THEODORE PAGANO
Founder & Chief Executive Officer (P.G., P.E)

Mr. Pagano is a potash geologist and certified professional engineer with extensive experience in investment decision analysis as it concerns natural resource exploration and development. He has comprehensive knowledge of potash exploration and solution extraction production methods. Prior to founding Michigan Potash & Salt Company, LLC, Mr. Pagano was the co‐founder of Dakota Salts, LLC, a potash exploration endeavor based in North Dakota; whereby, Pagano established the State’s first public potash lease, auction, core test, tax basis, and legislative requirements for potash exploration and production.

Mr. Pagano’s relevant experience includes over 27 years of natural resource development with positions of significant responsibility at Texaco, Chevron, Kerr‐ McGee, and Anadarko Petroleum. He has been responsible for natural resource development in Michigan, Alaska, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Oklahoma.

B.S. Geological Sciences from the University of Notre Dame (Indian Fellow, Merit Scholar). M.S. Petroleum Engineering Colorado School of Mines.

CORY CHRISTOFFERSON
Chief Development Officer

Cory Christofferson is the Chief Development Officer of Michigan Potash & Salt Company.  Cory joined MPSC in 2020, making a pivot from a successful career in the oil and gas industry. His diverse background across engineering and finance includes private equity as well as public and private energy companies.

Cory previously served as Managing Director and Investment Committee Member for Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors in Houston, Texas. In that role he was a Board member with both technical engineering and financial oversight responsibilities for several private energy companies with upstream and midstream assets across North America. As a Member of the Investment Committee, he evaluated major capital investment decisions, portfolio construction, acquisitions, development, divestitures, and private equity fundraising strategy.

Before joining Kayne Anderson in 2015, Cory was Senior Vice President, Reservoir & Production Engineering for Goodrich Petroleum Corp. In that role he led Goodrich’s production operations, reservoir engineering, and business development activities. Cory began his career with Chevron USA in Houston, Texas where he managed technical exploration and development projects across North America.  Cory currently serves as a board member and Treasurer of WayForward Adventures and has been active with numerous nonprofit and philanthropic activities.  Cory holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, graduating with honors, from Montana State University.

ARIC J. GLASSER
Chief Operating Officer

Aric joined MPSC in 2021, after a diverse career in oil and gas spanning from engineering, multi-discipline team management, and leadership. His background is a variety of both domestic and international experience centered around planning, acquisitions and divestitures, project management and mega-project decision and risk analysis. Aric has worked internationally from the arctic to the tropics with partners and governments in Russia, United Kingdom, Italy, Nigeria, United Arab Emirates, Canada, Venezuela, and Indonesia on oil, gas, LNG, and GTL developments from the upstream, midstream, and downstream perspective.

Aric recently served as Director of Innovation at WPX Energy. In that role he built a new Innovation team from scratch and quickly gained cost neutral status by improving business efficiencies and automation. He also acted as a Business Advisor to the President of WPX Energy, Manager of SEC Reserves, as well as Business Development manager in which he oversaw $1.7 Billion in transactions.

Before joining WPX in 2015, Aric was Manager of Business Development and Planning for SM Energy. Aric began his career with ConocoPhillips at the Reservoir Technology Center in Houston, TX and then was transferred to Calgary, Alberta, Canada where he worked on executing large scale well developments. Aric is also the author of a commercially available software for valuations of large-scale E&P developments. Aric holds a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering, graduating with Highest Honors and Petroleum Engineer of the Year, from Montana Tech University.

SCOTT ST. GERMAINE
Vice President, Operations

Mr. St. Germaine is a subsurface and manufacturing potash and salt expert, with comprehensive technical knowledge as it concerns subsurface Michigan potash solution mining, and surface evaporation, crystallization, and co-generation. He has over 28 years in subsurface and surface potash operations. Up until 2011, he was the Mosaic Hersey Production Manager, where he held that position for six years. Prior, he was the Mosaic Hersey Capital Investment Manager.

AL MILLWARD
Vice President, Production

Mr. Millward has over 43 years in potash solution mining and manufacturing operations. He has served his entire career with Mosaic and its predecessors and has experience in all respects of solution mining and processing of potash and salt, both in Saskatchewan and Michigan. He served a significant tenor at the Mosaic Belle Plaine potash facility, until his transfer to the Mosaic Hersey Potash Facility, where he lastly served as the Mosaic Hersey Production Manager for Salt manufacturing, processing, and sales. Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences, 1969.

WARD FORQUER
Vice President, Potash Markets & Logistics

Mr. Forquer is a second generation fertilizer sales and distribution expert. He has over 35 years in potash and fertilizer marketing in the Mid‐west. Beginning in 1984 and until 2006, he was responsible for marketing, selling and distributing potash into every state east of the Mississippi River on behalf of the Michigan Hersey Potash facility for its owners, Mosaic, IMC Global, and Kalium. As Regional Sales Manager for Mosaic, he had successfully grown the Michigan market from 6,000 tons/year to 400,000 tons/year, even when the Hersey potash facility was only capable of 160,000 tons/year. He has additional regional sales and distribution experience as an independent, and for Oxbow Fertilizer, Gavillon Fertilizer, Willber‐Ellis, Agra Land, Mobark, and USS Agri‐ Chemicals. B.S. Business Administration, Central Michigan University, 1978.

