Lynn Shanks named president of Pocahontas Coal Company, Beckley, WV, and Carter Roag Coal Company, Mill Creek, WV, both subsidiaries of United Coal Company. Shanks is a mining professional with 27 years’ operational and executive experience.  Prior to joining UCC, he was VP of operations at Century Coal, LLC in London, KY. He holds a mining technology degree from the University of Kentucky, and is a member of the Pennsylvania Coal Association, and coal board and the Holmes Safety Association.

Dale Anderson named executive vice president of Hiller Trading, a subsidiary of The Hiller Group, Tampa, Fl.  Anderson formerly was with Chevron Global Supply & Trading as an Upstream Commercial Advisor-West Africa managing all aspects of Chevron’s crude oil Fiscal Reference Price reporting process for oil producing countries in West Africa.

Yasser Eldeeb, Ph. D., named research, development & technology manager for Martin Engineering, Neponset, IL, and will direct efforts at Martin Engineering’s new Center for Bulk Materials Handling Innovation (CFI) in Neponset.  Eldeeb has experience in the management of engineering, new product development, and advanced technology groups in industrial companies in Canada and the U.S.

Dan Baker, current chief operating officer of America West Resources, Inc., Salt Lake City, UT, appointed West’s new chief executive officer, replacing Alexander Walker III.  Walker will continue to serve as chairman of the board and remain active in the company’s day-to-day business activities as a senior advisor to the executive management team.  Baker has served as the company’s chief operating office since August 2007.  He has earned significant experience as a longwall foreman, senior mining engineer, longwall superintendent and manager of underground operations while working for U.S. Steel, Kaiser Steel, Braztah Corp., Utah Power and Light,. Emery Mining Corp and Kaiser Coal Corp.

Bucyrus International, Inc., South Milwaukee, WI, announces organizational changes: Robert Foss, VP of international sales, named managing director and will perform a dual role that now includes the continued expansion of mining markets in India and fulfilling Bucyrus’ commitment to developing business from the Kolkata base of operations.  Reiner Schuster’s role will now be director mine development and operation (MDO) and is charged with the strategic development and implementation of Bucyrus’ initiatives to supply total mine engineering solutions including conceptual project design, equipment supply and turnkey project management within the ERI region.  His primary focus is on the underground markets of India, Turkey, Russia, Mongolia and Ukraine.

Keith Hargrove named president of United Coal Company’s Sapphire Coal Company, Whitesburg, KY.  Most recently, Hargrove served as president of Pocahontas and Carter Roag coal companies, both UCC companies based in Beckley and Mill Creek, WV.  His career includes 16 years at Westmoreland Coal Company in Appalachia, VA, where he served in a variety of positions, including mining engineer, section foreman, mining engineer supervisor/senior mining engineer, health and safety specialist, and general mine foreman/shift supervisor.

Jeane Hull, former Kennecott Utah Copper executive, appointed to run Peabody Energy’s coal mining operations in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin.  Hull will oversee all aspects of Peabody’s three surface mines, which in 2007 shipped 161.5 million tons of coal.  Hull joined Peabody in May 2007 as senior vice president of engineering and technical services.  Before that, Hull was VP of operations at Kennecott, a VP and GM of Spring Creek Coal, Rio Tinto, and spent 12 years with Mobil Mining and Minerals, including a decade at a PRB coal mine.

Ken Talbot, director and founder of Australia’s Macarthur Coal Ltd, Melbourne, has stepped down from the board, as the company nears a takeover deal with ArcelorMittal. Talbot stepped down to avoid any conflicts of interest relating to his 19.76 percent stake in Macarthur Coal.

Michael C. Crews named executive vice president and chief financial officer at Peabody Energy, St. Louis, MO, replacing Richard A. Navarro who was named president and chief commercial officer in January.  Crews will be responsible for all financial and accounting responsibilities, including treasury, insurance, bonding, risk management, accounting, financial reporting, tax, planning, forecasting, capital management and budgeting.

Peter Wan and Manfredo Manfredi appointed to the global accounts management team of Modular Mining Systems, Inc., Tucson, AZ, with former global accounts manager David Goddard moving to the North American business unit.  Wan and Manfredi stated their careers with Modular in regional business units – Wan in Australia and Manfredi in Chile.  More recently, Wan served as manager of marketing services in Tucson, and Manfredi operated as manager of sales in the Modular North America regional office.

Matt Tones appointed manager of applications engineering unit at Garlock Sealing Technologies, Palmyra, NY. and will work on a cross-functional basis with Garlock’s engineering, product development, customer support, sales and marketing departments.  The new unit under Tones will provide customers with technical support, training, failure analysis and product recommendations.

A.J. (Riaan) van der Merwe appointed chief operating officer of Coal of Africa Ltd.  Van der Merwe has spent the past 19 years in the South African coal industry with the Anglo American group.

Peet Kotze, former GM of Norilsk Nickel’s Tati mine, appointed operations director for South Africa Coal Mining Holdings, responsible for the overall mine operations, including overseeing the recently announced infrastructure investment to improve the cost effectiveness and facilitate the expansion of the Umiabu mine.  Kotze had previously been mine manager at the Leeuwpan coal mine and the production manager at the Grootegeluk coal mine.

Andy Lewis appointed to the newly created position of vice president-international with Eriez Magnetics, Erie, PA, and will manage all of Eriez’ Affiliate Companies/Regional Headquarters except for the Eriez-CPT business in Canada and Brazil.  From his base at Eriez-Europe, he will lead the sales and business development of Eriez’ affiliates and serve as chairman, Eriez-Europe.  Also at Eriez, Paul Fears has been appointed managing director, Eriez-Europe. Fears most recently was marketing director of Eriez-Europe, and will now head up the company’s largest operation.

Larry Adams named senior vice president and Keith Smith named compliance and reclamation specialist at ErMC.  Adams formerly was executive director of the Office of Technical & Administrative Support of the Kentucky Department of Natural Resources and Smith was former assistant director Division of Mine Reclamation & Enforcement of the DNR.

Jason Hayes, American Coal Council (ACC) communications director, has received a degree of Master of Environmental Design (Environmental Science) from the University of Calgary, Faculty of Environmental Design.  The degree is a graduate studies program that prepares students for professional practice in environmental science from an interventionist, professional, and interdisciplinary perspective.

Peabody Energy, St. Louis, MO, announces organizational changes:  Christopher J. Hagedorn named vice president of supply chain management, responsible for developing comprehensive global procurement strategies while managing the quality and cost of goods and services purchased; Lance N. Throneberry named general manager, supply chain management for Peabody’s Australia Operations.  Throneberry, a certified public accountant, spent 11 years with Newmont Mining Corporation where he served as director of supply chain management; Jeffrey A. Maher named vice president, business continuous improvement, responsible for developing and executing business process improvement strategies across all Peabody business functions and managing the company’s Enterprise Resource Planning program; Antonnette (Toni) M. Jackson named vice president of compensation, responsible for the design, development and management of compensation programs aimed at enhancing employee retention, motivation and performance; L. Cartan Sumner, Jr. named vice president of international government relations, responsible for working with international governments to create a policy-friendly framework for Peabody’s coal development projects worldwide; and Thomas A. Banner named director of underground mines for the Peabody Midwest Group, responsible for the day-to-day operations activities of the mines, including safety, continuous improvement, environmental management, and the review of strategic growth opportunities for Peabody’s underground mining operations in Illinois and Indiana.