Wilkinson to head SME

Will Wilkinson was voted in as President-elect of the 11,500 member Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration at SME's annual meeting last month. He will become President in 2009.

Will is Vice President, Africa for Phelps Dodge Exploration, a wholly owned subsidiary of Freeport- McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc. in Phoenix, AZ.

According to his bio on the SME website, He is responsible for project direction, reconnaissance and acquisitions on the African continent. He has worked in base and precious-metal exploration worldwide for Duval and Westmont Mining before joining Phelps Dodge in 1991. Will received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in geology from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and his Ph.D. in geosciences from the University of Arizona.

Will also serves on the AZGS State Mapping Advisory Committee that determines where we carry out geologic mapping in Arizona each year. Will is the husband of Pam Wilkinson, a geologist with AZGS in our Phoenix branch.