Our Team

Management

Kit Marrs B.Sc., M. Sc.

CEO, Co-Founder, Director

Kit Marrs is the Co-Founder, CEO, and President of Alaska Silver, (formerly Western Alaska Copper & Gold).

He has more than 25 years experience in mineral exploration and development, property evaluation, and project financing in Alaska and Mexico. Mr. Marrs has worked for major mining companies and consulting firms including Anaconda Minerals Company (Anaconda), Kennecott/Bear Creek Mining, Watts Griffis & McQuat, and Penoles, SA de CV. In 1981, he was the project geologist for the Illinois Creek/Round Top Project for Anaconda and directed the exploration program. He has extensive experience in financing, permitting, and implementing real estate development projects and joint venture developments with values of $10-30 million USD. His combined experience in both geologic exploration and development in Alaska, and real estate project financing, permitting and development gives Mr. Marrs a unique set of skills to lead this company. He holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Economic Geology from the University of Arizona, and served from 2005-2021 on the Advisory Board for the University of Arizona’s Department of Geosciences

Joe Piekenbrock B.Sc., M.Sc.

Chief Exploration Officer

Mr. Piekenbrock brings over 35 years of experience in the mining exploration and developement…

… industry, during which he has managed all aspects of exploration from grassroots discovery through feasibility. From 2003 to 2011, he served as Vice President of Exploration for NovaGold Resources, and more recently served as Senior Vice President of Exploration for NovaCopper (now Trilogy Metals). He gained extensive experience throughout Latin America while working for Placer Dome, and was one of the founding members of Brett Resources. Earlier in his career, he was a member of the Cominco Alaska exploration team responsible for the discovery of the Whistler Cu deposit, the Sleitat Sn deposit, the Shotgun Au deposit, and the giant Pebble Cu-Au deposit. After joining the Nova group companies in 2003, he was instrumental in leading a series of major discoveries including the Donlin Creek Au and the Bornite Cu deposits in Alaska, and the Galore Creek Cu-Au porphyry deposit in British Columbia. He was awarded the Thayer Lindsley medal for International Discovery in 2009 for his role in the discovery of the Donlin Creek deposit, and the Colin Spence award for International Discovery in 2015 for his contributions to the discovery of the South Reef deposit at Bornite. Mr. Piekenbrock holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geology from the University of Colorado, and a Master of Science degree in Economic Geology from the University of Arizona

Patrick ‘Pat’ Donnelly P.Geo., MBA

Vice President

Patrick (“Pat”) Donnelly is the Executive Vice President of Alaska Silver. 

Mr. Donnelly possesses extensive experience in mineral exploration, capital markets, corporate development, and investor relations. His career began nearly three decades ago as a project geologist, exploring for precious and base metals as well as diamonds in western and northern Canada. Following this, he transitioned to a role as a mining analyst with a Canadian securities firm. Most recently Mr. Donnelly was the Vice President of Capital Markets for Tudor Gold Corp. Mr. Donnelly has considerable experience working in Alaska due to his time as Vice President of Corporate Communications and Development for Trilogy Metals Inc., where he played a key role in advancing the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects in Alaska, USA, alongside its partners. During his six years at Trilogy Metals, Mr. Donnelly developed a key understanding of the permitting and political landscape of the state. Mr. Donnelly also held the position of President at First Mining Gold Corporation for over three years. At First Mining, where he was also a co-founder, he spearheaded the company’s initial public offering and listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Noteworthy achievements during his tenure at First Mining include the successful negotiation and completion of eight significant transactions. Mr. Donnelly holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences from the University of British Columbia. Mr. Donnelly is registered as a Professional Geoscientist with the Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia

Darren Morgans CPA, CA

Chief Financial Officer

Darren Morgans, a Canadian CPA and Australian CA, has been a practicing finance professional since 1995.

He has worked with Canadian and Australian publicly listed resource companies for over 25 years. Mr. Morgans is currently CFO of Cosa Resources Corp, a uranium explorer in the Athabasca Basin in Canada. Previously, Mr. Morgans was a fractional CFO for Velocity Minerals and Volta Metals, both Canadian listed junior explorers. Earlier in his career Mr. Morgans was the CFO of Perpetua Resources Corp. (formerly Midas Gold Corp.). Joining the company as a private company and then assisting through its IPO in 2011 and subsequently raising over $C200 million in equity, convertible debt and royalty financings, with the focus of advancing the Stibnite Gold Project from a small resource to a Feasibility Study with almost 5 million ozs in reserves. Prior to joining Perpetua in 2011, he was the Controller and Secretary for Terrane Metals Corp. prior to its acquisition by Thompson Creek Metals. He has also worked for Place Dome Inc. and Mount Isa Mines. Mr. Morgans began his career with PwC after obtaining a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Queensland

Directors

Nate Brewer BA, CPG

Director

Mr. Brewer has more than 40 years’ experience as an exploration geologist.

He has worked for several major mining companies in over 20 countries worldwide including Anaconda, Echo Bay, Lac Minerals, Barrick, Homestake and Gold Fields. His career started in Alaska (including 3 years as the Project Manager at Illinois Creek). Before retiring in 2018 from Gold Fields, he was Senior Vice President, Global Greenfields Exploration. During his career he lead two important South American projects from grass roots discovery through resource delineation, PEA, and Pre-Feasibility and Feasibility stages. Both of these deposits have since become profitable mines. Mr. Brewer holds a BA in Geology from UC Santa Barbara and is a Certified Professional Geologist. He is the current President of the Denver Regional Exploration Geologists’ Society (DREGS)/div>

Susan Mitchell

Director

Ms. Mitchell bring over 40 years of capital markets experience to Alaska Silver.

