Management Team
Scott Osterman
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Scott Osterman is a technology and business leader with executive experience at Fortune 500 companies and start-ups in hardware/software, semiconductors, and automotive. He has served on boards and as Montana’s Director of Commerce. He is President and CEO of Guardian Resources/Willowstick Technologies, a leader in geophysical subsurface analytics for water, minerals, and geology. A Montana native, he returned home in 2014 after working in Silicon Valley with Applied Materials.
James Hedrick
Executive Director
James Hedrick was the rare-earth commodity specialist at the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, Virginia (USGS) and a government employee in related fields for 32 years until his retirement. He is a expert on a variety of rare earths, minerals, and metal, including scandium, yttrium, zirconium, hafnium, thorium, and the mica group minerals. He has published over 300 articles and professional papers on mineral commodities, including over 100 publications at the USGS.
Harvey Kaye
Executive Chairman
Mr. Kaye has more than 45 years of experience in providing financing, strategic planning, and administrative leadership to large and small companies, both public and private, as an entrepreneur, investment banker, Chairman, CEO, and Director. Mr. Kaye was Founder and Chairman of The Board of Zero Gravity Solutions, Inc., an agricultural biotechnology company, where he currently serves as a director. Mr. Kaye was formerly Founder, Chairman, President, and CEO of Latitude Solutions, Inc.
Edward Cowle
President
Edward Cowle is a Wall Street veteran and has been starting, financing, and advising companies for more than 20 years. He was the CEO of USCM’s predecessor-company and has worked closely with senior management to identify and amass high-quality properties and claims. He is the founder, and currently a member of the Board of Laser Technology Inc., a world leader in laser-based law enforcement speed guns. He is also a Founder and Board member of Zero Gravity Solutions, Inc.
Deworth Williams
Founder
Deworth Williams is the former Founder, Director and Chairman of the Board of U.S. Rare Earths, Inc, and its predecessor Thorium Energy Inc. USRE is an exploration and development company with rare earth and thorium deposits in Idaho and Montana. Mr. Williams is Founder, Director and Principal of Laser Technology Inc., a private company that designs, manufactures, and markets laser-measuring devices for use in law enforcement, and professional measurement.
Robert Nosel
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Robert Nosel has over 30 years of experience building companies across various industries, with a strong track record in revenue growth and risk management. He excels in scaling businesses, developing revenue strategies, and improving operational efficiencies. A Wall Street veteran and entrepreneur, Robert founded several brokerage firms, managing portfolios worth hundreds of millions. His ability to build strategic partnerships and collaborate with top talent has established him as a visionary leader.
James T. McCubbin
Chief Financial Officer
James T. McCubbin serves as Chief Financial Officer of U.S. Critical Materials Corp., leading the Company's financial strategy, capital markets initiatives, and public company readiness. He brings more than 30 years of executive financial leadership with extensive experience in SEC reporting, capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, investor relations, and strategic transactions supporting emerging growth companies.
Chad Miller
Chief Technology Officer
Chad brings over 30 years of experience in materials engineering with specific expertise in complex multi-element critical mineral systems. Chad has implemented closed-loop optimization frameworks linking ore variability to downstream processing outcomes resulting in vertically integrated production reducing reliance on foreign processing. Key focus areas are securing domestic supply chains, scaling production capacity for defense applications, aligning output with permanent magnet, communications, and energy system requirements and enhancing operational resilience through redundancy and process integration. He holds degrees in Materials Science, Engineering, and Business Administration.
Eric Levy-Myers
Director of Government Affairs
Eric Levy-Myers has more than 25 years of strategy and innovation consulting experience to private sector companies and nonprofits as well as to many research and operational parts of the government including DARPA, ONR, Office of Science Technology Policy, Institute Analyses, DIA and all branches of the military. Mr. Levy-Myers also an investor in companies he believes in and is general and limited partner in defense-oriented VC.
