# Gunnison Copper Strengthens Leadership for Arizona Project

Gunnison Copper has appointed Jennifer Hays as Chief Financial Officer effective October 12, leveraging her extensive experience in U.S. defense-sector government contracting and capital-intensive business management to advance the Gunnison Copper Project in Arizona. This strategic hire supports Gunnison's efforts to enhance its role in domestic critical minerals supply chains, aligning with government initiatives to secure and expand critical mineral production capacity within the United States.

- Gunnison Copper's leadership expansion signals increased focus on government-supported investment opportunities in critical minerals, relevant for procurement professionals tracking supply chain resilience initiatives.
- The appointment follows a recent US$27 million Defense Industrial Base Consortium award to expand production capacity at PacSci EMC, highlighting federal investment in domestic supply chain capabilities.
- Contractors and suppliers in the critical minerals and defense industrial base sectors should evaluate potential partnership or subcontracting opportunities with Gunnison Copper as it advances its Arizona project.
- This development underscores the growing intersection of mining operations with federal defense priorities, indicating a procurement environment favoring companies with government contracting expertise and strategic supply chain positioning.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Grants & Funding
**Published:** September 28, 2026

### Government Entities
- Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC)
- State of Arizona

### Vendors
- Gunnison Copper (prime contractor)
- PacSci EMC (former employer of CFO)
- Ralliant (parent company of PacSci EMC)
- Intel (former employer of CFO)

### Key Quotes
> Her experience securing government-supported investment, working within strategically important US supply chains and managing capital-intensive businesses will be highly valuable as we advance the Gunnison Project.
> — Craig Hallworth, Chief Executive Officer, Gunnison Copper

> I am excited to join Gunnison at such an important stage in the companys development.
> — Jennifer Hays, Chief Financial Officer, Gunnison Copper

### Sources
- [Gunnison taps defence talent for copper push](https://mining.com.au/gunnison-copper-taps-defence-talent) - Mining.com.au