John Shively, who served as CEO of the Pebble Partnership since 2008, has transitioned from CEO to chairman of the board of directors for Pebble – a move that allows him to be a part of the strategic leadership team for advancing the world-class copper-gold-molybdenum project in Southwest Alaska.

“This is a complex project and to successfully advance it will take several phases. I have been working with Tom for the last two years on the many issues presented by the EPA’s flawed Bristol Bay report and have found his strategic guidance very helpful on this issue and others associated with the complexities of federal permitting for the project. Our goal in the year ahead is to focus on advancing the project and to initiate permitting. This is another step along that road and I remain committed to this important project for Alaska’s future,” Shively said of the Feb. 3 management change.

Collier has spent four decades as a regulatory attorney in Washington D.C., a tenure in which he has specialized in guiding companies through the federal environmental permitting process and Section 404 wetlands permits in particular, a critical permit overseen under the U.S. Clean Water Act by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“Resolving complex, challenging and controversial development projects has been the major focus of my career for the past several decades, so I welcome the challenge of serving as Pebble CEO,” Collier said. “I will immediately focus my energies on preparing the strategy and scientific resources necessary to secure federal and state permits for the construction and operation of a modern, long-life mine at Pebble in the years ahead.”

Shively noted that Collier is no stranger to Alaska. Over the course of his 40-year career at Steptoe and Johnson, the regulatory attorney has represented several Alaska-based clients – including Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., during its reauthorization of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, and Conoco Phillips, during development of the Alpine oil field and CD-5 project on Alaska’s North Slope.

Based on his industry experience, as well as his time serving as Chief of Staff for Bruce Babbitt at the U.S. Department of the Interior, Collier has developed extensive knowledge of and networks within key federal regulatory agencies – including the Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency.

“From my experience, I have developed three key principles that I believe are essential to resolving the kind of environmental controversy we see at Pebble,” Collier said. “First, natural resource development and environmental protection can and do co-exist; second, science is the key to resolving such controversies; and third, the NEPA-required EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) process is the best way to resolve scientific disagreements. I am bringing these lessons and my extensive experience with the section 404 permitting process to Pebble, and I’m confident that this great project will be permitted and built in Alaska.”

In addition to Collier’s vast experience, the Pebble organization will continue to benefit from Shively’s knowledge of Alaska and its permitting and regulatory system, as well as his passion for advancing opportunities for Alaska Natives.

“With Tom as CEO, we have a U.S. federal and regulatory permitting specialist, and a business leader with a positive track record for achieving development permits for large, complex and controversial projects,” said Northern Dynasty President and CEO Ron Thiessen. “And in John we have one of Alaska’s most respected and experienced business leaders, whose track record for working with government and Alaska Native communities is unparalleled.”

Coming to Alaska as a VISTA volunteer in 1965, Shively has worked closely with the Alaska Native community, including serving as executive vice president of the Alaska Federation of Natives from 1972 to 1975. He then worked with 17 years with NANA Regional Corp., where he was involved with helping that Native corporation obtain the lands where the world-class Red Dog zinc mine is now located.

Shively’s distinguished career also includes four years as Chief of Staff to former Alaska Governor Bill Sheffield and a five-year tenure as Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources under Gov. Tony Knowles.

“It is extremely important to me in accepting this role to have John in a strategic leadership capacity so we can move this project forward,” said Collier. “John has overseen the tremendous engineering and environmental work to design a mine that can protect the critical salmon fishery in Bristol Bay and we both believe a mine can be built that will meet the high expectations Alaskans have for development. I look forward to advancing this important work.”

With the new leadership in place, Pebble-owner Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. continues to ready the massive copper-gold-molybdenum project for permitting.