Chris Whaling
Director of Ai Integration
Christopher (“Chris”) is an AI solutions architect with 25-plus years’ decision intelligence experience. Chris served as Co-Founder of Synthesis Partners, LLC (Reston, VA) leading teams that delivered mission-critical technology intelligence in support of US Combatant Commands. Chris conceptualized, designed and built a benchmark AI/ML system that can process multi-lingual, multi-domain scientific data on the edge. He has been recognized by the DOW, DOE, & private sector for technical leadership. He has a MA in Policy Analysis from John Hopkins University & a BA from the University of Massachusetts.
Sam Torres
Director of Commercial Development
Sam is responsible for structuring offtake agreements and developing strategic relationships across the critical minerals supply chain. He also is the CEO of Quanti Capital, where he leads the development of global supply chains for critical minerals, and the President of Quanti Africa Ventures, driving commodity sourcing and infrastructure development across Africa. Samuel has held multiple positions at a leading bank across Treasury and Operations, where he focused on capital markets, commodity derivatives, modeling, and analytics. Earlier in his career, he worked at Siemens Energy, where he managed project finance and commercial execution for power plants across the United States. Samuel graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and is fluent in Spanish.
Richard Wyatt
CSCP | CPIM | Supply Chain & Logistics Executive
Richard Wyatt is a results-driven global supply chain executive with more than 25 years of experience leading logistics, distribution, trade compliance, and procurement operations across diverse industries. Based in Lodi, California, he holds APICS certifications as a Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) and Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM). Throughout his career, Richard has built and led high-performance supply chain teams across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC, consistently reducing costs and driving EBITDA growth in complex, multinational environments. Richard’s main focus throughout his career has been focused on mining, chemical, and rare earth minerals supply chain operations. Prior to joining Richard served as Senior Director of Global Supply Chain at Complete Solaria, where he built global logistics and warehousing infrastructure from the ground up and contributed to the company's 2023 NASDAQ listing. His earlier leadership roles include Head of Global Logistics & Distribution at UOP, a Honeywell Company, and Head of Global Distribution & Logistics at Cristal Global, among others. Richard's career reflects a consistent track record of transforming logistics operations, negotiating major cost reductions, and ensuring rigorous regulatory compliance in fast-moving global markets. He currently provides independent supply chain consulting services to clients navigating trade, logistics, and compliance challenges. Richard holds a Bachelor of Science in Sports Medicine from Adams State College and is also a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.
Peter Mejstrick
Lead Geologist
Peter Mejstrick is a senior geologist with more than thirty-five years of experience in precious and base metal exploration. He has accomplished field and project management skills and a strong technical background. He is familiar with a wide variety of mineral systems and geographic environments. He previously worked at major U.S. mining companies, focusing on evaluation, acquisition and exploration of properties in the western U.S. He received his M.S. from University of Montana and his B.A. from Bowdoin College.
Peter Gennuso
Counsel
Peter Gennuso is a partner with McCarter & English with over 20 years of experience advising and assisting companies throughout their business life cycle. His work includes advising private and publicly held U.S. and multinational companies in securities and capital-raising, venture capital, private equity, and banking and finance matters. Pete handles multimillion-dollar securities offerings, including private placements and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance matters.
Ms. Rachel Winn
Director of Operations
Ms. Winn is Director of Operations for USCM. She has been involved in managing the USCM properties for the past 12 years. She also serves as a Board member. Red Mountain Resources, both of which have been involved in mining operations . Ms. Winn has had experience filing paperwork and permits for mining claims with the Bureau of Land Management. Previously, she held the position of Client Service Coordinator at the law firm of Ray Quinney & Nebeker until 2007.
