Kaleb Froehlich
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Kaleb Froehlich is the Managing Director for Ambler Metals LLC. Born and raised in Juneau, Alaska, Kaleb brings personal and professional insight into issues affecting the state, including first-hand knowledge of and relationships with business leaders, elected officials, and Native Alaska stakeholders.
Most recently, Kaleb served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Kaleb’s experience also includes serving for over five years as Senior Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, where he was on the front lines developing policy and legislation relating to energy, oil and gas, mining, public lands, wildlife management, environmental regulation, and a range of other issues. Even in a gridlocked Congress, Kaleb cultivated productive working relationships with legislators and policy advisors on both sides of the aisle that allowed him to achieve consensus and implement solutions.
Kaleb holds a Juris Doctor degree from University of Virginia School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Southern California.
Bob Jacko
VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS
Bob Jacko has more than 40 years of experience in both underground and open pit operations within North America. He is a mining engineer with extensive experience in mine start-ups, project development, mature operations, and closure. Bob has been involved in permitting mines in Alaska, Washington State and Montana. In recent years, has focused on engineering oversight working on a variety of preliminary economic assessments, pre-feasibility studies and feasibilities studies for mining projects.
Prior to that, Bob’s positions included, Vice President and General Manager, Projects for Thompson Creek Metals Inc., General Manager at the Pogo Mine in Alaska, General Manager at Red Dog Operations, Mine Manager at the Polaris Mine and Mine Manager at the Sullivan Mine.
Jenna Tan
VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE
Jenna Tan is a finance and commercial executive with experience across major mining and resources companies in the United States and Australia. She has held leadership roles responsible for commercial strategy, corporate development, and financial oversight. She brings experience as South32’s Director of Finance for Hermosa and Manager of Strategy & Performance, where she led investment evaluations, federal grant reporting structures, corporate planning, and joint venture due diligence.
Earlier in her career, she held senior finance, strategy, and operational roles at Vale, Platinum Blasting Services, Peabody, BHP Mitsubishi Alliance, and Ernst & Young. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne, is a CPA, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Michael Galicki
VICE PRESIDENT, EXPLORATION
Michael Galicki is an exploration and mining professional with more than 15 years of experience advancing mineral exploration programs across North America, with a strong focus on base and critical metals. Michael brings a deep knowledge of responsible resource development in Alaska, kicking off his career in the Pacific Northwest, including at the Niblack Project on Prince of Wales Island.
Before joining Ambler Metals, Michael held leadership roles with South32, where he led exploration operations, strategy, and field execution across multiple jurisdictions, including the execution of remote, helicopter‑supported exploration programs. Over the last four years, he managed South32’s exploration in Alaska. He has also held progressive exploration and geoscience leadership roles with the Galore Creek Mining Corporation Joint Venture and the Hunter Dickinson Inc. Michael holds a Master of Science in Economic Geology from Simon Fraser University and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Geology from Laurentian University. He is a registered Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) in British Columbia and brings deep technical expertise combined with a strong commitment to safe, responsible, and sustainable mineral development.
Cole Schaeffer
VICE PRESIDENT, HUMAN RESOURCES, COMMUNITY RELATIONS, AND PARTNERSHIPS
Cole William Schaeffer is a senior executive with over 30 years of leadership experience, specializing in Indigenous engagement and Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs). He was born in Nome and raised in Kotzebue, bringing a local perspective to his position at Ambler Metals. He has held prominent executive roles within ANCs, including Executive Vice President of Tikigaq Corporation and President & CEO of Kikiktagruk Inupiat Corporation. Possessing deep expertise in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, he has spent decades advancing shareholder employment, leadership development, and economic participation.
