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As the CEO of Burgex Mining Consultants, I’ve always been driven by a powerful and inspiring purpose – to create a better, more sustainable future by advancing the synergies between humanity and nature. This conviction is at the very core of our company, guiding every decision we make and shaping the way we approach our work in the mineral resource industry.
Our “why” statement, influenced by Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle concept, encapsulates this vision: “Burgex believes in a better, more sustainable future and exists to help advance the synergies between humanity and nature.”
To realize this goal, I have established a clear strategy for Burgex that revolves around three key pillars: education, advocacy, and the promotion of responsible exploration projects. As a U.S. company, we are dedicated to empowering our nation by reducing its reliance on foreign supplies and championing sustainable domestic resource development.
What truly sets Burgex apart, however, is our unwavering commitment to providing our clients with exceptional expertise and clarity. We take pride in guiding our clients through the complexities of the mining industry and helping them unlock the full potential of their mineral resource projects in a responsible and environmentally conscious manner.
This steadfast dedication to our “why” is what elevates Burgex beyond a mere mining consultancy. We are a catalyst for change, a beacon of hope, and a living example of how purpose-driven organizations can make a tangible difference in the world. By centering our belief in a sustainable future at the heart of our operations, we embody the ideals of responsible business practices and environmental stewardship.
As we face an ever-changing global landscape, the need for responsible resource development becomes increasingly paramount. I am proud to lead Burgex Mining Consultants on this vital mission and am deeply committed to fostering a brighter, more sustainable future that embraces the harmony between humanity and the natural world.
Chris Summers
CEO, Burgex Mining Consultants
Burgex’s founders and team have extensive backgrounds in a variety of areas, 100+ years of combined experience, and are members of several professional organizations in the field.
Featured in Forbes Magazine, on Discovery Channel, and many other outlets, the team members of Burgex have led the field in safe access to difficult vertical abandoned mine workings.
Burgex has pioneered new developments and techniques in market analysis studies, due diligence, claim staking, mine valuation, and abandoned mine exploration services.
We are fully insured and have serviced companies ranging from individual prospectors and public junior mining companies all the way through major miners, large investment groups, and governments.
We’ve identified, secured, and consulted on hundreds of thousands of acres of mineral properties across a wide spectrum of mineral commodities with resources and reserves in the billions of dollars.
At Burgex, safety is a top priority in all aspects of the company’s operations. The company has implemented a robust safety management system that includes policies, procedures, and guidelines to ensure that all employees, contractors, and clients have the safest working environment possible. The company’s safety policies are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect best practices and changes in regulations. Training and communication are essential components of the safety program, and employees are provided with ongoing education to ensure they understand their roles and responsibilities in maintaining a safe work environment. We are committed to promoting a culture of safety, where all employees are encouraged to identify and report any safety hazards, incidents, or near misses.
“Choose Safety Always” is a fundamental value at Burgex, evident in every aspect of the company’s operations. The company promotes individual responsibility for safety and urges employees always to opt for the safest option in any situation. This value is reinforced by regular safety training, daily toolbox talks, and safety audits. By prioritizing safety in all its operations, Burgex is not only safeguarding its employees but also ensuring that it can sustainably and safely deliver high-quality mining consulting services to its clients.
Meet the people that make Burgex the best team of mining consultants you can ask for. They have combined experience and knowledge spanning decades, covering every aspect of the mining industry.
Chairman & Co-Founder
Stuart Burgess has been involved in the mineral exploration and mining industry for over a decade through his work with Burgex and Mojave Underground, as well as many other industry businesses. Stuart earned his expertise while assisting in hundreds of mineral exploration and mining projects. He is now recognized as a thought leader in the industry and has brought a new light of innovation to the Burgex team with new services and ideas.
Co-Founder & Marketing Director
Crystal started the company with abandoned mine exploration and slowly built up services over the years. Has worked in the field on staking, sampling and underground programs. Her currently role is marketing and assisting the CEO’s in achieving revenue goals, bringing in new business and ensuring clients are receiving the best service possible.
Chief Executive Officer
Chris has evolved from senior analyst to leading the company through its initial growth stage as CFO. He earned his Master of Business Administration at Westminster College and his bachelor’s in accounting at Utah State University. Chris spent time at Rio Tinito and was among those responsible for the valuation of some of the world’s largest known mineral deposits.
In this down time he loves to travel with his wife and spend time at their house in Mexico.
Chief Canine Morale Officer
Pepper has spent most of her life in the field. From navigating the forests of Utah to the deserts of Nevada, Pepper is the idea field companion. As Chief Canine Morale Officer, you can find Pepper inspiring the team at the office and in the field. With an Australian heritage, mining is in her blood and endurance is her middle name.
