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Michele Coleman Bio

Michele Coleman graduated with degrees in Chemical Engineering (BSc) and Geology (B.A., MA) from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She began her dream job working with environmental aspects of construction and mining in 1990. Since then, Ms. Coleman has worked for NB Coal Limited and its parent company, NB Power, where she was responsible for all environmental aspects of coal surface mining including permitting, water quality, and environmental auditing, construction, and compliance. For over two decades she spent overseeing that reclamation conditions were addressed at the 47 sites mined since 1977. Over that time, the scope went from addressing the basic minimum cosmetic and safety requirements, to creating ecosystems and habitats beneficial to local communities and to wildlife. This included creation of wetlands, development of pioneer forests, and shrub/herbaceous communities. Ms. Coleman, now retired, has served on the NEC for two terms, as Soils and Overburden TD Co-Chair and on the Scholarship Committee since 2014. She was instrumental in the creation of Haulin’ ASMR (now Haulin’ ASRS) which is a group within our organization of all skill levels which fosters additional research, business opportunities, networking and building friendships. She has also been Co-Chair of the Wild Women of Reclamation (WWR) group since 2014 which encourages women to feel more engaged in the organization. As a long-time active member in the Canadian Land Reclamation Association, Ms. Coleman brings a synergy of ideas and traditions to ASRS from our neighbors to the north. We look forward to having her at the helm of our leadership in 2022.