J. Steven Whisler is the retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Phelps Dodge Corporation, a mining and manufacturing company, where he served in many roles from 1981 until his retirement in 2007. During his tenure at Phelps Dodge Corporation, Mr. Whisler was instrumental in the implementation of its “Zero and Beyond” safety program designed to eliminate workplace injuries and its “Quest for Zero” process-improvement program designed to, among other things, eliminate environmental waste while enhancing product quality.
Mr. Whisler also served as director of US Airways Group, Inc. from 2005 until 2011, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe from 1995 until its acquisition by Berkshire Hathaway in 2010.
Through his prior tenure on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe board of directors and as a former executive in the mining industry, Mr. Whisler brings to the Board invaluable safety program experience, railroad knowledge and familiarity with certain key markets.