Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. announced that Ms Janice K Henry, former senior VP & CFO of Martin Marietta Materials Inc was elected to Cliffs’ board of directors.

Ms Henry, 58, retired from Martin Marietta in June 2006 as a senior VP. Ms Henry was CFO of the company from 1994 through 2005 and also served as Treasurer from 2002 through 2006. She currently serves on the board of directors of North American Galvanizing & Coatings Inc and previously served on the board of Inco Limited, now known as Vale Inco, a wholly owned subsidiary of the second largest mining company in the world, Vale.

Mr Joseph A Carrabba, chairman, president and CEO of Cliffs said “Janice brings to our board over 20 years of experience in basic materials, most recently as CFO at Martin Marietta, where she played a key leadership role in the company’s IPO process and establishment of the firm’s financial disciplines as a public company. While there, she gained crucial experience in capital structure management, acquisition negotiations and financial integration, all of which will prove invaluable as Cliffs continues the execution of its strategic plans.”

Ms Henry said “Cliffs has one of the most exciting and dynamic stories in the mining and natural resources industry today. I am enthusiastic about joining the Company’s board and look forward to working closely with Joe and the rest of the team in delivering long-term shareholder value.”