The mining industry in Nevada functions as a result of many individuals executing a variety of high-skill tasks on a daily basis. From those that work within the mines themselves, to those who perform other on-site operations, the system works because of each individual playing their part. Our ongoing ‘Meet Your Miners’ series continues to educate and inform you about these very individuals and what their respective careers in mining entail and have meant to them.
In this installment of ‘Meet Your Miners,’ we introduce you to 32-year mining industry veteran Donna Peske of General Moly.
As Information Technology (IT) manager for General Moly, a mineral company engaged in the exploration, development and mining of molybdenum, Peske provides support for the entire IT environment including network, telecommunications, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and applications. And while her job is very much rooted in technology, working for a newer, smaller mining company allows her to occasionally get out of the office and perform hands-on work in the field, including installing new CAT6 cabling to the Exalt microwave radios that provide network connectivity from a point in Eureka to the Mt. Hope mine site (pictured at right).
“I have been really blessed to work in mining because of the opportunity to do a wide variety of work and learn new skills,” said Peske. “It has always presented me with new learning challenges and accomplishments.”
These opportunities to learn and to achieve have been plenty for Peske. Like many in the industry, her career path was a long and winding road. Before achieving her current IT position with General Moly, Peske has worked as a blaster, operated heavy equipment and worked in warehousing in the supply chain area where she received her Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM) certification. Eventually, she wound up working toward her Bachelor of Science in IT. She talked about the opportunity she had to work abroad in her time with Newmont Mining Corporation.
“Those were perhaps the best seven years of my life because I could immerse myself in a new culture. My daughter attended 3 years of international school in Indonesia and four years in an international boarding school in Thailand. The education and life experience that we all received were beyond compare.”
Donna enjoys being involved in so many aspects of the business and the challenge of interacting with the various operations groups required by her position. She believes in teamwork and a willingness to help out in any situation, job-related or otherwise, and is a leader above all else.