Colorado MPD marks 74th meeting in The Broadmoor with “Mineral Processing’s Got Talent”

The Colorado Mineral & Metallurgical Processing Division Subsection (Colorado MPD) of SME held its first meeting in 1949 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO. This year marked the 74th year of the conference and took place May 1-3. It has always been the goal of this meeting to bring together those from operating companies, engineering, academia, and equipment or service suppliers in a setting that would provide an atmosphere of professionalism combined with a relaxed “get together” attitude to facilitate the exchange of ideas, knowledge and experience. The MPD meeting was also designed to provide invaluable contact and networking possibilities for attendees in a forum that attracts those from upper-level positions of companies. It is a great opportunity to rekindle old friendships and establish new ones. For the main social events this year, participants enjoyed some high-stakes action at the Thursday Casino Night while dressing in their Derby best for dinner on Friday, prior to the running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. The meeting structure provides a comfortable setting in which participants may attend technical sessions in a somewhat informal setting. Themes and topics of the meeting and technical papers are adjusted annually to be current with social, economic, environmental, operational and financial concerns within the industry, while staying within the general topic of mineral processing. The theme for 2025 was “Mineral Processing’s Got Talent,” which once again showcased an outstanding program. The Lou Cope Award is given for the best presentation at the conference. The quality of the program makes it more challenging to select a winner each year. This year, the award went to Erich Dohm from Eriez who presented on “Maximizing Net Metal Production in Copper Cons with Coarse Particle Flotation.”John Wilmot, general manager of Colorado operations for Climax Molybdenum, served as the event keynote speaker. Wilmot delivered an excellent presentation titled “Forward Thinking to Tackle the Challenges in Attracting and Retaining Qualified Labor.” The presentation highlighted some of the innovative measures being implemented by the Climax team to ensure they are able to find and keep talented personnel. Included in the discussion were operations in spectacular and scenic locations as well as affordable housing, particularly important for young engineers just beginning their careers. Supporting the next generation of mineral-processing engineers remains a key focus of the Colorado MPD. The MPD supported three students to attend and present at the 2025 conference. The students all receive an award for their presentations; in addition, this year, the best student presentation went to Matthew Mettler from the Colorado School of Mines for his presentation on “Tailings Take Center Stage: Showcasing the Hidden Talent of Pyrrhotite.” The committee also selects a recipient for the Len and Rosa Harris Student Award, which supports promising young engineering students from the Colorado School of Mines who just might be persuaded to stick with mineral processing/extractive metallurgy. The program targets students beginning their sophomore year and continuing through their senior year, ultimately leading to three potential students receiving the award in a given year. The recipient this year is Lunaya Barnhart, who was working hard on her finals and unable to attend. Kagan Killough received his award and attended the conference for the second year. None of the student initiatives would be possible without the financial support of sponsors and attendees. The Arthur C. Daman Lifetime Achievement Award is presented annually to someone with at least 20 years in the mining industry who is primarily based in Colorado and is active in one or more mining associations in the Colorado area. The individual must have also made significant impacts on the mining industry and project an image that is beneficial to the industry. And finally, the individual’s character must be above reproach. The 2025 recipient of this award is Stephen (Steve) Hearn. Hearn earned his degree in metallurgy from the University of Nottingham and later earned an MBA from the University of Cranfield. With a career spanning more than 40 years, Hearn spent the last 22 years working in Colorado before retiring from Huntsman Chemical in 2020. He and his wife Lynne were also longtime members of the Colorado MPD committee. It was with great sadness that we were informed of the passing of another industry giant just prior to this year’s conference. Frank Seeton, a proud fourth-generation Coloradan and one of the founding members of the Colorado MPD Conference, passed away just shy of his 101st birthday. Seeton was instrumental in the success of the conference for many years and was among the first recipients of the Arthur C. Daman Lifetime Achievement Award. We also remembered Len Harris as we marked the one-year anniversary of his passing. Len and his wife Rosa created a legacy that will allow us to pay tribute to Len’s memory through the next generation of mineral-processing engineers with the Harris Award. Mark your calendars for April 23-25, 2026, when we will be celebrating the 75th Annual Colorado MPD Conference. The committee is already working hard on some big plans to make 2026 extra special. Congratulations to all of our presenters and award recipients. We look forward to seeing everyone again in 2026.

Colorado MPD marks 74th meeting in The Broadmoor with “Mineral Processing’s Got Talent”

Authored by: Adam House

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To view the past issues of the UCA magazine you must be a member of SME/UCA.

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