January 13, 2018 - Jack Richardson, Warrior Met Coal’s Chief Operating Officer, will be a keynote speaker at the Virginia Coal Energy Alliance’s (VCEA) 39th Annual Conference & Expo, at the Meadowview Conference Center in Kingsport, TN, May 21 and 22, 2018.  Richardson will headline the Monday morning, May 21st session.

Richardson, who has more than 38 years of experience in the coal industry, previously served as vice chairman and a director of the VCEA and prior to that served as chairman of the Eastern Coal Council which was later merged with two other coal entities in Virginia to form the VCEA. He served as VCEA vice chairman until his employment saw him relocate. He is the current Chief Operating Officer at Warrior Met Coal in Brookwood, AL, a position he has held since March 2016. 

Warrior Met Coal is a leading producer and exporter of metallurgical coal for the global steel industry from its underground mines, located southwest of Birmingham, AL, near Tuscaloosa, AL.  Those mines are 1,400 to 2,100 feet underground, making them some of the deepest vertical shaft coal mines in North America.  Metallurgical coal mined there from the Blue Creek coal seam contains very low sulfur and has strong coking properties, making it ideally suited for steel makers.  Warrior Met Coal’s cost-efficient operations serve markets in the United States, Europe, Asia and South America via convenient barge and rail access to the Port of Mobile. The company currently has the operational capacity to mine about eight million tons of coal per year from more than 300 million tons of recoverable reserves.

Prior to joining Warrior Met Coal, Richardson served as Vice President of Murray Energy, from September 2015 to March 2016 and from June 2014 to August 2015, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of White Oak Resources, LLC. He was employed by CONSOL Energy for more than 30 years until 2014. His most recent position there was as Vice President of coal operations. Richardson has experience in all basins east of the Mississippi River. He graduated from Bluefield State College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mining Engineering Technology and also holds an Associate of Science degree in Business Management.

The VCEA annual conference is co-sponsored by Southern States Energy Board (SSEB). SSEB is a non-profit interstate compact organization created in 1960 and established under Public Laws 87-563 and 92-440. The board’s mission is to enhance economic development and the quality of life in the south through innovations in energy and environmental policies, programs and technologies. Sixteen southern states and two territories comprise the membership of SSEB: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia and West Virginia.  This conference attracts elected officials some several states, which offers states to share or partner concepts that might work better if the states partner.

Conference registration is now being accepted and limited exhibit space is available.  The cost for exhibit space is $750.00 which includes registration for one person to attend all meeting functions and special activities planned for attendees.  Interested persons are urged to call today to insure the opportunity of showcasing their company or organization’s product or service at the annual conference.  

The annual golf outing will be held Monday, May 21 at the Meadowview’s Cattails nestled between the rolling foothills of the Appalachian and Great Smoky Mountains. The course is conveniently located adjacent to the hotel. The annual fishing tournament will also be held Monday, May 21 in the Tri-Cities area. 

For additional information, or to register, contact the Virginia Coal & Energy Alliance at 276-889-2262 or 276-889-4001, e-mail vcea@virginiacoalenergy.com, or visit the VCEA website http://www.virginiacoalenergy.com/.

Jack Richardson