Contura Energy executive to deliver Poundstone Lecture

Keith Hainer will deliver this year's Poundstone Lecture.

Keith Hainer, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Contura Energy, will speak on Thursday, September 21, as part of West Virginia University’s Department of Mining Engineering’s William N. Poundstone Lecture Series. The lecture, entitled “A Career of Opportunities,” will begin at 5 p.m., in Grand Hall A, of the Erickson Alumni Center.

Hainer began his career in mining at Marrowbone Development in 1989 and has since been employed at Shell Mining, Massey Energy, Alpha Natural Resources and Contura Energy. He has worked at numerous underground and surface coal mines in a variety of positions, from hourly laborer, foreman, project manager, maintenance and operations manager. In his current role, he oversees mining and processing operations for three mining complexes in four states, which produce approximately 44 million tons annually.

Raised in Chapmanville, Hainer, holds a bachelor’s degree in physics, a master’s degree in engineering and an MBA, all from Marshall University. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from WVU Tech. Hainer is a registered professional engineering in West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina. He serves on the executive board of the West Virginia Coal Mining Institute and is a member of the WVU Department of Mining Engineering’s Visiting Committee. He also serves on the Engineering Advisory Board for Marshall University.

The Department of Mining Engineering established the William N. Poundstone Lecture Series in 2000 to honor Poundstone, a distinguished alumnus of the Department, and to bring mining industry experts to campus to share their expertise with students and faculty. Poundstone, who passed away in 2015, was inducted into the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum in 2016.

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