Alaskan Governor Bill Walker got in the operator’s seat of a 35 yard hydraulic shovel as part of a three-hour hands-on tour of Fort Knox. The Governor and his wife, First Lady Donna Walker, visited the site on October 10th to learn more about the mining industry.
“It was great that Governor Walker was able to see our operations and meet the team,” said Anna Atchison, External Affairs Manager, Fort Knox. “He was really interested in our work and asked a lot of technical questions.”
The Governor talked about his support of mining and its positive impact on communities and the state. He hopes to expand Fort Knox’s work of educating youth about mining through school tours to other companies in the natural resources sector.
“He was especially interested in the Fish Creek reclamation site and showed interest going forward to better educate Alaskans about reclamation potential,” continued Anna. Click here to watch a video about the Fish Creek reclamation project from our 2013 Corporate Responsibility report.
Governor Walker gets a hands-on lesson about the milling process from Josie Stewart, Mill Operator
At the mine with Mark Fullenwider, Operations Manager, Penny Schwegel, Utility Operator, Governor Walker, First Lady Donna Walker, Eric Hill, General Manager, Bartly Kleven, Environmental Manager, Anna Atchison, External Affairs Manager, Deantha Crocket with the Alaska Miners Association
The Governor with Kelly Turner, Mechanic
In the operator’s seat of a shovel
See more photos of the visit on Governor Walker’s Facebook page.
