John Lowell, McCloskey
Session: Coal Markets: Current & Future
Presentation title: The role of US coal markets in a decarbonizing future
Bio: John Lowell is a weekly contributor to Inside Coal & Steel Raw Materials and US East Coast coking coal and ARA and Barranquilla met coke price indicators. He possesses extensive commercial knowledge of global coal markets, inland transportation, and bulk ocean freight. Prior to joining McCloskey by OPIS, a Dow Jones Company, six years ago, he worked for eight years at what was then Arch Coal in both sales and corporate development roles. John began his career in the energy consulting practice of Pace Global Energy Services in market analysis and price forecasting in support of projects worldwide utilizing natural gas (piped and liquefied supply), coal, petroleum coke, and biomass. He received his MBA in finance and strategy from Washington University in St. Louis and holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in economics and history.
Samantha Anderson, Peabody Energy
Session: ESG & Sustainability in Coal
Presentation title: Effective ESG Practices in a Changing Environment
Bio: Samantha Anderson serves as the lead for Peabody’s global ESG program with responsibility for the annual ESG report as well as development of metrics and systems to support Peabody’s ESG strategy. After joining Peabody in 2019 as an Environmental Manager, she has served as interim Director of Corporate HSSE and currently as the Director of Environmental Policy and ESG. She has worked extensively within the mining industry, in both coal and hard rock sectors, on state and federal regulatory issues, HSE management systems, and the ESG program development.
Samantha received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemistry from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN.
Stephen G. Sawyer, Jr., Ph.D., National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
Session: Research Needs & Directions
Presentation title: Safety research needs of the coal mining industry
Bio: Stephen G. Sawyer, Jr., Ph.D. is the Director of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Pittsburgh Mining Research Division (PMRD). Before being selected as the Director in June of 2021, Dr. Sawyer has worked in PMRD’s Human Systems Integration Branch. Prior to joining NIOSH, he spent 16 years working in the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Technical Support program area. Dr. Sawyer was in MSHA’s Mine Emergency Operations Division (MEO) for 13 years where he was not only the Engineering Support Branch Manager, but an active apparatus wearing member of MSHA’s Mine Emergency Unit and ended his time with MEO by acting as the Mine Emergency Response Coordinator for MSHA.
Dr. Sawyer holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, a M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University, and a M.B.A. from Duquesne University. He is also a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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Chris Hamilton, West Virginia Coal Association
Session: Workforce Development
Presentation title: Todays Challenges and Opportunities
Bio: Chris Hamilton is the President and CEO of the West Virginia Coal Association. Hamilton, a native of Wheeling, WV, has over 40 years of experience in and around the mining industry. He started his mining career as an underground miner and worked as a fire boss and section foreman and several management positions for the Valley Camp Coal Company before serving as deputy director for the West Virginia Department of Mines. Chris has spent the past 35 years with the West Virginia Coal Association in a variety of capacities involving mine safety, legislative regulatory and government affairs. Hamilton has mine foreman certifications in West Virginia and Ohio and is a graduate of West Virginia University with undergraduate and master’s degrees in business and political science. He also serves on several state Coal Boards and Commissions under gubernatorial appointment.
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