About the Institute
The Earth Resources Innovation Institute (ERII) is a first-of-its-kind non-profit dedicated to revitalizing the minerals and mining workforce through hands-on, interdisciplinary training that connects education, innovation, and industry, preparing students and early career professionals for impactful careers.
ERII headquarters are strategically located in Golden, Colorado, which is home to the Colorado School of Mines, a major U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research presence, and a concentration of exploration and mining companies in the Denver metro area. This location provides direct access to leading academic expertise, strong industry partnerships, and diverse field settings across the Rocky Mountain region.
Leadership
ERII is guided by a team of professionals with experience across mineral exploration, geoscience research, workforce development, industry collaboration, and non-profit management. Our staff and board bring together perspectives from academia, industry, and the nonprofit sector to advance ERII’s mission of strengthening the future of earth resources.
Lauren Terry, Executive Director
Lauren Terry is the Executive Director of ERII and an economic geologist specializing in precious metal-bearing epithermal systems and their links to geothermal environments. She studied geosciences at the University of Colorado Boulder and interned with the U.S. Geological Survey and the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research before beginning graduate studies at the Colorado School of Mines. She earned her M.Sc. in Economic Geology in 2018 and her PhD in 2025, and has consulted on exploration projects in Japan, the western United States, and British Columbia.
Lauren is active in professional organizations including the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG) and the Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA), and has worked with AASG and AIPG. She serves as Conference Chair of the Denver Mineral Exploration Symposium (DMES), which she helped build, and continues her research as a postdoc while mentoring students at Mines through CASERM.
Thomas Monecke, Program Director
Thomas Monecke is the Program Director of ERII and an economic geologist specializing in base and precious metal deposits in volcanic arcs. He has over 30 years of experience in geological research and mineral exploration and has authored or co-authored approximately 120 publications. He earned his M.Sc. and PhD from the University of Freiberg, Germany, and conducted postdoctoral research at institutions including the University of Ottawa and the Geological Survey of Canada.
Thomas joined the Colorado School of Mines in 2008, where he teaches economic geology, leads a large research group, and supervises graduate students working on hydrothermal ore deposits worldwide. He serves as Director of CASERM and is the Program Chair of the Denver Mineral Exploration Symposium (DMES). In 2006, Thomas received the Waldemar Lindgren Award from the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG).
Leigh Freeman, Board Chair
Leigh Freeman is the Board Chair of ERII and has had a distinguished career in mineral exploration, mining, and workforce development. After graduating from Montana Tech, he worked with Placer Dome (now part of Barrick Gold) as an exploration geologist, mining engineer, and chief geophysicist. He later co-founded Orvana Minerals, leading exploration programs across five continents, and went on to work in executive recruiting focused on building effective technical teams.
Leigh is a strong advocate for mining workforce development and has served on numerous committees and advisory boards, including SME’s Education Sustainability Committee and boards at Montana Tech, SDSMT, and the University of Arizona. He has delivered hundreds of presentations on workforce and education and was recognized with the SME Ivan B. Rahn Education Award. He is also a Fellow of SME.
Quinton Hennigh, Board Member
Quinton Hennigh is an economic geologist with over 40 years of experience in the precious metals mining industry across both operations and investment. He earned his PhD in Geology and Geochemistry from the Colorado School of Mines and worked as an exploration geologist for major companies including Homestake Mining (now Barrick Gold), Newcrest Mining, and Newmont Mining before leading several exploration-focused firms as an executive.
He joined Crescat in 2021 and currently serves as Chairman and CEO of San Cristobal Mining, following its 2023 acquisition of Minera San Cristobal. Quinton has contributed to numerous significant discoveries and projects worldwide, including Fosterville, Queensway, Iska Iska, Valley, and Surebet.
Tim MacIntyre, Board Member
Tim MacIntyre is an economic geologist with over 20 years of experience in mineral exploration, specializing in prospect evaluation, target generation, and exploration geochemistry. He is President and Chief Geoscientist of MacIntyre Geologic Consulting and has held roles with companies including Rio Tinto, Zacapa Resources, and Ivanhoe Electric.
Tim earned his PhD and M.Sc. from the Colorado School of Mines. He brings a comprehensive bled of expertise in both industry and academia, including teaching ore deposits courses. He is active in the geoscience community and was instrumental in his leadership role with the Denver Region Exploration Geologists’ Society (DREGS).
Interested in joining our Board?
ERII is seeking additional board members to help guide the strategic direction of the organization. We welcome leaders from industry, academia, and related sectors who are passionate about strengthening the future of the earth resources workforce.
Strategic Advisory
ERII’s strategic advisors bring specialized expertise across geoscience, education, and organizational development. They provide guidance that supports program design, academic alignment, and the continued growth of ERII’s mission.
Amy Kirk, Advisor
Amy is a Strategic Operations and Business Development Advisor to ERII with 20 years of global experience supporting organizations in securing and managing complex federal, corporate, and philanthropic funding. She has worked across workforce development, energy transition, and corporate social responsibility in the mining sector, translating technical innovation into competitive funding strategies.
Amy has supported over $200M in proposals and managed $350M in federal funding, guiding diverse stakeholders through all stages of the project lifecycle. She specializes in aligning teams, strengthening operations, and building systems that enable organizations to scale and deliver lasting impact.
Ben Frieman, Advisor
Ben Frieman serves as a Program and Academic Advisor to ERII. He is a Research Assistant Professor in Geology and Geological Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines and serves as a Program and Academic Advisor to ERII. His research focuses on crustal evolution, structural geology, and mineral systems, with an emphasis on Archean terranes and ore-forming processes.
He earned his PhD from the Colorado School of Mines and holds degrees in Earth Sciences, Geology, and Geophysics. Ben has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and contributes to research on geophysics, tectonics, and mineral exploration in Canada and beyond.
The policies of ERII are created and governed by a Board of Directors and implemented by an appointed Executive Director.
The Board currently consists of a Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Executive Director is a non-voting member of the Board.