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There’s been a change atop the company that hopes to begin mining copper in the western Upper Peninsula soon.
Highland Copper Company President and Chief Executive Officer Denis Miville-Deschênes is leaving, after nearly seven years at the helm. Chief Financial Officer Barry O’Shea will serve as Interim CEO, effective immediately, while the company’s board seeks a full-time replacement.
Highland Board Chair Steve Hicks thanked Miville-Deschênes for his contributions to the company. A release from the company did not say why Miville-Deschênes is departing.
Highland has also appointed a Michigan Tech alumnus to manage its proposed Copperwood Mine site in Gogebic County. Mike Foley has 32 years of experience as a civil engineer in the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin. He was most recently the Director of Environment and Infrastructure at the Back Forty Mine. Prior to that, he served as a Senior Project Manager for Coleman Engineering Company, where he worked with the consulting team on the Copperwood Project to obtain a variety of regulatory permits.
According to the company, the Copperwood Mine north of Wakefield is fully permitted, and plans are underway to begin production. Highland also maintains an interest in a proposed new mine adjacent to the old White Pine Mine, although they recently sold off two-thirds of that project to raise money to complete Copperwood.
