Management and Operations Team
Donald S. Bubar, M.Sc., P. Geo, President and CEODon Bubar is a geologist with over 40 years of experience in mineral exploration and development in Canada. Mr. Bubar is a graduate of McGill University (B.Sc., 1977) and Queen’s University (M.Sc., 1981). From 1984 to 1994, he worked for Aur Resources Inc. as Exploration Manager and later VP, Exploration. Mr. Bubar has been President and CEO of Avalon since 1995. Mr. Bubar served as a Director of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) for nine years and Chair of its Aboriginal Affairs Committee from its creation in December, 2004 until retiring from the PDAC Board in March, 2013. Throughout his career, Mr. Bubar has been an advocate for increased Indigenous participation in the mineral industry, first through the PDAC and later through the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines. Mr. Bubar serves on the Advisory Board to the Faculty of Science of McGill University and on the Board of Directors of PDAC's Mining Matters earth science education program. |
R.J. (Jim) Andersen, CPA, CA, CPA (Illinois), CGMA, Vice President, Finance, Corporate Secretary and CFO
Mr. Andersen began his own accounting practice in 1994 and was in charge of Avalon's audit from 1996 to 2000, prior to joining the company as its CFO in 2001. Mr. Andersen has acted as a part-time professor in the MBA program at the Schulich School of Business at York University and is currently a trustee of Trinity College at the University of Toronto. |
Cindy Hu, CPA, CA, CPA (Illinois), Controller
MS. Hu earned her B.Com from Laurentian University in 1996. |
William Mercer Ph.D., P.Geo, Vice President, ExplorationDr. Mercer has been VP, Exploration with Avalon since 2007. He enjoyed a 32-year career with the Noranda/Falconbridge group, ultimately serving as Director-Geology and Geochemistry. Dr Mercer’s exploration career spans over 30 countries and a variety of commodities including base metals, gold, bauxite and rare metals. Dr. Mercer was also a “Champion of Six Sigma,” with training to Black Belt level, and responsible for the supervision of Six Sigma efficiency methods in exploration and closed mine sites. As corporate Director of Geology and Geochemistry, he had dual reporting responsibilities to the SVP-Exploration and SVP-Business Development and was a team member in assessment of major projects and mines for acquisition. Dr. Mercer served as the President of the Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences (CFES) from 2008 to 2010, and as President of the Prospectors and Developers Association (PDAC) from 2002 to 2004. He currently chairs the PDAC Health and Safety Committee. Dr. Mercer is the recipient of the David Barr Award from the Association for Mineral Exploration in British Columbia for excellence in leadership and innovation in mineral exploration health and safety; the PDAC Distinguished Service Award; and the Award for Environmental Excellence of the NWT Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists. In 2013 he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his service to the Canadian mining industry. Dr. Mercer earned his BSc. in geology from Edinburgh University (1968) and a PhD from McMaster University (1975). |
Mark Wiseman, BSc (Hon), MBA, Vice President, Sustainability
Mr. Wiseman has extensive experience in Social and Environmental Impact Assessment, permitting, HSEC management systems development and implementation, training, risk management, closure planning, auditing and due diligence assessment with the goal of continuous performance improvement. He has R&D experience as well as having developed and implemented innovative and leading edge environmental protection measures. He has participated and chaired numerous multi-stakeholder committees in the development of standards and regulations as well as managing relationships and requirements of local, national and international stakeholders. |
Staff and Consultants
- Mary Kita, M.Sc., Director of Communications
- Ron Malashewski, P.Eng (AB), Community Relations, Kenora
- David Marsh, FAusIMM (CP), Senior Metallurgist
- Chris Pedersen, P.Geo., Senior Project Geologist
- Zeeshan Syed, M.Sc., Senior Advisor, Government Affairs