Mike Marksberry
Vice President & WIPP Mining/Underground Operations Manager
Mike Marksberry serves as SIMCO Vice President and the Mining/Underground Operations Manager at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico. His nearly 40-year career brings experience in complex mining environments, construction and operations across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, including work in underground coal, salt, limestone, and potash operations.
Before joining SIMCO, Mike served as the Mine Area manager for the world’s largest potash project in Saskatchewan, Canada, and as a mining risk consultant to the insurance industry. Throughout his career, he has pioneered innovative approaches to mine safety and operational efficiency, including the commissioning of prototype coal mining equipment, lunar mining research, and the first deployment of a Joy (Komatsu) flexible conveyor train in a salt mine. He also led the construction of North America’s only limestone mine with combined worker and production shaft access and oversaw the installation of North America’s first direct-drive induction-motor hoist.
Mike’s focus on continuous improvement and worker safety is a driving force behind WIPP’s underground operations. He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mining engineering from Penn State University.