The American Institute of Profess- ional Geologists (AIPG) has a history of effective and outstanding service to the profession of geology. From its beginning in 1963, the Institute has emphasized the role that professional geologists play in this fascinating, changing, and highly complex world in which we live.
In an Institute such as this, there are so many highly motivated geologists con- tributing to the profession, the Institute, the public, and the nations in which we live and work that the identification of a select few for particular awards is a monumental task. The continued suc- cess of the Honors and Awards Program is dependent on an accessible nominat- ing process and a diligent screening of those nominated. This is done by the Honors and Awards Committee.
Currently, there are six honors bestowed by the Institute: Ben H. Parker Memorial Medal, Martin Van Couvering Memorial Award, John T. Galey, Sr. Memorial Public Service Award, Award of Honorary Membership, Outstanding Achievement Award, and Presidential Certificate of Merit.
David M. Abbott, Jr., CPG-4570 2015 Recipient of the AIPG Ben H. Parker Memorial Award
D idM Abb tt J CPG 4570 AIPG MISSION STATEMENT
The Mission of the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) is to be an effective advocate for the profes- sion of geology and to serve its members through activities and programs that support continuing professional devel- opment and promote high standard of ethical conduct.
AIPG Honors and Awards Committee
J. Todd McFarland, Chairman Brent E. Huntsman John L. Bognar Richard M. Powers Daniel J. St. Germain
My professional career has had three major themes, (1) mineral resource and reserve classification systems and their application to individual deposits, (2) professional ethics, and (3) disclosure about mining and oil & gas companies. These themes reflect my career that started with 21 years as a geologist with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and has continued with a consulting practice that began in 1996. AIPG has been a major part of my career and facilitated the professional ethics and disclosure themes through articles in the TPG and talks at Section and National meetings over the years. This year I will complete 20 years of Professional Ethics & Practices columns, currently on #156 and counting. I am the Chairman of Ethics Committee, a position I held from 1994 to 2001 and since 2004. I also have been a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy’s Ethics Committee since 2007. I’ve been AIPG’s represen- tative to the AGI committees that pre- pared AGI’s Guidelines for Professional Ethical Conduct for both the 1999 and 2015 editions. I’ve given short courses on professional ethics to a number of organizations over the years.
My work at the SEC introduced me to the application of mineral resource
and reserve classification systems and their applications to individual deposits. I’ve been a member of SME’s Resources and Reserves Committee since 1995 and actively participated in the prepara- tion of the various editions of the SME Guideline for Reporting Exploration Information, Mineral Resources, and Mineral Reserves, most recently in 2014. My professional practice has focused on the use of the SEC, JORC Code, and Canadian NI 43-101 classification sys- tems both assisting companies with com- pliance and assisting in the investigation and prosecution, when warranted, of mining and oil and gas frauds; work I still do. I assisted the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in the development of their mining disclosure rules.
Geologically, I’m a generalist work- ing on gold, silver, PGM, base metal, and a wide variety of industrial min- erals deposits. The industrial miner- als work helped highlight the precious metals bias in the resource and reserve classification systems, something that has been addressed in the most recent versions of the classification systems and related disclosure guidelines. I’ve twice co-taught the Geology of Industrial Minerals Deposits at the Colorado School of Mines.
I’ve served AIPG at both the Section and National levels in a variety of posi- tions over the years. This has provided me with the opportunity to work with many outstanding geologists in a variety of ways over the years. This work has contributed to my professional devel- opment and provided a wide variety of experiences that only come through working with the great group of geolo- gists that are AIPG and for which I’m truly greatful.
Response
Receiving the Ben H. Parker Memorial Award, AIPG’s most distinguished and oldest award is great and humbling honor. I am the 45th recipient of this award, which is awarded to individuals who have long records of distinguished and outstanding service to the profes- sion. I’ve met 24 of the previous recipi-
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