Company vice-president of operations Mark Schuerger will replace the retiring Randy Hansford as president of Riverton Coal in West Virginia. An 11-year veteran with Riverton, Schuerger holds both civil and mining engineering degrees and is a certified mine foreman and rescuer.
Riverton vice-president of engineering Philip Saunders will take over the position of president at Kingston Mining being vacated by the retiring Dale Birchfield. Saunders has more than a dozen years of industry experience in management, production and engineering capacities.
Foundation said both Hansford and Birchfield held various positions in the coal mining community during their long careers; Hansford joined Riverton under a predecessor in 1994 and Birchfield came on board with Kingston Mining in 2000.
With Schuerger and Saunder's exits come two more personnel changes for the company, including Kingston chief engineer George Smith, who will now become VP of engineering for Riverton. Technical services superintendent John Borla, who worked for Foundation Coal's affiliate in Wyoming's Powder River Basin, will take over Schuerger's seat as vice-president of operations.
“We are committed to excellence and we are confident all of these men will provide great leadership for our affiliated operations," said president Kurt Kost.
“They have the mining and leadership experience every company seeks and we are glad to have them working for our team."
