Pershing Gold Appoints Alan Branham and Ed Karr to its Board of Directors

LAKEWOOD, Colo., June 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Pershing Gold Corporation PGLC ("Pershing Gold" or the "Company"), an emerging Nevada gold producer, today announced that it has appointed Alan Branham ("Branham") and Ed Karr ("Karr") to its Board of Directors. 

Mr. Branham has more than 30 years of exploration and mine development experience. This has produced several gold discoveries totaling over 10 million ounces of gold. He is a Certified Professional Geologist with the American Institute of Professional Geologists. He has a B.S. in Geology from Stanford University and a M.Sc. In Economic Geology from Washington State University.

Mr. Branham was a founder of American Vanadium Corp., which developed new techniques for recovering vanadium. He has over 20 years' experience exploring and developing mines in the Americas with Newmont Mining. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Midway Gold Corp. from 2004 to 2009. Currently, Mr. Branham runs American Innovative Minerals, a private exploration group developing mines in Montana and Nevada. Mr. Branham has served with a non-profit group installing deep water wells in Tanzania, to help alleviate poverty.

Mr. Karr is based in Geneva, Switzerland and has more than 20 years of capital markets experience as a financial analyst, money manager and investor. He is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of three private Swiss financial management companies; Strategic Asset Management SA, Strategic Swiss Advisors Sarl and Rampartners SA. His former capital markets experience includes positions at Parthian Securities, SA, Prudential Securities Inc., and Rauscher Pierce Refsnes, Inc.

"We are excited by the addition of Alan and Ed to our Board of Directors," commented Stephen D. Alfers, Pershing Gold CEO and Executive Chairman. "Alan's extensive Nevada geologic experience will prove invaluable as the Company proceeds with the planned re-opening of the Relief Canyon Mine and its transition into a profitable gold producer.  Ed's extensive capital markets experience and his being based in Geneva, Switzerland puts Pershing in an ideal location to communicate with our growing European and international shareholder base."

About Pershing Gold Corporation
Pershing Gold is an emerging Nevada gold producer on a fast-track to re-open the Relief Canyon Mine, which includes three open-pit mines and a state-of-the-art, fully permitted and constructed heap-leach processing facility. Pershing Gold is currently permitted to resume mining at Relief Canyon under the existing Plan of Operations.

Pershing Gold's landholdings cover approximately 25,000 acres that include the Relief Canyon Mine asset and lands surrounding the mine in all directions. This land package provides Pershing Gold with the opportunity to expand the Relief Canyon Mine deposit and to explore and make new discoveries on nearby lands. The Company is currently listed on the OTCQB and has submitted an application to up-list to the NASDAQ stock exchange.

www.PershingGold.com 

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SOURCE Pershing Gold Corporation