our team

We are led by a team that has a goal of building the fastest growing supplier of raw materials to the infrastructure and electrification marketplace. The executive team, management team and board of directors have over 100 years of combined operating and turnaround experience while also having significant experience navigating the capital markets.

EXECUTIVE TEAM

MARK C. JENSEN

Chief executive officer & chairman of board

Mark has been a leader and innovator in the critical mineral and infrastructure supply chain with over 20 years of commodity experience. He has developed low-cost sustainable solutions by building a collaborative platform of partners and technologies that enable the world to break the stronghold monopoly on the critical minerals supply chain by deploying technology domestically and abroad. Prior to his operational experience he had invested in or advised on over a $1 billion of transactions across a broad spectrum of asset classes all throughout the world. Mark currently resides in Fishers, Indiana with his wife and son and is a graduate from Kelley School of Business at Indiana University with Bachelor degrees in Finance and International Studies.

Tom M. Sauve

President & Director

Tom has over 12 years leading and managing mining operations and over 15 years investing, restructuring and building businesses. Having managed the due diligence process and closing, staffing and ramp up of three acquisitions in twelve months, he has a history of successfully identifying mining operations that have the ability to meet the company’s model of cost cutting and efficiency. Tom is a graduate from University of Rochester (Economics degree) and additional business studies from the Simon School of Business.

Kirk P. Taylor, CPA

Chief Financial Officer

Kirk has over 16 years of accounting & auditing work at various national public accounting firms focused on tax advantaged business structuring. While integrating three acquisitions in twelve months, Kirk has implemented a robust and scalable accounting and financial backbone, and has built a finance, accounting and purchasing staff that is streamlined with checks and balances to ensure cost controls. Kirk is a graduate of Kelley School of Business at Indiana University with Bachelor degrees in Accounting and Finance and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Saint Francis, Fort Wayne.

tarlis R. thompson

Chief operating Officer

Tarlis overseas all operations at American Resources’ Central Appalachian subsidiaries, which includes McCoy Elkhorn, Deane Mining, and Knott County Coal. In this role he manages the activities at the company’s various processing facilities and loadout, coordinates production at the company’s various mines, manages environmental compliance and reclamation, and is responsible for quality control and shipments to customers. Tarlis has over 15 years of experience with companies that include Commercial Testing & Engineering, SGS Minerals, Massey Energy and CAM Mining.

Mark laverghetta

Vice President of Corporate Finance & Communications

Mark has over 15 years of financial market experience holding various roles with several Wall Street firms. He has a history of successfully and efficiently translating corporate strategy, benchmarks, and financials to the investment community, while also working with members of the executive team to evaluate and define corporate strategy and financial direction. Mark has been successful in assisting in the integration of acquired assets into American Resources’ business model while analyzing the overall financial impact of such opportunities and operations. Mark is a graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics.

Jeff Peterson

Chief Operating Officer of reelement technologies

Jeff brings nearly 20 years of experience including operations, engineering, sales, and product development to American Resources. He began his career as a Commissioned Officer in the United States Navy serving onboard nuclear-powered submarines. After resigning his Commission, Jeff joined Westinghouse Electric Company where he served as part of the engineering and licensing team in the design and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved licensing of a first-of-its-kind Generation III+ pressurized water reactor for commercial electricity generation. Mr. Peterson then joined Cyient where he was rapidly promoted to sales, strategy, and product development leadership roles. He most recently worked with Hitachi Vantara as part of the North American sales team, selling digital transformation initiatives into key industrial markets. Jeff is a graduate of Purdue University and has his Master of Business Administration from the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh.

kristie slone

head of environmental solutions

Kristie has over 15 years as a specialist in environmental stewardship in her role as an environmental engineer. She has been highly successful in managing multiple teams and leading them to ensure positive environmental compliance, efficiencies and land restoration. She has been highly recognized for her focus on the environment by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, being named an Honored Kentucky Colonel and Honored Kentucky Admiral, the highest honors bestowed on individuals for their accomplishments for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Yi Ding

Director of Research and Development - Reelement technologies

Yi Ding received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Tsinghua University in Beijing in 2016 and Ph.D. from Purdue University in 2021. Before joining ReElement, he worked as a postdoctoral research associate at Purdue University. His research focused on multi-dimensional multi-mode chromatography for the separation and purification of critical materials including authoring and co-authoring 9 journal publications as well as serving as co-inventor for 3 provisional patent applications. Yi is also the recipient of the 2021 American Institute of Chemical Engineering Separation Division Graduate Student Research Award. Through his research and development efforts, Yi has set out to prove the clean and efficient chromatography processes for critical materials purification can provide the driving force for a sustainable and circular economy.