She started her career with Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) in Toronto in the Corporate Finance and Treasury divisions, participating in raising over C$1 billion in primary capital. She was also Director of Treasury of Cyprus AMAX Minerals and a Managing Director of Metals & Mining, Global Structured finance for Westdeutsche Landesbannk (WESTLB) in New York, NY, and a Director of Risk Solutions with Standard & Poor’s in New York. Ms. Mitchell has run her own consulting firm, S. Mitchell & Associates, in New York, NY since 2004

David Smallhouse

Director

David Smallhouse, a fifth generation Tucsonan, graduated from the University…

…California at Davis with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Economics and from the University of Arizona with a Master of Science Degree in Agricultural Economics.

David currently is the Managing Director of Miramar Ventures, LLC, a firm involved in agribusiness, real estate, private equity, and venture capital investments. He currently serves as a board member of Playability Toys, Western Alaska Copper & Gold Company and I.Me.Mine Digital.

Current civic activities include Trustee of Salpointe Catholic High School, Director of the University of Arizona’s Tech Launch Arizona, Executive Board Member of Sun Corridor, Inc., Board Member of Start Up Tucson, Trustee of the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Board Member of the Tucson Medical Center Foundation, Finance and Investment Committees of Tucson Medical Center and a Member of the Eller College National Board of Advisors. David is also a member of the Tucson Airport Authority, and the Tucson Conquistadores

Kevin Nishi

Director

Mr. Nishi is a Chartered Professional Accountant & holds a Bachelor of Business…

…Administration degree from Simon Fraser University. He has held several director positions with exploration stage mining companies. Mr. Nishi is a partner with Smythe LLP working with several public companies listed on the TSX and TSX Venture exchanges in Canada and in the United States

Aaron Schutt

Director

A native Alaskan, Mr. Schutt is currently the President and CEO of Doyon Limited.

In his role as CEO and President, Mr. Schutt is responsible for the overall direction of the Doyon Family of Companies with +$500 million of revenue. During his 20 years with Doyon, Mr. Schutt has led the company in its pursuit of responsible natural resource development, arctic-focused businesses, and utilities development serving US military bases in Alaska, along with many traditional uses of the lands. Prior to being named Doyon President and CEO, Mr. Schutt served as Doyon’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from 2008 to 2011. He graduated with honors and as an S. Town Stephenson scholar from Washington State University with a bachelors of science in civil engineering. Mr. Schutt went on to receive a masters of science in civil engineering from Stanford University, followed by his juris doctorate from Stanford Law School. Mr. Schutt is Koyukon Athabascan and is an enrolled member of the Native Village of Tanana. He serves on the Board of Directors for Northrim BanCorp, Inc., Akeela, Inc., and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Board of Advisors.

Technical Advisors

Dr. Peter Megaw C.P.G.

Technical Advisor

Dr. Megaw has a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Arizona and more than 30 years of relevant experience focused on silver and gold exploration in Mexico.

He is a certified Professional Geologist by the American Institute of Professional Geologists and an Arizona Registered Geologist. Dr. Megaw has been instrumental in a number of mineral discoveries in Mexico including new ore bodies at existing mines, Excellon Resources’ Platosa Mine, and MAG Silver’s Juanicipio and Cinco de Mayo properties; discoveries for which he was given PDAC’s 2016 Thayer Lindsley Award. Peter is the author of numerous scientific publications on ore deposits and is a frequent speaker at academic and international exploration and mineralogical conferences

Lance Miller, Ph.D., P. Geo

Technical Advisor

Lance Miller is Vice President of Natural Resources for NANA Regional Corporation…

…where he works to help guide NANA through responsible resource development and grow the corporation to meet the present and future needs of NANA shareholders.

Lance has worked for over 35 years in the minerals industry throughout North America from Mexico to the Canadian and U.S. Arctic, in Asia, Russia and Africa for major and junior mining companies. Miller has also worked in the economic development sector leading a technology transfer, entrepreneurial/business development organization. He is on the board of the Resource Development Council and past board President, Member of Alaska Metal Mines, past chairman of the Alaska Minerals Commission and is on the University of Alaska Anchorage Geosciences Community advisory board.

Miller has authored and co-authored over 25 scientific publications and holds a Ph.D. in economic and structural geology from the University of Arizona, an M.S. in economic geology from the University of Alaska and a B.S. in geology from Stanford University

Key Personnel

Sage Langston-Stewart

Principal Geologist

Principal Geologist, Sage-Langston Stewart, has a M.Sc. in Geology and a B.Sc. in Geology and Geological Engineering from Colorado School of Mines.

Sage completed her master’s thesis at the Caribou-Cross Mine in Nederland, Colorado. Sage has been working with WAM since 2019 and was the driving force behind the 2024 discovery of mineralization at the Warm Springs prospect and the most recent discovery at Silver Sage during the 2025 field season. Sage started on the project as a soil sampler and core logger. With the geologic team at WAM, Sage led the drill hole targeting since the 2022 drilling season and now she continues to work on geologic interpretation, modeling, drill targeting, training and management of the core processing team, and continues to expand the geologic understanding at Waterpump Creek