Arctic Oil & Gas Directory: Usibelli promotes Simon to VP of external affairs

Usibelli Coal Mine said May 31 that its president, Joe Usibelli Jr., has announced the promotion of Lorali Simon as vice president of external affairs. Simon will be responsible for the company’s government affairs and will work collaboratively on public relations with other members of the Usibelli team.

Simon’s family was one of the original colonist families in the Matanuska Valley, settling in the area in the 1930s. Lorali grew up in Palmer and graduated from Palmer High School. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Simon worked for the Alaska State Legislature as a legislative aide from 1997-2004. During that time she became knowledgeable on Usibelli Coal Mine and mining issues statewide as the House Resources Committee aide. She went on to serve as the corporate and foundation relations manager for the University of Alaska, and then as the manager of government and corporate communications for Matanuska Electric Association, where she became very familiar with coal issues in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Simon joined Usibelli Coal Mine in the spring of 2010 as the external affairs manager for the Wishbone Hill project.