Brent Berg, who has held the position of company president and chief executive officer since November 2022, is set to step down. The board of Rare Element Resources Ltd. has already initiated a process to find Berg's successor.
According to a news release dated January 5, Berg's resignation as CEO and president will take effect on April 2 or earlier, depending on the board's discretion. At that time, he will also leave his position on the board of directors. Following his departure from Rare Element Resources Ltd., Berg plans to take up a position outside the industry.
In response to this development, Gerald Grandey, chairman of the board, said in the news release announcing the change: "We are very appreciative of the fine work by Brent and the team in progressing our rare earth demonstration plant over the past year. Key accomplishments in 2023 included the issuance of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Source Material License in July, followed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Environmental Policy Act review completion in November – both with a Finding of No Significant Impact. These milestones cleared the way for the DOE’s budget approval to commence onsite construction of the plant in December. Together with our General-Atomics-led project team, we are expecting operation for our rare earth extraction and separation plant to commence in the third quarter of this year."
Rare Element Resources Ltd., according to its company overview page, is a strategic materials company that delivers rare earth products for various applications by advancing its Bear Lodge Critical Rare Earth Project located in Wyoming.
Berg's bio on the board of directors' page reveals that he has more than 25 years' experience in environmental engineering and project management, including 16 years spent managing mines. He was appointed as president and CEO to Rare Element Resources Ltd.'s board in November 2022. Prior to this appointment, he worked for Cameco Resources and Taseko Mines. Berg is a registered professional engineer and holds a B.A.Sc. in Regional Environmental Systems Engineering from the University of Regina, a Master of Business Administration from the same university, and a Masters of Legal Studies, Magna Cum Laude with a focus on mining law and policy, from the University of Arizona.