Women in Mining Achieve: Amanda Hilton
The NvMA is proud to recognize two women doing excellent work in Nevada mining communities at the Nevada Women’s Fund Women of Achievement Luncheon, May 23rd in Reno.
One of those nominees, Amanda Hilton, is the General Manager at the KGHM Mine near Ely. Learn more about Amanda in this Q&A:
Name: Amanda Hilton
Company: Robinson Nevada Mining Company
Title: General Manager
What has your career path looked like?
I received a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin. After college, I moved to Boise, Idaho to work for Deloitte and Touche as a Tax Accountant. I earned my CPA license at that time and then my career transitioned to Idaho Power where I progressed through a few different departments including energy trading and SEC regulatory compliance.
When the Robinson Mine was re-opened in 2004, I had the opportunity to move back to my hometown of Ely, Nevada and to work as an Accountant at Robinson Nevada Mining Company, a copper mine located 10 miles west of Ely and at an elevation of 7,000 feet. I have worked at Robinson for nearly 15 years in various capacities including Accountant, Senior Accountant, Manager- Tax Compliance and in 2011, I was promoted to Manager – Administration and was responsible for the Accounting Department, Information Technology Department and Supply Chain Department. In late 2016, I took a leap of faith and became the Manager – Mine Maintenance at Robinson. I wore steel-toed boots, safety glasses and a hard hat to work in the Robinson Truck Shop every day. During that experience, I gained great respect for the professional mechanics who I worked with. I was not able to achieve my goal of working in the Truck Shop for five years because after less than one year, I was appointed General Manager of the Robinson Mine in September 2017. As General Manager, I am responsible for the entire site, which is made up of approximately 600 employees and 40 full-time contractors. My priorities include Health and Safety, environmental impacts, production and costs, community and most importantly, the people.
Did you enjoy STEM subjects growing up?
I did! From an early age, math became my second language and when I started college, I planned on pursuing an engineering degree but I later switched to an accounting degree. One of my best childhood memories was attending NASA Space Camp in Hunstsville, Alabama. I was also an active Girl Scout and pursued the STEM related badges.
Were there any women that helped inspire you growing up?
My mom, Caroline McIntosh, has been an amazing inspiration and even today, I have a hard time keeping up with her because she is engaged and leading so many different community-based projects such as recently starting a Boys and Girls Club in Ely. She was a single mom of three kids, and from an early stage, she instilled in all of us the importance of education, hard work and to always follow our core values – especially when it is hard. I grew up knowing that I could do anything. She has broken many glass ceilings ahead of me. I was also fortunate to grow up with four aunts who also played an integral role in my life by showing me a wide variety of ways that women can help our world a better place. One of my aunts, Margaret Bath, wanted to increase educational opportunities for all, so she raised the money to open a branch of Great Basin College in Ely, and another of my aunts, Virginia Terry, has dedicated the last twenty years to enhancing the arts in Ely through the Ely Renaissance Society.
What advice would you give to a young woman considering a career in mining?
No matter what stage of life you are in, go for it! Mining is a fun and dynamic field, and I have been challenged and engaged every day for the last 14+ years. It is critical that we continue to recruit and develop future mining professionals as mining is crucial for the future of our state, country and world. There are a wide variety of meaningful careers available in mining.