Stephen Alfers
Executive Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
Stephen D. Alfers became PGC’s Executive Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer in March 2012. Prior to accepting this position with Pershing Gold Corporation f/k/a Sagebrush Gold, Ltd., Mr. Alfers was with Franco-Nevada Corporation (NYSE:FNV) where he served as Chief of U.S. Operations from 2007 until the end of 2011. Before joining Franco-Nevada Corp, Mr. Alfers was President and CEO of NewWest Gold Corporation, where he developed a large portfolio of promising Nevada gold properties including Long Canyon, Sandman, and Northumberland.
A well recognized authority in the U.S. Mining Law, public land law, and mining transactions, Mr. Alfers’ career includes twenty years of experience as a partner in several prestigious mining, oil and gas, and natural resource development law firms where he specialized in representing large, international mining and oil and gas clients. In his capacity as a mining law expert, Mr. Alfers has advised the United Nations, foreign governments, and Congressional committees. Mr. Alfers has extensive experience in developing and executing corporate financing arrangements, complex mining transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and in directing legal and government affairs.
Eric Alexander
Vice President Finance and Controller
Mr. Alexander became PGC’s Vice President Finance and Controller in September 2012. In November 2012 he was appointed Principal Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer and Treasurer of PGC. Prior to joining Pershing Gold Corporation, he was the Corporate Controller for Sunshine Silver Mines Corporation, a privately held mining company with exploration and pre-development properties in Idaho and Mexico. He was also the Corporate Controller for Golden Minerals Company (successor to Apex Silver Mines Limited), a US and Canadian publicly traded international mining company with operations and exploration activities in South America and Mexico. In addition to working in industry he also held the position of Senior Manager with the public accounting firm KPMG LLP, focusing on mining and energy clients. He has over 23 years of corporate, operational and business experience. Mr. Alexander has a B.S. in Business Administration (concentrations in Accounting and Finance) from the State University of New York at Buffalo and is also a licensed CPA.
Larry Hillesland
Vice President Exploration and Development
Mr. Hillesland became PGC’s Vice President of Exploration and Development in February 2012. With over 30 years of experience, Mr. Hillesland has played a key role in the discovery of several gold systems (McDonald Meadows/Keep Cool in Montana and Nixon Fork in Alaska, Candamena in northern Mexico, and adding indicated ounces to Kinross’ Kupol Project in Russia). He also defined the 1 billion pound leachable copper deposit at Hanover Mountain in New Mexico. Mr. Hillesland has a B.S. in Geology from the University of Idaho and a Master’s degree from Oregon State University.
Mindyjo Germann
Executive Administrator and Corporate Secretary
Ms. Germann became PGC’s Executive Administrator in February 2012 and PGC’s Corporate Secretary in March 2012. With over 25-years of experience, Ms. Germann has provided extensive C-Level executive support as well as management support for numerous Chief Executive Officers and multiple Boards of Directors (DigitalGlobe, Inc., MolsonCoors Brewing Company, and Einstein Noah Restaurant Group). Ms. Germann also served as Paralegal and Closing Team Specialist for the Merger & Acquisitions practice groups of several nationally known law firms (Hogan & Hartson LLP; Parcel, Mauro, Hultin & Spaanstra, P.C., and Holme Roberts and Owen LLP). Ms. Germann has a Paralegal Certificate from the University of Colorado at Denver.
Steve Tibbals
Plant Engineer
After receiving an AS Degree in Electronics at Monterey Peninsula College in Monterey, California, Mr. Tibbals transferred to the Mackey School of Mines, University of Nevada, Reno. He received his BS degree in Mining Engineering from Mackey in 1976. Mr. Tibbals has worked in all phases of the mining industry from corporate offices to remote mine sites. He has held a variety of Jobs from Junior Engineer to COO of a Junior Mining Company. After spending his early mining career working underground in the silver mines in Northern Idaho at the Bunker Hill Mine and the Lucky Friday Mine, Mr. Tibbals went on to work in the uranium industry. Mr. Tibbals worked for Kerr McGee Nuclear, Pennsylvania Power and Light and Western Nuclear before transitioning into the gold industry. Mr. Tibbals has worked at a variety of gold mines in Nevada working in ore reserve estimation, mine design and planning, mineral economics, property acquisition, permitting and mine management. While in Nevada, Mr. Tibbals worked for several companies including Western State Minerals at the Northumberland Mine before taking a position as General Manager of the Relief Canyon Mine in Pershing County, Nevada.
