Two directors of Rainy River Resources Ltd. (TSXV:RR) are stepping from the boardroom into the executive suite. Stuart Averill, P.Geo, has been appointed VP of exploration. He is the founder and owner of Overburden Drilling Management Ltd. and has served as a director of RR since July of 2005. Gerald Shields, LL.B, has been appointed VP administration. Shields is a principal of Providia Investment Group and has served as a director of RR for the past two years. Rainy River is a junior gold explorer based in Vancouver.

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As part of recent organizational changes at Sierra Wireless, Inc. (TSX:SW, Nasdaq:SWIR), Trent Punnett has resigned as senior VP of marketing and corporate development. His responsibilities have been internally reallocated. Sierra offers modems and software to connect people and systems to mobile broadband networks around the world. The company is based in Richmond.

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Port Metro Vancouver has named a successor to its retiring president and CEO. Robin Silvester is currently based in Australia as chief executive of United Group Services ANZ. He will replace Capt. Gordon Houston, who has held the position for the last eight years and retires on March 31. Port Metro Vancouver is one of Canada's largest ports, trading $75 billion in goods with more than 130 trading economies annually.

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Tournigan Energy Ltd. (TSXV:TVC) says it has relocated its technical management office to Denver while maintaining a small corporate, financial and investor relations office in Vancouver. The company also has appointed Doris Meyer as CFO and corporate secretary of the company, replacing Hans Retterath and Jude Fawcett respectively. Tournigan has engaged the financial reporting and corporate compliance services of Golden Oak Corporate Services Ltd., owned by Meyer. Tournigan is a uranium and gold exploration and development company focused on Slovakia.

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Gemcom Software International Inc., a global supplier of specialized mining productivity solutions, says Allen Vaughn has joined the company as executive VP of its enterprise business unit. Vaughn comes to Gemcom from global ERP solutions provider Mincom. Gencom's corporate office is in Vancouver.

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NxtGen Emission Controls Inc. has appointed Jim Mann as VP of finance Mann, who comes from Mustang Survival Corp., will be based at NxtGen's HQ and technology center in Burnaby. NxtGen, which is privately held by institutional investors, has developed syngas technology for cleaner diesel and engine combustion optimization.

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American Bonanza Gold Corp. (TSX:BZA) has hired Joe Chan as CFO. BZA acquires, explores and develops gold properties in the U.S. and Canada. Its head office is in Vancouver.

- with files from The Canadian Press (E-mail notices and photos at least two weeks before publication date to news@businessedge.ca)