05/26/2026
Great story!⛏️🙌
My twin brother Justin and I moved to Fairbanks from Death Valley, California, in 2002 after our dad, Marshall, was stationed at Fort Wainwright. Like many families who come to Alaska through the military, we ended up building our lives here long after the original assignment ended.
After retiring from the Army, our dad joined Fort Knox in 2011 as an equipment operator. A few years later, during the Phase 7 mine expansion, Justin also hired on, starting as an equipment operator in 2013 and later transitioning into a dispatcher role where he’s also provided on-the-job training to hundreds of new haul truck operators over the years.
My journey into mining took a more “scenic” route. After high school, I attended UAF, worked in sales and procurement, and eventually found my own way to “the family business” in 2023, leveraging my procurement experience to secure a buyer position on the mobile maintenance team before transitioning into training and workforce development in mobile equipment maintenance (MEM).
Though we each work in different roles across the operation's footprint, we’ve all seen firsthand the impact Kinross Alaska has on our community – through philanthropy and employee volunteer efforts, but especially as a job creator.
One of the things we appreciate most about Kinross is its long-term investment in its people. Mining gave my father a second career after military service, created opportunities for both of his sons, and helped us all build lasting roots and thrive right here in Alaska’s Interior.
