Stephanie Moreno
Specialist, Tribal Affairs
In May 2023, Tucson native Stephanie joined Hermosa as a Tribal Affairs Specialist, bringing with her a passion for communications and relationship building. As a tribal member herself, Stephanie is inspired to help Hermosa build and maintain connections with local tribes that have historic affiliation to the project area and neighboring lands.
Although she didn’t have prior experience in the mining industry, Stephanie had previously worked with tribal representatives in her career and knew that many of her skills from previous roles would translate into the work she would be doing at Hermosa. She showed up to Hermosa eager to dive into the industry. “Even if I wasn’t familiar with mining, I was willing to learn,” shares Stephanie.
As part of her day-to-day work at Hermosa, Stephanie helps coordinate community and tribal engagement efforts, working to build, maintain, and solidify important relationships between South32 and local tribal members. Her focus is on being prepared to serve as a resource when community members have questions about the project and supporting cultural heritage considerations in the ongoing planning and development of Hermosa. Stephanie is hosting tribal site visits this fall, demonstrating Hermosa’s commitment to understanding tribes’ historic connections to the project area and surrounding region, and ensuring the open flow of communication between South32 and tribes.
Stephanie’s perception of mining has shifted now that she’s worked behind the scenes and gained hands-on experience with South32. “Everything that South32 does comes down to doing things the right way. I felt good about taking the role,” she says. Her favorite part of being on the Hermosa team is participating in the learning culture. “At any given moment, I don’t feel lost. There’s always a resource at South32,” notes Stephanie. Stephanie says people make Hermosa, and working with colleagues who have diverse backgrounds and an openness to learn from one another is what she’s enjoyed the most during her time with South32.
When she’s not working, Stephanie can be found spending time with her family, who shares in her love for music and local food hotspots. Whether it’s supporting her son who plays trumpet in a mariachi band or hitting up the local mariscos, Stephanie enjoys the shared moments with her husband and kids. And when the weather cooperates, Stephanie loves being outdoors. She smiles when she says, “I’ve traveled, but I’ve always come back home.”
