Executive Director, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation (retired)
David Phillips served as the executive director of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation (RMMLF) for 42 years. RMMLF focuses on a range of natural resource issues, including oil and gas, hardrock mining, public land, water, and renewable energy resources on local and international levels. David grew up in Bradford, Pennsylvania, and received a B.S. in geological engineering from Princeton University, graduating with honors. He has a master’s degree in geology from the University of Wyoming. After obtaining his master’s degree, he worked in oil and gas before deciding to enroll in law school at the University of Colorado in Boulder. David worked for RMMLF as a law clerk during law school, and after graduating with his JD in 1966, worked as in-house counsel for industrial minerals companies for four years before taking on the position of executive director of RMMLF. While at RMMLF, David built the foundation’s assets from $100,000 to its current $14 million to fund its mission, increasing its activity geographically and with a range of new programs and members from over 40 countries. David has recently retired from the foundation, leaving a long path of success for others to carry on.