JOHN FAUSTER
Vice President, Salt Markets

Mr. Fauster is a salt distribution and marketing expert with a financial background in food and commodities. He has over 18 years in salt logistics, sales, finance, and business development. He has purchased salt from the Mosaic Hersey Facility for numerous years and comprehensively understands the demand and supply characteristics of the greater salt markets, in water softening, food, ice melt, agricultural, industrial, and brine. He is the CEO of a current salt player with far reaching influence throughout the Midwest, great lakes, east and south‐east markets. B.A. Hillsdale College,1993.

JAMIE JANOTTA
Vice President, Commissioning

Mr. Janotta is a expert in solution mining crystallization, product drying, process troubleshooting, pond management, screening, chemical engineering, evaporation, compacting technologies, commissioning and operational readiness, potash sales and marketing, and change management. He was responsible for all commissioning and trouble shooting at the Mosaic Company, and commissioned Hersey in 1997. Mr. Janotta was also responsible for all industrial product specification and product management for the major industrial clients of potash worldwide.

JIM NIELSEN
Vice President, Engineering

Mr. Nielsen is an evaporation and crystallization expert with an emphasis on the extractive industries, including potash and salt. Mr. Nielsen has designed and erected and commissioned all types of evaporator and crystaillzer systems, having been the Crystallizer Department Manager and Director of Technology at Swenson Technologies for over 20 Years. Mr. Nielsen has been in virtually every evaporation and crystallization facility worldwide and is one of the foremost experts for complex design, trouble shooting, and commissioning of advanced facilities. He has over 38 years in process engineering design and operations. B.S. Chemical Engineering. B.S. Computer Science, Minor in Chemistry, Iowa State University 1977.

ROB PLOSZ
Vice President, Subsurface

Mr. Plosz is one of the only technical experts in the world in solution mining that has over 35 years of hands on experience; and explicit knowledge as it concerns Hersey in both subsurface and surface processes of solution mining. He has specific expertise as it concerns the evaluation of process capability, assets and costs of mining operations, productivity, quality, assess mining opportunities, and perform competitor analysis. He was specifically responsible for developing the processes and technologies used in Michigan and Saskatchewan potash facilities. He served as General manager of Hersey and led the commissioning and start-up; and also served as the general manager of Belle Plaine. Mr. Plosz last role was senior director of Strategy and Technical Services for the Mosaic Company. He has evaluated existing or potential new mining operations in Russia, Germany, Ethiopia, Republic of Congo, Laos, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, US and Canada.

RICK HELPER
EPC Project Management

Mr. Helper is a specialist in the administering and supervision of Engineering, Procurement, Construction delivery packages. His experience includes over 35 years of large capital intensive processes and industrial projects, including those in excess of 1 Billion dollars. He has represented both the owner and the contractor in project delivery. His experience includes project finance, project development, project management, project execution and dispute resolution. Mr. Helper has held leadership roles in commercial negotiations, project services, and project management at Aker Kvaerner. He has extensive experience with union construction. Mr. Helper has authored and presented project management publications for AACEI and the Construction Industry Institute (CII). He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Tri State University.

SANDY KELLER
Community Relations

Sandra “Sandy” Keller is the local community liaison and administrator of Michigan Potash & Salt Company.  Sandy grew up on a farm just outside of Evart, Michigan which has been in her family for 115 years. She is active in her community serving as an ordained minister, Secretary of the Evart Area Chamber of Commerce, Membership Captain of the Osceola County Farm Bureau, and newly-elected 2021 board member of the Osceola County Farm Bureau. Prior to coming back home to the family farm, Sandy spent much of her career in the automobile industry. She worked for Valeo Sylvania Lighting Systems, overseeing the production of headlamps and other parts for Cadillacs. Her commitment and attention to detail eventually led her to working with the Quality Control department across all GM product lines.

In addition to holding the above offices, Sandy is a lifetime member of the VFW, and is active with both the Evart Moose Club and the Evart Women’s Business Club. She has been an ordained minister for 25 years, plays the piano, and enjoys farming, raising horses, peacocks, and numerous pets. She has been married to husband Robert for 34 years and has two grown children.

CLAY M. GASPAR
Director (Advisory Board)

Mr. Gaspar was recently appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Devon Energy (NYSE: DVN) following his role as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since 2021. Prior to Devon’s merger with WPX Energy (NYSE: WPX) Clay served as Chief Operating Officer and on the WPX Board of Directors where he was instrumental in implementing widespread change associated with a $7 billion portfolio transformation ultimately leading to the Devon/WPX merger. Clay was also appointed to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s Economic Advisory Council in 2021.

Previously, Clay served as Vice President for Newfield Exploration Company, and prior, spent 16 years with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation holding positions as General Manager of Investor Relations, Business Advisor, and General Manager. Clay is a Registered Professional Engineer with a Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering and Master’s degree in Petroleum and Geosciences Engineering.

ANGELO BRISIMITZAKIS
Director (Advisory Board)

Through 2012, Mr. Brisimitzakis served as the CEO at Compass Minerals (NYSE: CMP), a leading minerals producer (~$1.1Bn Sales) of salt, potash, and specialty fertilizers with 2000 employees across 13 manufacturing sites in North America & UK. He helped see earnings double via accelerated/profitable organic growth, tripling market capitalization to $ 2.5 Billion (105 Million in Net Earnings). He organized a strategic/multi phased investment in expansion of advantaged Salt and Potash mining assets. Mr. Brisimitzakis has a professional background with over 35 years of results-oriented success. He serves on the board within multiple ‘materials’ industries including chemicals, plastics, minerals, mining, potash, energy, and agriculture