R. Donald "Don" Cussins

R. Donald "Don" Cussins is grew up in Davis, West Virginia and graduated from Mountaineer High School in Thomas, WV in 1956. Upon graduation, Cussins began as a machinist with Thomas Products in Cleveland, Ohio, then as a general laborer for the Western Maryland Railroad in Oakland, Maryland. His roots were in West Virginia so in 1960 he returned to the mountain state and started his career with Buffalo Coal Company. He retired as the president of the company after 38 years.

Cussins was known as a "master reclamationist" as he always took the extra step toward a commitment of excellence with each project. The pioneering done by Cussins and Buffalo Coal Company led to the box-cut method of surface mining where miners reclaim and reuse the land after it's mined. This proved to be cost-effective and successful over the long run.

Cussins always believed in giving back to his community by serving in several ways. He served as the president of the board of directors for the Carl DelSignore Foundation up until his death in January 2022. He was the chairman of the Board of the West Virginia Mining and Reclamation Association in 1991 and re-elected in 1995. Other community efforts by Cussins included, helping to build ballparks, playgrounds, a cemetery and a local nursing home. He helped establish college tuition assistance offered for the children of Buffalo Coal Company employees through the DelSignore Foundation.

Under Cussins's leadership, Buffalo Coal Company was a three-time recipient of the National Excellence in Surface Mining Award and a three-time recipient of the David C. Callaghan Award as the best overall reclamation performance statewide. The recipient of the West Virginia Wildlife Award for the creation and preservation of wetlands wildlife habitat and the West Virginia Wetlands Award, from Ducks Unlimited. He was a recipient of 14 reclamation awards from West Virginia and the winner of 23 safety awards, including the Holmes Safety Award, the nation's highest honor in safety. Some of his other accolades were recognition from President Ronald Reagan for Buffalo Coal Company's work in their reclamation of beautifying this great state of West Virginia. He donated of 57 different trees to the White House for Christmas in 1990 under President George W. Bush that were harvested from reclaimed land by Buffalo Coal Company. He was also recognized by the U.S. Navy for offering support by way of helicopter location of wreckage and aerial views of the crash site, and heavy equipment for wreckage removal of the Navy's unfortunate aircraft accident in 1991.