 | Phillip “Jerry” Asp President, C3 Alliance Corporation Jerry Asp is one of western Canada’s most prominent Aboriginal leaders. He is committed to enhancing the quality of life for Aboriginal people through the creation of new business opportunities and development of skills and capacity in the community. In addition to supporting Aboriginal business development, Jerry has also applied his leadership skills to serve the public. His field experience in the mining industry began in 1965 when he started working on diamond drills. He then went on to work underground for six years in the Tantalus Butte Coal Mine. During this stage in his career, he was president of the only all-native United Steelworker’s Local in North America. Since then, he has become progressively more involved in Canada’s mining industry and in supporting Aboriginal business development across Canada. Jerry was president and founding member of the Tahltan Nation Development Corporation (1985), the largest native-owned and operated heavy construction company in Western Canada. He is also a founding member of the National Indian Businessman’s Association (1981) as well as the Canadian Aboriginal Minerals Association (CAMA)(1991) where he is currently a Vice President. During his tenure as president, the Tahltan Nation Development Corporation organization and the Tahltan Tribal Council were jointly recognized with the BC Environmental Award. Jerry served on the Whitehorse Mining Initiative for three years, and in 1998, while working with CAMA, Jerry critiqued the Canadian Environmental Act for Natural Resources Canada. He has also served as a member of the International Mining, Minerals, and Sustainable Development Committee – North American Branch. Jerry is an experienced consultant and negotiator. His success in this area includes negotiating the first native–owned Independent Power Producer contract with BC Hydro, the first significant Impact and Benefits Agreement in BC’s mining industry (Golden Bear Mine) and he successfully negotiated for a new health facility to serve the Dease Lake area. Jerry has shared his knowledge, on mining issues, with Indigenous People in Peru, Chile, Dominica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Argentina, Panama, the Philippines, Australia, Canada, and the United States. |