Industry Outlook Luncheon Featured Speaker (October 19, 2009)

“Mining in a Climate Controlled Regulatory World”, Jim Sims, President and CEO, Western Business Roundtable

Jim Sims is president and chief executive officer of the Western Business Roundtable, an organization comprised of CEOs and senior executives of organizations doing business in the Western United States. He has 30 years of experience in policy advocacy and issue campaigns at the state and federal levels. He served for 18 years in Washington, D. C., both in senior policy positions in the U. S. Congress and the White House and as an energy and environmental policy advocate. He served for 12 years in the U. S. Senate, including as chief of staff to former Senator Robert W. Kasten, Jr. of Wisconsin. Following his Senate service, Mr. Sims helped to found and lead the Geothermal Energy Association for more than six years. He served in the White House in 2001 as President George W. Bush’s director of communications for the National Energy Policy Development Group, which helped to craft the recommendations behind the President’s National Energy Policy. Mr. Sims also helped to found several non-profit organizations that work to educate citizens, policymakers and the news media on important public policy issues, including the Americans for American Energy and the NextGen Energy Council. He serves on the board of directors of non-profit Center for the New West. Mr. Sims is chairman of Policy Communications, Inc., a public affairs/lobbying firm with offices in Golden, Colo. and Washington, D. C. A former state legislative aide and newspaper reporter, Mr. Sims is an honors graduate of Georgetown University.

Thursday, December 3, Noon –1:30 pm

Celebrity Showroom –John Ascuaga’s Nugget

Tickets $35.00