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REMEMBERING NEIL PRENN
DECEMBER 7, 1942 - NOVEMBER 14, 2023
With great sadness, we share the passing of Neil Prenn, a titan in the U.S. mining industry and the founder of our Reno office. Neil had a spirit of adventure and optimism that he followed throughout his life. He was one of the youngest 80-year-olds you’d ever meet. Neil never spoke a bad word about anyone, and he always had a smile on his face. Described by friends as generous, modest, and uncompromising in ethics, Neil was a reliable, hardworking soul who exuded confidence while remaining soft-spoken and reserved.
Born on December 7, 1942, in Manhattan, New York, Neil’s life unfolded with a trajectory marked by resilience and dedication. His journey took him from the Colorado School of Mines, where he earned an Engineer of Mines degree in 1967, to the bustling streets of Los Angeles, California, to the Cyprus Pima mine in Arizona. His career unfolded with the Cyprus Mines Corporation, where he held various positions within Engineering and Operations, with the mine going through two sizeable expansions over 3 years. During his time with Cyprus, he completed a feasibility study on the Thompson Creek project. He was then transferred to Cyprus Uranium to work on an open-pit uranium project near Canon City, Colorado.
In 1981, Neil’s path led him to the Northumberland Gold project near Kingston, Nevada, a role that eventually solidified into mine management. It was here that he married Camille (Cami) Roettele in 1982. In 1984, he took the position of Mine Manager for the Zaca project for California Silver, located near Markleeville, California. The project received all the permits to mine the property in 1986 but shut down because of low gold prices.
From here, Neil transitioned into consulting and started Mine Development Associates (MDA) alongside Cami in Reno, Nevada. The company’s growth mirrored the prosperity shared among its people. MDA was sold to the company’s principals in 2016 and resold to RESPEC in 2019, becoming the RESPEC Reno office. Neil semi-retired from the office after completing a prefeasibility study for a gold project in Alabama in late 2021.
On November 14, 2023, Neil lost his battle with cancer, leaving a void in the mining industry that resonates deeply. Active in multiple mining and mineral collecting societies, Neil contributed generously to the Tonopah Historic Mining Park, where his collection of Nevada minerals resides.
In Neil’s departure, we lose not just a friend, mentor, entrepreneur, husband, and mineral collector but a beacon of inspiration. His impact resonates with those who knew him, leaving a lasting legacy in the mining industry and the people whose lives he touched.
Neil will be profoundly missed.