CTR names new leadership

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) - Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) is bringing new leadership as it works to advance its Lithium Valley Project in Imperial County.

The company recently named Stuart Job as Chief Operating Officer and Bari Bean as Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Relations.

While Bean is not new to the region, Job hails from Texas and will be spending about 50% of his time in the Imperial Valley.

"His main function will be to guide the preparation that we're doing for having an operating facility. And that includes managing engineering. It includes managing the development or the people to fill the roles that we need," said Jim Turner, President of CTR.

CTR said when Bean resigned from her position with the county, it was the perfect opportunity to bring her on board.

The company also said they are looking to hire local talent for well over 1,000 new jobs, according to Turner.

It will also help boost the Valley's economy.

"The Valley has a high unemployment. We're lucky enough to be able to train people that don't have any industrial type background for this type of job. The jobs will be utmost important. The second thing is the property taxes that we'll pay to the county," Turner explained.

The project is part of the region's effort to become a domestic source of lithium, a key material used in electric vehicle batteries.