As senior geologist, co-president and board member of RESPEC Consulting Inc., Debra Shewfelt draws on nearly two decades of career experience to drive the growth of a diverse team and inspire girls and young women to consider non-traditional STEM careers in mining and minerals. Her leadership at the workplace and through volunteer organizations exemplify her passion for creating equal opportunities, leading STEM educational outreach activities in communities, and advancing the inclusion of underrepresented groups such as women and Indigenous peoples. Shewfelt values mentorship as a volunteer effort, in projects such as MentorSTEP, an Indigenous female STEM mentorship program. She founded the "Girls In The Classroom—Unearthing Career Opportunities in Mining" K-12 educational outreach program (www.girlsintheclassroom.org). Her passion for environment and sustainability drives the success of a new group in the Canadian office that focuses on water, environment and alternative energy projects in communities.   

Kim Bittman has spent the last 36 years of her career as an environmental professional that supports the mining community, beginning in Tumbler Ridge, BC and thereafter in Vancouver at mine corporate offices and as president of her own consulting firm. Early in her career as the manager of the environmental department at an open-pit coal mine, she became keenly interested in mine reclamation and sustainability issues. This in turn led her to be a member of many committees where she wished to focus on her strong belief that mining can be successfully reclaimed to restore pre-mining biodiversity and Community/First Nation land use desires, and to promote Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) standards in mining. She has been a long-time member and honorary member/webmaster of the BC Technical and Research Committee on Reclamation (TRCR). She was vice-chair of the Land Access and Use Committee of AMEBC until 2019 and also served as an executive of the CIM Environmental and Social Responsibility Society. She now represents AME at the BC Code Review Committee of the BC Ministry of Mines.