Inter–American Coal, headquartered in Bogota, Colombia, announces the appointment of Andrés Ruiz Rodriguez as President of its corporate parent Carbones Inter Americanos and all of its operating subsidiaries.  Mr. Ruiz served most recently as General Director of Ingeominas and General Secretary of Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy. For more than twenty years, Mr. Ruiz held positions of increasing responsibility with Cerrejón (formerly Intercor – Exxon Mobil), the largest coal producer in Colombia, in equipment maintenance, coal production, operations and financial planning and general mine supervision. Mr. Ruiz earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in electrical engineering and management from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogota.

In addition, Mr. Adrianus (“Art”)  Gommers, who is retiring as President, was elected to the Board of Directors of this privately held integrated coal company. Mr. Gommers founded the Colombian coal operations of Inter-American Coal and was President during the period in which the company established a loyal base of independent coal suppliers to provide coal for electric generators and industrial cement and steel producers in South America, Central America, North America and Europe. Mr. Gommers will also serve as a consultant to the company, which is entering a period of transition as it further develops coal and  coke production and its Magdalena River transportation operations.

Mr. James B. Crawford, Chairman of Carbones Inter Americanos, commented, “Mr. Ruiz brings extensive experience in Colombian coal mining and regulatory oversight to our company. Together with the vast international coal mining background of our management team, Board of Directors and investor base, we believe the company is well positioned to expand underground coal mining and logistical operations in the safest manner possible. Our goal is to provide leadership in the development of the Colombian coal industry for the betterment of the communities in which we do business through job creation, community development and improved mine safety standards and productivity as we serve our customers with economical coal of the highest quality.”

Inter-American Coal is a leading supplier and producer of high quality thermal coal, metallurgical coal, and coke from South America and also has investments in ocean shipping and coal ports and terminals.

This program provides educational, engineering and operating experiences to the participants, with a focus on safe, modern mining practices. In the inaugural year of the exchange program, several students from the National University of Colombia at Medellin demonstrated interest in the program, with 14 students submitting formal applications. Two students, Álvaro Barros Suárez and Sebastián Vizcaíno Díaz, were ultimately selected as participants in the program for the Fall Semester of 2011. “Both students demonstrate a passion for mining, a clear interest in health and safety, and a desire to learn,” according to Dr. Michael Karmis, a professor in the Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering at Virginia Tech.

Virginia Tech’s Mining and Minerals Engineering department is one of the largest minerals engineering programs in North America and enjoys a strong international reputation for its academic, research and public service programs. During their partial semester of study at Virginia Tech, Álvaro and Sebastián will take several intensive directed-study courses, including rock mechanics and computer modeling of ventilation systems.

After completing their course work, the students will then spend a month assisting Marshall Miller & Associates with mining projects, including the design of a new mine in Colombia. After their internship with Marshall Miller & Associates, the students will spend another month at a producing mine in the U.S., to get hands-on experience in modern mining techniques.

A second part of this exchange program will involve selecting Virginia Tech students to participate in courses at the National University of Colombia at Medellin.