Team

Beth Borody is a sustainability leader and a mining executive. She recently served as the Vice President of Sustainability at New Gold Inc., where she led the development and implementation of the company’s ESG strategy, policies, and practices. She also fostered strong relationships with stakeholders, communities, and regulators to advance the company’s social license and reputation.

Beth is also the founder of Femina Collective, a social enterprise that empowers women in mining and related sectors through mentorship, networking, and advocacy. She was recognized as one of the Globe and Mail’s top 50 changemakers in Canada for 2021, for her work in pushing the boundaries for mining to be more diverse and inclusive. Beth is passionate about feminism, Indigenous rights, and climate crisis action, and has worked extensively in Sub-Saharan Africa and North America, bridging worldviews and creating impactful strategies around sustainability and ESG.

Kristi is an attorney with 20 years of experience working on complex law and policy issues with governments, communities, companies, and multi-stakeholder initiatives. She assists with IRMA’s public engagement, partnerships, communications, and ongoing work to improve standards and audits. Her experience includes over a decade of leadership at Sustainable Development Strategies Group, working to align management of renewable energy and natural resources with sustainable development objectives. She is an adjunct professor of climate change law, sustainable development and international trade, and community engagement courses at law schools in the US and Scotland. Kristi has a BS in Social Work with minors in Journalism and Economics from the University of Tennessee and a JD and LLM from the University of Denver with specializations in Environmental Law and Policy and International Resources Transactions Law and Policy.

Originally from California, Pamela has always been drawn to Europe and has lived in Brussels since 2011 and worked at the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi, Finland from 2013 onwards. As a social scientist, she worked primarily on extractives-related Horizon 2020 projects leading the effort to develop European Union-level Social Licence to Operate Guidelines and also more recently involved in the effort to create a sustainability framework for the European extractives industry. With the focus on Horizon projects, the European Commission’s research agenda, Pamela’s ties to the Commission and the European research community are strong. In her role at IRMA she looks to bridge the research and policy community with that of practitioners, creating synergies so that both inform one another.

Pamela’s background is in land use and urban planning as well as in environmental impact assessment. Prior to her work at the University of Lapland, she was a Fellow of Ecologic Institute–U.S., a Berlin-based think-tank, with projects related to smart cities and spatial planning. Pamela has extensive experience in the public sector, working for consultancies as well as with NGOs. As the National Policy Analyst at ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability USA, she served as a policy advisor to the Executive Director.  She was educated at Georgetown University, the University of California, Los Angeles (B.A., Political Science, M.A., Urban Planning), and conducted post-graduate studies in environmental policy at the RAND Corporation and in environmental science and policy at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC.  Pamela is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Lapland.

Pierre De Pasquale joined IRMA in 2023 with over 10 years’ experience in the mining sector. He brings experience in developing tools and methodologies to evaluate and improve corporate performance on sustainability, social responsibility and enabling constructive multi-stakeholder dialogue. Pierre’s work in the sector began as a mining engineer specialized in drilling & blasting and process optimization, and he has provided expertise and training on technical and environmental issues at dozens of mines, quarries, and construction sites across three continents. At the Responsible Mining Foundation, he was involved in worldwide consultations with mining-affected communities, mine workers and trade unions, as well as local governments and NGOs, and helped bring to life the Responsible Mining Index Report. As Head of Stakeholder Engagement, he led strategic engagement and collaboration with mining companies, investors, communities, workers and unions, governments and other relevant stakeholders. Pierre is a member of the ISSA Mining Advisory Council, the UNECE Group of Experts on Coal Mine Methane and Just Transition, and the Countering Environmental Corruption Practitioners Forum. More recently he has provided consultancy services and expertise to think tanks, mining and downstream companies, NGOs, research organizations, media, and multilateral organizations. He led the recent work of NRGI on revamping the Resource Governance Index methodology and implementation guidance. Pierre studied at ICAM Lille, the University of Manchester, and CNAM Paris, and holds an MSc. in Engineering.

