BECKLEY, W.Va. – Lynn Shanks has been named president of Beckley, W.Va.-based Pocahontas Coal Company and Mill Creek, W.Va.-based Carter Roag Coal Company, both subsidiaries of United Coal Company. Shanks joined UCC in 2006, holding leadership positions at both companies.

Shanks is a mining professional with 27 years’ operational and executive experience. Prior to joining UCC, he was vice president of operations at Century Coal, LLC in London, Ky. His experience also includes having served as president of operations at Anker Coal Group in Morgantown, W.Va.; as president and general manager at Maple Creek Mining in Bentleyville, Pa.; and in management positions with a number of other coal companies in Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

“Lynn has achieved impressive records in production and safety within the coal industry,” says Michael Zervos, president and CEO of United Coal Company, headquartered in Teays Valley, W.Va. “We look forward to benefiting from his skilled leadership at Pocahontas and Carter Roag.”

Shanks holds a bachelor’s in mining technology from the University of Kentucky in Lexington. He has also studied mine management and business management.

“It is exciting to be part of a growing industry – and to meet the challenges of an ever-increasing product demand,” Shanks says. “I admire the dedication of our teams at Pocahontas and Carter Roag, and we will be working together to maintain – and surpass – their standards of efficiency, safety and production.”

Shanks is a member of the Pennsylvania Coal Association, Pennsylvania Coal Board and the Holmes Safety Association. He and his wife, Cheryl, reside in Daniels, W.Va.

UCC is a privately held company with subsidiaries in West Virginia, Virginia and Eastern Kentucky.