Discussion: View Thread

Hello,

You are within the Washington, DC Section geographic area, so you are receiving this message as a local SME member.

The Washington, DC Section was created to promote the mining industry and support SME's mission through technical meetings, mine/quarry/tunnel visits, seminars, short courses, and outreach to local schools.

Over the past several years, participation in the Section has declined, and we are currently evaluating the best path forward. Depending on member interest and feedback, the Section may be rejuvenated or formally closed.

We would truly value your input:
• Would you attend local events or technical talks?
• Are you interested in leadership or volunteer opportunities?
• What would make the Section meaningful to you?

We welcome your thoughts and involvement as we determine the future of the Washington, DC Section.

Thank you for your response!
Rachel

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Rachel Grimes
Member Engagement Specialist
SME Inc
Englewood CO United States
(303) 948-4247
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Hello Rachel,

I'm very interested in participating in the DC SME Chapter. To be honest, I did not know the chapter existed before seeing your post. Some specific responses below:

• Would you attend local events or technical talks?
  • Absolutely. 
• Are you interested in leadership or volunteer opportunities?
  • Not at this time due to existing responsibilities, but maybe in the future.
• What would make the Section meaningful to you?
  • The ability to develop connections with local practitioners & clients.

Best,

Chris

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Chris Nelsen
Associate, Delve Underground
Rockville, MD, USA
(610) 246-4011
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Rachel

The DC minerals community is probably not very aware of SME or for that matter, any of the related professional groups and societies. I think hosting some deep-dive mineral and mining events which allow folks to better understand operations and the technologies would be great; right now that area is dominated by policy folks and not by technical or operational folks. 

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Doug Hollett
Arlington VA United States
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Hi Rachel,

I would be very interested in helping stir up some activity in the Washington, DC Section. Considering the current emphasis on critical minerals, this section seems like a great way for folks in the area with interest in that realm to connect. NSSGA is also based locally, just across the river in Alexandria, VA. There's definitely a mining presence in the area and I'd love to be a part of bringing community together as part of this local section. 

Here are my answers to your questions:

• Would you attend local events or technical talks?
  • Yes, I would attend both!
• Are you interested in leadership or volunteer opportunities?
  
  • I'm interested in both leadership and volunteer opportunities. I'm a federal employee and would need approval for any leadership roles, but would gladly serve in a role if able.
• What would make the Section meaningful to you?
  
  • I would really appreciate the opportunity to connect and interact with individuals involved with the mining industry through federal, state and local government and NGOs. I'd also like to do outreach activities with K-12 and universities to talk more about STEM, mining and where a career in mining engineering can take you.  

I appreciate you reaching out for input on the Washington DC section and I hope that by generating enough awareness, we'll be able to revive it!

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Caitlin Strong, PE
Mining Engineer
Washington, DC
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Hi Rachel.

I didn't know there was a Chapter and I would love to join it. 

• Would you attend local events or technical talks?

  • Absolutely. 

• Are you interested in leadership or volunteer opportunities?

  • I would consider depending on workload.

• What would make the Section meaningful to you?

  • Networking and the ability to sponsor the industry at a government level.

Thanks,

Elisa

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Elisa Comis
Managing Director
Pini Group Ltd.
Washington DC United States
(440)317-1551
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I was also not aware there was a DC Section. 

• Would you attend local events or technical talks?
Yes. I think there are unique opportunities to coordinate with advocacy groups/associations/NGOs in the DC to participate in events and provide technical discussions as needed. While I live in NC, my office is in DC and I am in town regularly and can attend events/talks. 

• Are you interested in leadership or volunteer opportunities?
Yes. Volunteer for now until the direction of the Section becomes more clear and depending on workload. 

• What would make the Section meaningful to you?
The opportunity of being in DC allows the Section to participate in advocacy efforts. It might be worth working with the GPAC Committee to see what opportunities there are. Also, would be beneficial to see a focus on aggregate producers since that is the primary mining sector in the area.

-Kyle Brashear
703.678.9483
Sustainability, Director
NSSGA

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Kyle Brashear
Director, Sustainability
Alexandria VA United States
(919)306-7537
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-26-2026 10:50 AM
From: Elisa Comis
Subject: Looking Ahead: The Future of the Washington, DC SME Section

Hi Rachel.

I didn't know there was a Chapter and I would love to join it. 

• Would you attend local events or technical talks?

  • Absolutely. 

• Are you interested in leadership or volunteer opportunities?

  • I would consider depending on workload.

• What would make the Section meaningful to you?

  • Networking and the ability to sponsor the industry at a government level.

Thanks,

Elisa

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Elisa Comis
Managing Director
Pini Group Ltd.
Washington DC United States
(440)317-1551
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Hello Rachel,

I have known about the DC Section of SME for years but have not been aware of any recent events or opportunities to engage.  I think the DC section, now more than ever, could be very relevant given the critical minerals push in federal government so I hope it can be rejuvenated. 

·         Would you attend local events or technical talks?

o   I would absolutely come up from Richmond to attend local events. 

·         Are you interested in leadership or volunteer opportunities?

o   Yes, potentially (time permitting)

·         What would make the Section meaningful to you?

o   Opportunities to interact with the critical minerals community in/around federal government and have these events be another touchpoint between industry and federal government for advocacy and mutual education/understanding.

Best Regards,

Craig Hairfield

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Craig Hairfield PE
Atlantic Strategic Minerals
Richmond VA United States
(720)548-0025
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Thank you all for your feedback online and in personal messages! We truly appreciate your feedback and willingness to engage.

At this stage, we are gathering input from members throughout the WDC Section geographic area to better understand interests, priorities, and opportunities for future involvement. 

The next step will be to bring together interested members for a collaborative discussion and brainstorming session to explore potential paths forward for the Section.

We’re grateful for your support and look forward to continuing the conversation as we evaluate next steps together.

Let me know if you'd like to be part of the conversation.

Thanks again,

Rachel

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Rachel Grimes
Member Engagement Specialist
SME Inc
Englewood CO United States
(303) 948-4247
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