Inside Mining: Passionate People
A cut above the rest, how leadership and compassion make for good business.
The Eagle Mine project in Michigan was to be a large one an underground mine with surface facilities covering roughly 130 acres. Chantae Lessard had always striven for excellence in her approach to projects and as the Principal Advisor on Communities and Social performance for Rio Tinto on the Michigan Eagle Mine, this was to be no different.
Determined to lead in and push her field, thinking outside the box was inherent and critical for her. Lessard identified that creating an Entrepreneurial Development Program, that provided the community economic independence post mine closure, was essential. SEF was brought into the community of Marquette to develop the Entrepreneurial Program and train the community members on behalf of RioTinto. The program,now called AccelerateUP, had an ambitious goal, to create and sustain as many jobs as the Eagle Mine had produced before it.
Shaping a program that would facilitate the evolution and longevity of the number of mining jobs to economic opportunity elsewhere in the community was no small feat, and difficulties had presented themselves.
Community conflict was pronounced, with significant resistance to having a nickel and copper project playing out in their midst. Protesters vocalized their frustration on site and signs were evident on front lawns.
Colleagues and friends shared their concern and doubt as to the possibility of any success, how on earth could people be engaged with, persuaded or appeased but Lessard pressed on. When Chantae Lessard had decided to action the Entrepreneurial Development Program, she had set her unwavering goal that she was going to see to providing the community with tangible and long lasting benefits, and she wasn’t going to quit now.
Tenacity had always been in Lessard’s wheelhouse, and as she proceeded to set up connections with residents, community-members, local businesses and others, as the project started to take shape in the community, the conflict and protesting incredibly started to dissipate.
Skeptics watched from afar, waiting to see if Lessard’s program would work. But her work underpinned her integrity as a professional and person. Her program showed that business, compassion and economics mix well.
Part of the SEF training was to hold collaborative workshops. During these workshops, Rio Tinto provided food for community participants and employees, and usually the significant amount of leftovers would be brought back to the mining project headquarters for other employees. One day Chantae was struck by an alternative.
She decided to organize and package up the assortment of delicious food and desserts, confusing many colleagues and program partners that watched her. As she packaged up the assortment of food and goodies she invited Suzette from SEF to follow her and off they went in her car. She explained that this time it would be different, she wouldn’t be bringing the food back to the staff. She had other plans.
Chantae pulled up to the local men’s shelter, and made they way up the stairs to the entrance. Heels and business suits made it tricky to summit the stairs but Chantae would not be held back. Together with some trepidation, they entered. Suzette watched in awe as Chantae calmly and openly entered the unknown shelter, greeting residents, many of whom had struggled with multiple complex difficulties.
Chantae and Suzette were invited to look around the shelter and were personally introduced to the men who were currently staying there. Being social in an easy and calm way, both women found that they were able to connect with the residents. The residents themselves expressed their gratitude and surprise at two professionals connected with the mine having had the thought, taking the time and being open to meet and provide them with food and conversation.
From a charged state of protester on site and strong signs on lawns, a community was listened to and engaged with. Many colleagues and community members had seen Chantae go above and beyond, reaching out to the community in human and novel ways. Balancing both her professional and compassionate drive, Chantae had leveraged her role to go beyond what a mining personnel would usually do.
By the time the mine was really underway, the community had embraced the entrepreneurial project, AccelerateUP, and no signs were left to be spotted on lawns. Today, after 7 years, the AccelerateUP Entrepreneurial program exists through the chain of custody under Lundin Mining Corporation.