His career, including leadership at Teck Alaska’s Red Dog Operations, has consistently prioritized Indigenous hire maximization and collaborative engagement with regional Native organizations. He has successfully negotiated stakeholder and benefit agreements with regional and village corporations, IRA councils, and community leadership across Northwest Alaska. Furthermore, he has successfully built SBA 8(a) enterprises and designed apprenticeship and scholarship initiatives that align corporate operations with community priorities. He is currently based in Anchorage, spending his summers in Kiana when he is not working.
Joann Greist
HUMAN RESOURCES COORDINATOR
Joann Greist is a seasoned human resources professional, bringing over fifteen years of administrative experience to the Ambler Metals team. Prior to joining Ambler Metals, Joann spent twelve years in Human Resources Administration at Red Dog Mine for Teck Alaska.
At Ambler Metals, Joann will support the growth and development of the talent of the company’s growing team.
Ron Rimelman
SENIOR DIRECTOR, PERMITTING
Ron Rimelman brings more than 40 years of experience in environmental review of natural resource projects throughout North America. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Environment, Health and Safety, and Sustainability for NOVAGOLD Resources where he oversaw the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) review, and federal and state permitting for the Donlin Gold project. In this role, he was also involved in environmental planning for the Ambler Mining District from 2011 to 2013 before it was divested from NOVAGOLD. While in consulting, he co-led the third-party Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”) for expansion of the Red Dog Mine in Alaska.
Ron also directed two NEPA reviews and Clean Water Act permitting of the Kensington Mine in Alaska, as well as assisting in the EIS for the tailings expansion at the Greens Creek Mine in Alaska. More broadly, his mine permitting experience extends to projects in Nevada, Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, Michigan, British Columbia, and Australia. He is a past President of the American Exploration and Mining Association, and has chaired its Environmental Committee for nine years; this work has involved significant national advocacy for advancing US critical mineral mining. He has a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Cal Craig
ENVIRONMENTAL & PERMITTING MANAGER
Cal Craig is the Environmental and Permitting Manager for Ambler Metals. He has been involved in the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects since 2011. Prior to joining Ambler Metals, he worked at Donlin Creek located in western Alaska from 2007-2010. Cal received a B.Sc in Land Resources and Environmental Science from Montana State University-Bozeman and a Masters Degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Alaska-Anchorage. He enjoys spending time with family, hiking, biking, fishing, and experiencing the great outdoors.
Bernard Guest
EXPLORATION MANAGER
Bernard Guest joins Ambler Metals from Hecla Mining, where he recently worked in production and exploration geology at the Greens Creek mine in Alaska. He is a structural geologist and geochronologist with 27 years of experience spanning academia and industry, including oil and gas research, and extensive geological fieldwork and mapping across western North America, the Canadian Arctic, Europe, and the Middle East.
He earned his PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles, working in northern Iran, and spent 13 years as a professor of structural geology and tectonics, teaching at the University of Hannover, LMU Munich, and the University of Calgary. He resides in Juneau. Outside of work, Bernard is an avid climber and skier, and a lifelong aero‑sportsman who has competed in world championships on both the Canadian and U.S. national teams.
Jim Male
SITE MANAGER - BORNITE
Jim Male is the Site Manager at Ambler Metals’ Bornite project. Before joining the Ambler team, Mr. Male worked on the Pogo, Nixon Fork, and Pebble mine projects.
Jim received his BS in Mine Engineering Mackay School of Mines at the University of Nevada, Reno. He has been an Alaska resident since 2005 and brings 35 years of experience in underground and surface mining.
He has also been focused on Shareholder relations for many years. He strives to maintain a majority shareholder hire in every position at the Bornite project site, and he is proud of the results in the hiring and training of employees.
Freddie Olin IV
COMMUNITY RELATIONS CONTRACTOR
Freddie R. Olin IV is from Tanana, Alaska, and has extensive experience all around Alaska from working on the North Slope, wildland firefighting throughout Interior Alaska, to working in the Alaska State Capitol in the Senate, House, and Governor's office. Freddie is passionate about working with local stakeholders and meeting new people and listening to their stories.