Executive Director of MiningMinnesota receives honor for her work

Julie Lucas, the Executive Director of MiningMinnesota, was given the Cindy Moore Courageous Impact Award at the National Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) Conference in Phoenix, Arizona this week.

The annual award is given to a woman that: (1) has shown leadership, mentorship, and enthusiasm for the industry and (2) is making or has made a lasting impact on the mining or mine service field.

“My career has been shaped by a wide variety of mentors and industry leaders who encouraged me, believed in me, and pushed me to push myself. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for this award and the incredible people that I get to work with in this industry,” said Lucas.

The Cindy Moore Courageous Award was established in 2022 by Hecla Mining in honor of Cindy Moore to recognize the outstanding achievements and lasting impact of women in mining or the mine service industry.

Moore was a titan in the mining industry for over thirty years, serving as an engineer at the Rosebud Mine in Nevada and Lucky Friday Mine in Idaho. She was known for being a rising leader at Hecla, a great teacher and mentor, and a person of integrity, thoughtfulness, class, and a great sense of humor. She was diagnosed with ALS in 2010 at age 50 and passed away in 2015.

Lucas has been an SME member since 2010, served as Minnesota SME Section Board Chair in 2017, and is currently the incoming Chair of the Responsible Mining & Underground Construction Strategic Committee.

The award nomination included letters of support from people who have worked for Julie or with her and from organizations that she has led. They all came to the same conclusion – the Minnesota Iron Range mining industry, businesses, and communities have a passionate advocate, leader, and influencer in Julie.