Michael D. Day is the Company's Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Advisors. Mike graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering.

Mr. Day has held several senior and executive-level positions with Leeco, Arch Coal, Magnum Coal, Patriot Coal, and Blackhawk Mining. Prior to joining Eagle Specialty Materials in 2021, Mike held the position of President and Chief Executive Officer for ArcelorMittal Mining Operations.

He is a licensed Professional Engineer and recently served as Chairman of the West Virginia Coal Association. Mr. Day has proudly served on numerous boards, including the University of Kentucky Mining Engineering Foundation Board, National Mining Association, West Virginia Coal Association, and Kentucky Coal Association.

Proudly, Mike was inducted into the University of Kentucky Engineering Hall of Distinction in 2018 and named University of Kentucky Mining Engineering Foundation Distinguished Alumni in 2016.    

Mr. Day and his wife, Jacalyn, believe strongly in being involved in their community, where they are involved in major projects that benefit many youth organizations. The Day Family established the Michael and Jacalyn Day and Friends Coal Community Endowment Fund to provide annual educational scholarships to high school seniors in Boone and McDowell Counties in West Virginia. Proudly, in 2022, he established the Michael D. Day Mining Engineering Scholarship Endowment Fund at the University of Kentucky.

Keith’s mining career started in 1990 working underground in eastern Kentucky.  Over the subsequent 30 plus years, Keith has held various engineering management and upper management roles in the industry.  

Serving as COO, Sr VP Operations, General Manager and President for both private and publicly traded companies including Massey Energy, Patriot Coal, Alpha Natural Resources and Blackhawk Mining. Keith has extensive experience managing all aspects of large- and small-scale surface operations as well as underground mining complexes.  

Keith has been a steward of safety and the environment throughout his career, serving as Patriot Coal’s Chairman of their Central Safety Team, VP of Safety and recipient of multiple environmental excellence awards.

Keith’s charitable participation includes the Children’s Home Society of West Virginia and the Coaches For The Kids Foundation supporting the University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital.

Keith is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and is a licensed professional engineer in West Virginia and Kentucky.

Mike serves as the Chief Financial Officer of Eagle Specialty Materials. He has over 32 years' of experience as the Senior financial executive at private and publicly traded coal companies, including Iron Senergy, ArcelorMittal, White Forest Resources/Xinergy, National Coal Corp., and Quaker Coal. Mike is proficient in negotiating debt and equity placements and financing multiple mergers and acquisitions. He proudly has demonstrated skills in leading finance operations for mining entities of all sizes.

Matthew Adams is the General Counsel. Matthew has over 20 years of legal experience in the natural resources industry. After obtaining his law degree and a master's in taxation, Matthew started his legal career at Arthur Anderson and Ernst & Young, supporting clients engaged in hard rock mining. He worked on and led teams through mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, corporate restructuring, taxation, and ERISA matters. Over the past 16 years, Matthew has worked for Intrepid Potash, Cloud Peak Energy, and Navajo Transitional Energy Company. In addition to his work on taxation matters, Matthew has supported corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, human resources, contracts, and regulatory law.

Matthew represented coal interests on the Royalty Policy Committee during the Trump Administration. He has also testified on multiple occasions before the House Natural Resources Committee on coal and tribal matters.

Matthew has a B.S. from Drake University, a J.D., and an LL.M. from the University of Denver.

‍

Christian Palich is the Vice President of Government and External Affairs. He began his professional career on the first campaign for former U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson and then served in a variety of roles on Capitol Hill as well as in the Congressman's district office, where he gained valuable experience in public policy and the legislative process. In 2013, Christian was named President of the Ohio Coal Association, the state's oldest energy trade association. He returned to public service in Washington, DC, in 2017 when he was appointed by President Donald J. Trump to serve as senior political staff at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). During this time, he served as a deputy associate administrator of congressional affairs for the EPA administrator and interacted with the U.S. Senate on confirmations and EPA legislative priorities. Christian received his second presidential appointment to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) in 2019, working on mining and energy policy as a senior advisor to the Secretary of the Department of the Interior. During this time, he was involved in several successful policy initiatives, rulemaking, and legislative victories. Christian is the 2024 President of the Wyoming Mining Association, as well as the President of the Washington D.C. Coal Club, and sits on the boards of directors of the Ohio Coal Association and American Coal Council.

Christian earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Kent State University and was appointed by the Governor of Ohio to serve on the university's board of trustees in 2022.

‍

Debra Vaughan is Vice President of Human Resources and Benefits.  Debra has been a Human Resources professional for 34 years in the coal industry.  She has an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration from West Virginia University of Technology (WVU).  She worked on, and led teams, through mergers, acquisitions, restructuring and ERISA/DOL matters.  

Debra was introduced to Human Resources when she joined McDonough Caperton, an employee benefits organization in Charleston, West Virginia, and achieved her Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) certification.  She has held various Director of Human Resources positions in the mining industry with full scope human resources responsibilities that included Recruiting, Hiring, Health and Welfare Benefits, 401(k) Administration and Employer Relations.

Debra worked for Cleveland-Cliffs, ArcelorMittal, Patriot Coal, Blackhawk Mining, and Arch Resources throughout her career.