John Yellich

John A. Yellich is the director of the Michigan Geological Survey at Western Michigan University. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees from WMU and his professional geologist certification from the American Institute of Professional Geologists. Yellich brings more than forty years of geologic experience in mineral exploration and development, environmental consulting, business operations, and safety compliance. He has worked in more than thirty states conducting mineral and petroleum assessments in the United States, Canada, Australia and China.

Yellich is an exploration, mineral development and environmental geologist with experience in mineral resources in western states; the upper Midwest; the Piedmont province of the east; Canadian provinces of Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta; northern and south-eastern Australia; and oil and mineral provinces in China. He has authored a number of Canadian Securities Administration feasibility reports to validate exploration information. He has guided and reviewed several surface water and ground water investigations and negotiated regulatory agreements during the conduct of environmental liability assessments for Fortune 50 companies. Yellich has worked extensively on mineral exploration models testing, confirmation and successful validation of potential targets in Michigan, Minnesota and Canada. He developed a business model for assessing corporate environmental liabilities for many lessees of Fortune 50 in 21 states, and the process for expedited abatement liabilities.

John Yellich was recently interviewed by ABC 10 regarding the importance of a Michigan geological survey and its relationship to future mining projects, mineral exploration, and job opportunities.