March 8, 2024 - At the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration’s annual Meeting of the Members on Sunday, Feb. 25 in Phoenix, AZ, David L. Kanagy announced his plan for retirement as its executive  director and chief executive officer.

Kanagy has been the executive director of SME for the past 20 years, leading the Society through a variety of industry milestones and changes. 

“Navigating the many challenging opportunities to help move both the Society and industry forward has been the honor of a lifetime,” said Kanagy. “I greatly look forward to welcoming my successor with open arms and seeing the Society continue an upward trajectory for the sake of our wonderful members.”

The SME Board of Directors will form a search committee in the summer of 2024, with a goal of smoothly transitioning leadership by the beginning of 2026.

“We appreciate the remarkable leadership and service Dave has provided over the years,” said 2023 SME President Marc Le Vier, a member of the search committee that hired Kanagy. “His tireless work has left the Society vastly better off than it was upon his arrival two decades ago.”

Kanagy’s upcoming retirement caps a career spanning over 40 years in association management, including leadership roles at the Fabricators and Manufactures Association and American Institute of Steel Technology. A two-decade tenure with SME culminates with Kanagy at the helm of the largest mining society in the world. He leads a staff of 50 serving over 13,000 mining professionals around the globe.