Mr. Kenneth A. Brunk a resident of Centennial, Colorado and 1969 graduate of MTU’s Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Kenneth A. Brunk began his career in 1969 in the Research and Development Center at Owens-Illinois in Toledo, Ohio. As Superintendent /Engineer of a silica and milling operation in Illinois, Ken was instrumental in developing several process improvements and automation practices. He was promoted to Vice President of Technology of UNIMIN Corporation in 1977, where he was responsible for the exploration, development, engineering, and construction of three plants in the U.S. and played a major role in developing operations in Europe. After establishing a start-up engineering company in 1980, he joined Newmont Mining Corporation as a Senior Metallurgical Engineer in 1981. He was instrumental in developing a patented technology for the treatment of refractory gold ores, and rose through the ranks to become Vice President of Business Development in 1991. Ken joined Bateman Engineering as Vice President and Corporate General Manager in 1997, and in 1999 re-started his consulting firm of KSB Management LLC. In October of 2001 he became President and CEO of HW Process Technologies Inc., where he is working to commercialize the patented membrane technologies developed by the company. He is also President and CEO of the Harrison Western Group of companies, which provide construction and contract mining services. Among his other activities, Ken is a past president of the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America, a Director of the Mineral Information Institute, and a past Director the Western Museum of Mining and Industry. Ken has received numerous awards, including the Distinguished Nevadan for Services to Education, and his most recent, the AIME’s James Douglas Gold Medal for advancement in non-ferrous metallurgy.