Midas Strategies is a boutique research firm located in historic Midas, Nevada. The Chief Everything Officer is Dana Bennett. It’s strange to write about oneself in the third person, so let’s just dispense with that. I am happy to welcome you to the Midas Strategies website.
With a PhD in history and 30 years of public policy experience in Nevada, where I have lived most of my life, I am confident that I can answer just about any question concerning the history of the Silver State. I am especially interested in the history of the Nevada Legislature, women in Nevada politics, and state policies. Recently, I retired as President of the Nevada Mining Association and am proud to note that I was the first woman in over 100 years to lead this storied trade association. That experience has added mining history, especially women’s activities in that foundational industry, to my catalog. With a never-ending interest in my own roots, I also love researching family histories.
In addition to looking stuff up, I do like to write things down and explain what they mean. As such, I have numerous published works to my credit in addition to many private research projects that are probably sitting in some dusty file somewhere. I have produced three books, two of which are about my favorite Nevada town, Midas. My most recent book, All Roads Lead to Battle Mountain, relays the story of the first 100 years of nearby Battle Mountain, Nevada. Starting with an award-winning article about Mormon polygamy in Idaho, which was published in 1984, several publications have showcased my work. My most recent articles concern the Nevada women who opposed granting voting rights to women (The Nevada Historical Society Quarterly, Spring/Summer 2020) and a biography of Lena Bidwell Norton, a prominent Reno suffragist. Norton’s biography also appears, with 10 additional Nevada biographies that I’ve written over the past couple of years, in the Online Biographical Dictionary of the Woman Suffrage Movement. I currently write a mining history column for Mining The West.
I also serve as Vice President of the Mining History Association (MHA). At the annual conference in June, I’ll become MHA’s President. The MHA conference is always an interesting gathering, and I hope you can join us in Socorro, New Mexico, this year!
I am fortunate to live in Midas, which is located in the southwestern corner of Elko County, Nevada. (Please don’t confuse it with Mina in Nye County! The names sound similar, but the towns are quite different.) Despite its remote location, Midas has exceptional internet access, and online research capabilities improve on a daily basis.
I can be easily found on LinkedIn. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me about the opportunity of researching and writing something for you!