Mining Engineer, PE
Tyler Peck brings the Burgex team over 5 years of experience in the aggregate and construction industry. His experience spans from mine planning and design work with Rio Tinto, local work as a construction aggregate producer, and SMART construction consultant with Komatsu. He specializes in aerial mapping and automated machine control. Tyler’s well-rounded background brings an incomparable level of quality and content to the Burgex team.
Mineralocity Aggregates Team Lead
Jennifer is a creative mind that thrives in a competitive, fast-paced environment. She brings the highest level of customer service to our clients every day. Jennifer has experience in event and design planning and coordination as well as leadership and management skills. She is passionate about being part of the collaborative team here at Burgex and is always looking for creative new strategies for developing and building team growth.
Compliance Manager
Amanda has experience as an auditor for 8 years at a microbiological testing lab for medical devices. Her natural attention to detail, prior experience, and education help to ensure every document Burgex generates is the absolute best product our team can produce. Amanda has combined her passion for mining and her love of her job to deliver the most value to our clients time and time again.
Lead GIS Developer
Jake Tanner holds a degree in Geospatial Science and Technology and has primarily worked as a GIS Analyst in telecommunications, oil and gas, and the mining industry. His work has spanned from generating geospatial data visualizations to excel information dashboards. Additional experience includes 5 years as an accounting clerk in asset management. He is passionate about learning new technologies and techniques to improve workflows and decrease time costs. Jake is an asset to the Burgex team and brings an innovative spirit and a talent for process optimization.
Director of Landman Services
Mike Murphy brings over 30 years of experience in remote sensing, aerial data collection and processing, and geospatial intelligence production in both public and private industry. Mike spent a dozen years serving in the United States Marine Corps directly supporting multi-national operations leading global intelligence fusion teams to deploy special operations units. Following military service, Mike spent another 8 years as a government contractor for the Department of Energy and the Department of Homeland Security where he assessed and enhanced the security of nuclear weapons and weapons-grade material. Mike’s private industry experience includes telecommunications network design, construction management, environmental compliance, and permitting of large infrastructure projects.
Director of Consulting Services
Nick Proctor has 10-plus years in the mining industry, where he has worked on projects ranging from greenfield exploration through significant operations. He previously worked as a drill hand on a core rig and field technician, where he conducted surface sampling and rock shop activities. Before joining Burgex, Nick worked for Barrick Gold Corporation as a Valuations Specialist, where he performed business development and due diligence on growth opportunities across Nevada. During his time with Barrick, he advised management on its decision to acquire Newmont, which ultimately resulted in the formation of the Nevada Gold Mines joint venture and the world’s largest gold mining complex. He holds a Master of Science in Mineral and Energy Economics from Colorado School of Mines. He has a keen interest in helping junior explorers obtain financing to advance their projects.
Field Manager
Simon Scoville has earned his place at Burgex as the Field Manager, as he has been a trusted field crew member for several years already. Having staked thousands of claims throughout the West in every type of weather condition year-round, he is able to plan and execute staking/sampling jobs efficiently and safely, with a crew or on his own. Simon’s ability to problem-solve and adapt in the field has been invaluable to Burgex and our clients. Simon has a passion for exploring abandoned mines and discovering their history but is also excited to employ Burgex’s new technologies in the field, such as drone surveys and XRF sampling.
Director of Sales and Business Development
Bill is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a BS in Mining Engineering. His introduction to the mining industry was as a general inside laborer working underground. From there, Bill had a long successful career in the Mining and Mineral Processing Division at Nalco Water. His work experience spans almost four decades and covers all the major mining segments in multiple locations across the US and western Canada. Bill comes from a culture of providing high level technical support and value driven programs to his clients. He is most proud of all the partnerships he has had the opportunity to develop with key mining organizations and individuals throughout his career.
Staff Geologist
Graham is an experienced underground production geologist having worked at multiple start up or resurrection style gold mining projects throughout Colorado, Arizona, and Utah, which has exposed him to all the phases of small mine startups. He has primarily worked in orogenic and epithermal narrow vein gold systems with projects utilizing mechanized as well as conventional(timber) mining methods. Graham earned his B.S. in Geology from Colorado State university and is excited to continue diversifying his experience as well as add value to any project through geologic research, mapping, interpretation and his underground experience.
Director of Health and Safety
Austin Putnam spent four years in the United States Marine Corps. After leaving military service he began to develop a passion for abandoned mine exploration from a combination of a love for history and outdoor exploration. He has since gained experience in the mining industry through underground exploration, survey, and sampling, as well as above ground through claim staking and land management. Austin is excited to continue building on that experience and to provide new and innovative services through new technologies available to the Burgex team.
