representatives on this subject and chaired a white paper from the National Coal Council to then US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry entitled, “Coal in the New Carbon Age”. He has also appeared on CNBC, Bloomberg News, Fox News, CNBC-Europe and Sky News London.

Before the formation of Ramaco, Mr. Atkins was a banker at J.P. Morgan and had previously worked in various investment banking and private equity positions in the mining and energy fields. He began his career at Ashland Oil, Inc. Mr. Atkins holds a B.A. degree from Duke University and a J.D. degree from Washington & Lee University School of Law. He is originally from Ashland, Kentucky.