Melissa (Mel) Sanderson was President of American Rare Earths January-October 2023. She joined the Board of ARR in 2020 and is still on the Board. Her professional experience includes 21 years in the US Diplomatic Service in various capacities and 15 years with Freeport McMoRan Inc. as VP for Africa and Director, International ESG Strategy. When she retired from Freeport in 2020 she established MelSanderson Consulting based on the principles of ESG+ which focuses on achieving and maintaining Ethical Sustainable Growth, including through culturally correct communication, inclusive social relations and transparent partnerships – a concept she has pioneered. She has been a featured speaker on geostrategic issues in many international venues, including the Financial Times Energy Conference, Critical Minerals Institute Summit, and Riyadh Mining Conference, among others. She has earned numerous professional accolades, including the prestigious International Athena Award for Private Sector Businesswoman of the Year, the WIM UK Top 100 Inspirational Women in Mining and the Top 25 Dynamic Women in Business (Phoenix). Mel is past-Chair of the Arizona District Export Council, past-President of the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, and is on the Boards of American Rare Earths and the Japanese Friendship Garden. She is a Professor of Practice at Thunderbird School of Global Management.