Women in Mining luncheon draws 130, boosts Iron Range networks

More than 130 women signed up for the Women in Mining luncheon at the Minnesota Discovery Center, a turnout that showed how quickly Iron Range networking for women in a male-dominated industry is expanding. The gathering was held June 15, the International Day of Women in Mining, and marked the fourth year MiningMinnesota and the Iron Mining Association of Minnesota have hosted it.

The luncheon ran from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm, where the nonprofit museum tells the story of the Minnesota Iron Range from a 660-acre campus that it says is the largest museum complex in Minnesota outside the Twin Cities. Attendance cost $20 and included lunch, beverages and gratuity. The event was limited to Iron Mining Association members, MiningMinnesota members and invited guests, and it centered on a short panel discussion.

That panel featured Andi Bakk of Cleveland-Cliffs, Jaime Johnson of U.S. Steel Minnesota Ore Operations and Jessica Johnson of Talon Metals. Their roles reflected the range of work women are now doing across the industry, from safety and environmental projects to permitting and external affairs. The message from the stage was practical rather than ceremonial: be assertive without being arrogant, build a strong support system and keep learning.

One panelist also pointed to a deeper workplace issue that goes beyond job titles and paychecks. In a male-dominated setting, even uncomfortable conversations can turn productive when people are willing to be honest about real-life needs and responsibilities. That matters in mining, where shifts can be demanding, the technical work is specialized and mentorship and peer support often determine whether workers stay long enough to advance.

The event’s growth also underscores a larger economic reality on the Iron Range. Women made up 13.7% of workers in the U.S. mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction sector in 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In St. Louis County, mining and quarrying activities employ 4.4 times as many workers as would be expected for a county of its size, and county planners rank the region third among all U.S. counties on that specialization measure.

MiningMinnesota says St. Louis County’s mining history dates to the mid-19th century, and county land-use planning still treats future mining opportunities as a core priority. Against that backdrop, the luncheon was more than a networking meal. It was a sign that the Iron Range is widening who gets heard, who gets hired and who gets a path to lead.