Michelle’s 25+ year career in sustainability consulting has focused on developing credible and effective environmental, safety, and health management systems and performing audits of a broad spectrum of operations worldwide, including a focus on the extractive industry, minerals processing, energy, and technology.  Prior to joining IRMA she consulted to IRMA in the final development phases of the standard. As a senior leader with the certification body, ERM CVS, she oversaw third-party assessments against a variety of management system standards and minerals and mining-related standards; this included the delivery of third-party audits at mines in Central and South America and Africa during the launch phase of IRMA’s responsible mining standard.  Michelle is from the Pacific Northwest region of the US, and received a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from Whitman College.  She has participated in a variety of community-based organizations and currently serves on the Board of Directors for a local salmon habitat restoration organization, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA).

Kristen Vissers joined IRMA in 2019 after 13 years at Rainforest Alliance as part of the executive office team where she directly supported the organization’s President and Executive Vice President.  Kristen has experience in operational due diligence, project and budget management, all aspects of governance, Board committee meetings, and external events and conferences. Prior to joining the Rainforest Alliance, Kristen was involved in hands-on conservation projects with The Nature Conservancy, the US Forest Service, and the Grand Canyon National Park, among others.  She also coordinated the CEO Forum Group from which the current successful Appalachian Woods Alliance was developed.  She has a BS from Northern Arizona University with a specialty in Environmental Education.

As Executive Director, Aimee provides direct service to IRMA’s multi-stakeholder leadership and manages IRMA’s staff and consultant team.  She has worked on mining issues for more than 20 years, with substantial experience supporting communities directly affected. In addition, Aimee has been Program Director and Executive Director for children’s environmental health and women’s leadership not-for-profit NGO organizations. She specializes in communications between diverse networks of scientists, businesses, nonprofit advocates, government agencies, healthcare professionals, and citizens striving toward common goals. Aimee holds a degree in Environmental Studies and Politics from Mount Holyoke College and has served IRMA’s leadership since 2012.

With over a decade of experience in corporate sustainability and philanthropy, Rebecca believes there is enormous capacity within the private sector to propel positive change and lead the way in driving responsible business practices. Since joining IRMA in 2020, Rebecca has focused on serving the purchasing and finance sectors, collaborating with members to influence market uptake and ultimately forward more responsible mining practices. As of January 2023, she is also serving as the organization’s Deputy Director, focused on strategy and growth. Prior to joining IRMA, Rebecca was an independent consultant in sustainability, following nearly 10 years at Tiffany & Co. where she helped advance initiatives in responsible sourcing. She has a double BA in Linguistics and International Studies from the University of Utah and a Master’s in Economic and Political Development from Columbia University.

Adan serves as IRMA’s lead point of contact for stakeholders and Indigenous rights holders across the Americas. He has over 5 years of both field engineering (open-pit geotechnical, tailings construction, and mine waste reclamation) and continuous improvement experience within the mining industry. With his mining engineering experience and personal connection to Latin America, having been born and raised in Colombia, Adan is passionate about improving socio-environmental issues with respect to mining. Adan holds a degree in Geological Engineering from the University of British Columbia, is a registered member with Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Queen’s University.

Clara Pizarro joined IRMA in 2023 to serve as an assistant to the Executive Team and support the organization’s service to all sectors. Clara has been an entrepreneur for the past years, promoting conscious consumerism by connecting a global community with local craftspeople, fostering sustainable value creation while preserving intangible heritage.

Born and raised in Brazil, with degrees in Design and Marketing from PUC University and COPPEAD Graduate Institute of Business, and international courses in Central Saint Martins – University of the Arts London, and London College of Fashion, Clara´s academic background, and experience in the Fashion & Events industry was later combined with travels, living in sustainable eco-villages and working in Hospitality. Residing in Portugal since 2020, Clara has a strong alignment with IRMA’s values, being driven to work towards a sustainable world that leaves a positive legacy for the future, while protecting and uplifting people and communities.

Prior to joining IRMA full-time in June 2022, Alan worked for 25 years with communities to protect the environment from the adverse impacts of resource extraction. He did this at Earthworks – as policy director, research director, and communications director, among other roles. In those roles he lobbied the U.S. House and Senate,  testified before Congress, and authored analyses regarding various aspects of mining policy reform. Alan lives with his family in Maryland’s Appalachian Mountain region. He graduated cum laude with a political science undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland at College Park, and with Environmental Science and Public Affairs masters degrees from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He sits on SkyTruth’s Board of Directors and volunteers with his local chapter of the NAACP.