By Noel Lyn Smith

January 13, 2022 - Navajo Transitional Energy Company CEO Clark Moseley will retire on Jan. 31.

Moseley has been at the helm of the company since 2014. NTEC is an enterprise of the Navajo Nation and is the owner and operator of Navajo Mine.

He apprised top Navajo Nation leaders about his retirement in a Jan. 7 letter.

"It has been an extraordinary journey, and I am very proud of all that NTEC has achieved since it was created," Moseley wrote to tribal President Jonathan Nez and Speaker Seth Damon.

The Farmington Daily Times obtained a copy of the two-page letter this week. NTEC officials declined to comment on the matter and did not deny the legitimacy of the letter when given the opportunity.

Navajo Transitional Energy Company CEO Clark Moseley answers questions during an interivew on January 9, 2017 at the company's office in Farmington, New Mexico.

Photo: Daily Times

Navajo Transitional Energy Company CEO Clark Moseley answers questions during an interview on Jan. 9, 2017 at the company's office in Farmington.

Moseley was hired in November 2014 by the NTEC management committee after a nationwide search and he brought nearly 40 years of mining and energy development experience, stated a company news release at the time.

His hiring came nearly a year after the Navajo Nation bought Navajo Mine from BHP Billiton New Mexico Coal.

Moseley wrote in his letter than Navajo leaders were aware of his retirement then gave an overview of the company's accomplishments since taking over the coal mine, located on the Navajo reservation south of Fruitland.

Among the actions taken during Moseley's leadership was purchasing coal mines in Montana and Wyoming and securing 20% ownership in a rare earth minerals project in Texas.

The company's most recent acquisition was a helium production site in the Tsé Alnaozt'i'í Chapter area on the Navajo Nation.

Moseley also noted that NTEC continues to help at the local level by providing coal to tribal members, awarding scholarships to Navajo students, and distributing grants to community-based projects.

"As I depart my work at NTEC, I am confident that we have positioned the company to protect and grow the nation's energy assets into the future," he wrote.

The NTEC Board of Directors selected Vern Lund as the company's new CEO. Lund is vice president of commercial and operations at NTEC.

He served as vice president of engineering and business development for North American Coal Company prior to working for NTEC, according to the company's website.