The WCA Team

Fred Palmer joined Peabody in February 2001 and is Senior Vice President of Government Relations. The Government Relations Department is responsible for advancing government policies in the US and worldwide to unlock the potential for coal as the world's future fuel. Prior to joining Peabody Energy, he served for five years as General Counsel and 15 years as Chief Executive Officer of Western Fuels Association, Inc.

Fred began his career in 1969 on the staff of Arizona Congressman Morris K. Udall where he served for two years. He was a partner in Duncan, Brown, Weinberg & Palmer, a Washington, D.C., based law firm, for eight years where he specialised in utility, environmental, and resource law.

He is the 2004 recipient of the Erskine Ramsay Medal Award from the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME). He is a member of the National Coal Council, Executive Committee, and Chairman, Coal Policy Committee. He is Peabody Energy's representative on the Board of Directors of the FutureGen Alliance and he is a member of the California and D.C. Bar Associations.

Katie is responsible for WCA's communication activities, including WCA's publications, the website, and media engagement. Katie was editor of World Coal magazine prior to taking up her role with WCA. She has a degree in history and politics.

Milton Catelin has been Chief Executive of the World Coal Association since January 2005.

Milton is a member of the International Energy Agency Coal Industry Advisory Board, a Trustee of the Underground Coal Gasification Association, and chairs the ScottishPower Academic Alliance. He served on Tony Blair's "Breaking the Deadlock" climate change initiative.

Prior to joining the WCA, he worked with the UN Environment Programme, where as Chief of Partnerships & Public Affairs, he created a public-private partnership programme for the Basel Convention on Hazardous Wastes.

At the national level he has worked in the Australian Departments of the Prime Minister; Finance; and Environment. He was a chief negotiator for Australia on both the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change (1996 - 1998) and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and has a Masters in Public Policy (ANU 1990).

He has received Awards for his environmental work from Australia (2001: "significant and sustained contribution to the achievements of Environment Australia"); the USA (2003 EPA Stratospheric Protection Award); and the UN (2007 Montreal Protocol Outstanding Contributors Award).

Benjamin is responsible for managing WCA's policy work with a particular focus on energy poverty, sustainable development and climate change issues. Benjamin has previous senior policy experience within the public sector in the UK and Australia. He has studied at the University of Adelaide, University of Buenos Aires and the Australian Institute of Management.