MINING PEOPLE IN THE NEWS: Goldstone, Oilsands Quest, Panoro Minerals, Western Coal, Western Copper and Yukon-Nevada Gold

Goldstone Resources of Toronto has named Mike Kilbourne its new VP exploration. He is a geologists with 25 years' experience in both mineral exploration and production in Quebec, northern Ontario, eastern Canada and the United States. Kilbourne is also president of White Pine Resources.

Susan MacKenzie is now COO of Oilsands Quest Inc. of Calgary. She is a former VP and GM of in situ oil sands development and operation at Petro-Canada. She holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from McGill university and an MBA from the University of Calgary.

The most recent appointment to the board of Vancouver-based Panoro Minerals is Richard A. Mundie. He is also a director of Taseko Mines.

Western Coal Corp. of Vancouver has announced the retirement of its chairman John Burne, effective May 31, 2010.

Ian Watson has joined Vancouver's Western Copper Corp. as a director, and Dr. Paul West-Sells has become the president and COO. A graduate of the University of British Columbia, West-Sells has been promoted from VP corporate development at Western Copper. Watson is also on the boards of Spanish Mountain Gold and Agrifirma Brazil.

Yukon-Nevada Gold of Vancouver has named Todd W. Johnson VP exploration. He will head the team evaluating and advancing the company's mineral properties in the Yukon, Canada and Nevada.