Team of Advisors
Kevin McGovern
Senior Advisors
Kevin McGovern is the Chairman and CEO of McGovern Capital, a single-family office. McGovern Capital serves as an investment, strategy and licensing principal and advisor to global businesses. Through McGovern Capital and its affiliates, McGovern has co-founded over twenty-five (25) companies, six of which have become world/category leaders, and he has been lead negotiator/principal in over fifteen (15) global joint ventures. McGovern was a founder of SoBe Beverages, the fastest growing beverage company ever in the US (sold to Pepsi),
Bob Walker
Senior Advisors
For more than four decades, Congressman Bob Walker has been a political leader and an insightful public policy advocate. Legislatively he wrote law that created commercial space policy and hydrogen energy policy. He rose to leadership in Congress as Chief Deputy Republican Whip, Chairman of the GOP House Leadership, Chairman of the Science, Space and Technology Committee and Speaker Pro Tempore. He has served as an advisor to several Presidents, most recently as a Senior Space Advisor to President Trump’s 2016 campaign. Presently he serves as a trusted advisor to the National Space Council, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Energy, NASA, the White House and the Air Force on space and technology policies.
Richard Rubenstein
Senior Advisors
Rubenstein Public Relations (RPR) is a leading, full-service communications agency founded in 1965 and headed today by veteran publicist and respected brand architect Richard Rubenstein. RPR specializes in producing innovative communications campaigns through the development of strong branding, consistent messaging, longstanding media relationships, and high-impact press placements. The key element to ensuring the success of a brand stands on sustained, high-visibility publicity. RPR has assembled a dedicated team of senior-level industry professionals with decades of experience in public relations, corporate communications, financial services, public affairs, consumer branding and marketing, and the nonprofit sector.
General Stephen J. Townsend. U.S. Army (Retired)
Senior Advisors
General Steve Townsend retired from the U.S. Army in 2022
after over 40 years in uniform. Today, he serves as a
consultant, advisor, board member, and public speaker.
Hailing from Griffin, Georgia, he was commissioned as an
Army infantry officer from North Georgia College in 1982.
His last assignment was Commander, U.S. Africa Command where he was responsible
to the Secretary of Defense and President for all U.S. military forces, operations and
activities to protect and advance U.S. interests across the continent of Africa.
General Townsend has seen service in the U.S., the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East,
Central Asia, Europe and Africa. His combat and operational service includes Grenada,
Panama, Haiti, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.
General Townsend holds a bachelor’s degree and two Master’s degrees.
Scott Norwood
Senior Advisors
Scott’s career spans more than forty years of guiding companies through growth, operational refinement, and market expansion. Known for his ability to take a product from concept to completion with precision and accountability, he manages complex development and production processes while safeguarding budgets, timelines, and quality standards. His leadership has shaped the success of organizations across industries — including Quest Diagnostics, Time Warner, Comcast, Charter, RCN, Telepay, Home Racing Network, OTB of New York, Cadillac, First Pacific Network, Belo of Texas, Americable International of Florida, and several Native American AT&T enterprises. In Florida, Scott directed 11 cable systems for TCI, serving nearly half a million subscribers. His tenure delivered a 10–15% revenue lift, totaling $220 million, and he negotiated franchise renewals exceeding $2 billion in value. Scott is a graduate of the University of Miami and earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Florida International University.
Salim Bhabhrawala
Senior Advisors
Salim Bhabhrawala is an accomplished public servant specializing in international critical mineral supply chains. Mr. Bhabhrawala retired in April 2025 after 25 years of public service to the United States Federal Government. He was one of the foremost experts in critical minerals supply chains, and was one of the original authors of the first critical minerals Executive Order in 2019. Most recently, he was the former Critical Materials Program Manager in the Office of Manufacturing and Supply Chains (MESC) at the Department of Energy (DOE), managing key critical mineral funding and tax incentive provisions under various government authorities. Prior to that, he was the Critical Materials Sector Lead at the Office of Materials Industries at the Department of Commerce (DOC). Salim brings a unique perspective to the team on the importance of rare earth elements and critical materials to federal initiatives in energy, manufacturing, national security, and defense.