Barbara Filas is a licensed professional mining engineer with over 40 years of service to the mining industry.  She has hands-on experience at operating mines and processing facilities; executive experience in consulting, public companies, and non-profits; and specialty expertise in environmental and social responsibility in the mining sector. She is internationally recognized for her expertise in the environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects of mining, having worked in both the developed and developing world on six continents.

Filas was the first female President of SME in 2005 and has served as a Trustee of both the SME Foundation and AIME. She currently sits on SME’s WAAIME Division Executive Committee and volunteers as Nominations Chair, Board of Governors Chair, and Board Member of the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum.  She was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 2022.