Finance Director
Chief Geologist
James has accumulated over thirty years of experience in the mining industry, which includes exploration, development, management, modeling, and ore control. He has worked in various locations across the Western US and Africa. During his tenure as Chief Geologist and Underground Project Manager at Klondex Gold and Silver, he played a critical role in permitting, budgeting, and contracting the Fire Creek mine, transforming it from a grassroots operation to a successful production site.
James also briefly worked in the oil and gas industry in the Western US. Nevertheless, his proudest achievement is mentoring junior geologists in modeling and fieldwork, which he cherishes the most.
GIS Analyst
A Pacific Northwest transplant, Savannah Bommarito holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Geology, Masters of Science in Natural Resource Management, and is in pursuit of a doctoral degree in Geography focused on reconstructing past records of climate, vegetation, and fire in the west desert of Utah. With a diverse background in GIS, remote sensing, and natural resource work, she is able to contribute to projects both in the office and in the field. Savannah is most passionate about the understanding and mitigation of anthropogenic drivers contributing to climate change.
Compliance Specialist
Cindy employs her experience in operations, organization and project management to add exceptional value to all her endeavors at Burgex. As a manager, bookkeeper, writer and editor who excels in fast-paced, challenging work environments, she is a highly adaptable, analytical problem-solver with many years of experience running businesses for expert-owners. With knowledge gained across myriad industries, she is a detail-oriented team player with integrity.
Cindy found her passion for mining and geology growing up in the Mother Lode gold country of California. Her career experience spans many roles and crosses many industries, from agriculture and aviation to technology, insurance, commercial development, interior design, newspaper publishing, broadcasting, marketing…and now mining. Cindy received her bachelor’s degree in print journalism from California State University, Fresno.
Executive Assistant
A business founder and owner, Andrea employs her experience in leadership, planning, and management skills to build and implement working business models and plans. At Burgex she assists the CEO with schedule details, workload and streamlining workflows.
Andrea is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in applied business management at BYU, has earned an associate’s degree in computer information systems at Westminster College, and holds several other project management, leadership and business certificates. She loves to spend time with her family and enjoys hiking and camping.
GIS and Field Technician
With a passion for GIS and navigation, Wilson efficiently executes on-the-ground logistics to plan and implement field projects of various size and scope across the Western states.
Wilson holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Massachusetts and grew up in New England. He is an avid skier, climber and hiker, and can spend hours just buzzing around Google Earth for fun.
Dan has experience in several branches of mining such as hyperspectral imaging, GIS and geologic field work. He has a fascination for marine mining and its engineering and environmental challenges. He holds a degree in mining engineering from the University of Utah, with an emphasis in geomechanics and spatial analytics.
Having spent his youth exploring national parks, camping and rockhounding, Dan has a strong love of nature, oceans and mining. He spends his free time with his wife Madi and French bulldog Betty.
Staff Geologist
As a field geologist, Bianca has experience in mapping, sampling and GIS, and has spent time in the geotechnical industry working in open-pit mines throughout the Intermountain West. Her role at Burgex includes evaluation of mineral resources, design and implementation of field work, and collaboration with financial analysts and the landman team.
Bianca is from upstate New York and holds a bachelor’s degree in earth and environmental science from University of Michigan. Her passion for geology drove her west to dive into the exploration industry. In her free time she enjoys hiking, camping and finding unique spots to explore.
Field Manager
Andrew is not afraid to take on tough tasks and rugged terrain to make sure clients’ needs are fully met, and to ensure projects are completed as accurately as possible within company safety standards. With work experience in the technology industry, he assists with technological services such as 3D LiDAR scanning and drone imagery, and strives to make those services work together to provide a full picture of a client’s assets.
Andrew holds a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship and family business from Auburn University. A transplant from the South, he is an avid outdoorsman with years of experience climbing, snowboarding, dirt biking, hiking and camping.
Chief Operating Officer
Bruno Hegner brings over 30 years of experience in exploration, large scale project development, operational and business leadership, joint venture management and technology deployment in a diverse range of commodities in North America, South America, Australasia and Russia.
Bruno spent most of his career with Cyprus Minerals Company, Magma Copper Company and Rio Tinto plc. His past roles include Vice President/General Manager of the Rio Tinto’s Resolution Copper Project in Arizona, General Director of the RioNor exploration joint venture with Norilsk Nickel in the Russian Far East, and Managing Director of Rio Tinto’s Copper Projects Group. He has also led several publicly-traded exploration companies, most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer for Alderan Resources Limited, where he managed Alderan’s Frisco and Drum Mountain projects in Utah. Bruno is also a senior level attorney with experience working for one of Utah’s top-tier law firms and as General Counsel for a mid-tier precious metals producer.
Bruno earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Denver College of Law. He has completed post-graduate studies at Duke University and the London School of Business. He is licensed to practice in the States of Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming.
Our expert team of mining consultants is prepared to assist you from mineral exploration up to mining operations, all in one place.