Lisa little

head of human resources

Lisa has been an inspirational leader for the men and women of our organization. She coordinates all personnel on-boarding and ensures that the team has access to the human resources services that they need to support themselves and their families. Lisa has significant experience coordinating with the men and women of major organizations with a staff as high as 350 men and women.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MARK C. JENSEN

Chief executive officer & chairman of board

Tom M. Sauve

President & Director

Josh Hawes

INDEPENDENT Director, chairman of audit & compensation Committee and member of nominating commitee

Mr. Hawes most recently served as Chief Strategy Officer of USA Rare Earth from 2021 to 2023 and Chief of Staff from 2020 and 2021 where he oversaw an exceptional ten-fold increase in the company's value and spearheaded the creation of the Magnet Manufacturing Tax Credit, while leading their magnet manufacturing transition team in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Furthermore, Mr. Hawes built the first ex-China, North American magnet supply chain network through strategic partnerships and collaboration, allowing for the future capture of hundreds of millions in revenue. Mr. Hawes has over 15-years of leadership experience with specific focus on commodities, buy-side and sell-side investment sectors of the financial industry, and advanced technologies. Before his tenure at USA Rare Earth, Mr. Hawes held executive leadership roles for investment firms Delta1X and Hawking Alpha. He has led entrepreneurial capital integration for several companies by leading seamless combination of entrepreneurial spirit with Wall Street expertise to empower businesses of all sizes. Mr. Hawes' vision includes leveraging technology and global markets for corporate and shareholder growth. This approach has led to the creation of new markets and remarkable revenue growth of 200-1,000%. He has also advised gubernatorial and executive leadership in the White House and DoD, along with private sector leaders on integrated economic supply chain implications. Mr. Hawes holds several professional designations, including Chartered Market Technician, Certified Hedge Fund Professional, and Qualified Family Office Professional. Hawes holds licenses spanning commodities, investment banking, public, and private securities including Series 3, 63, 65, 7, 79, 82, and SIE. A graduate of Auburn University in Wireless Software Engineering with a minor in Business, Mr. Hawes actively supports Auburn's FMA program by speaking at the Business School.

Gerardine botte, Ph.D.

INDEPENDENT Director, member of compensation, nominating & Audit Committee

Dr. Botte has over 21 years of experience in the development of electrochemical processes and advanced water treatment. She has served in leadership roles for the Electrochemical Society and is currently the Chair of the Electrochemical Process Engineering and Technology Division of the International Society of Electrochemistry. Dr. Botte also serves as the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Applied Electrochemistry. In 2014, she was named a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society for her contributions and innovation in electrochemical processes and engineering. She became a Chapter Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors in 2012. In 2010, she was named a Fellow of the World Technology Network for her contributions on the development of sustainable and environmental technologies. Prior to Texas Tech, Dr. Botte was University Distinguished Professor and Russ Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Ohio University, the founder and Director of Ohio University’s Center for Electrochemical Engineering Research, and the founder and Director of the Consortium for Electrochemical Processes and Technology – an Industry University Cooperative Research Center. Her entrepreneurial spirit has led to the commercialization of various technologies and has founded and co-founded various companies to help achieve this goal.

Courtenay O. Taplin

Independent Director, Chairman of Nominating Committee and MEMBER OF AUDIT COMMITTEE

Courtenay brings over 40 years of experience of sourcing and supplying iron ore, coke and metallurgical carbon to the steel industry to advise American Resources with their supply chain, logistics, customers, overall corporate strategy. He has a vast knowledge of both the global and domestic marketplace where he works with both suppliers and consumers. Courtenay currently runs his own company, Compass Point Resources, LLC which he founded in 2007. His prior experience includes Crown Coal & Coke Company and Pickands Mather Group out of Cleveland, OH. Courtenay is a graduate of Proctor Academy. He attended Hobart College and received a degree from Case Western Reserve University. Courtenay spent many years as the Division Chairman for United Way of Cleveland and is currently a long-standing member of Waite Hill, Ohio Village Council and Chairman of the Police and Safety Committee.