Bio, via University of Kentucky:

Marco, a native of Lynch, Harlan County, Kentucky, is a 1977 graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Engineering where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering with the Mining Option and was a member of Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering Honorary. He is a 1987 graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law where he was a member of the Journal of Mineral Law & Policy. Marco is a Licensed Professional Engineer – Mining, a Licensed Professional Land Surveyor and Certified Underground Mine Foreman in Kentucky. Prior to his law career, he was with U.S. Steel Mining Company, Inc. serving in various positions in engineering as well as production. Marco is currently a member of the Lexington, Kentucky law firm of Rajkovich, Williams, Kilpatrick & True, PLLC (“RWKT”) which was formed in 2005. Prior to that, he was a partner at the law firm of Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs for 18 years having served in various positions including Co-Chair of the firm’s Mineral & Energy Practice Group and Chair of its Mine Safety Litigation Subgroup. He was named in Best Lawyers in America as 2014 Lawyer of the Year—Energy Law—Lexington, Ky. RWKT was listed in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Law Firms” 2011-2014. Marco was named a Kentucky Superlawyer, was awarded the 2011 Honorary Membership in the Kentucky Association of Professional Surveyors, the 2008 Achievement in Mining Award for the Kentucky Society of Professional Engineers, is a six-time recipient of the KSPE President’s Award, was awarded the NRCC 2006 Congressional Medal of Distinction, and was named the NRCC 2005 Business Man of the Year. Throughout his law career, Marco has been involved in representation of mining and land-holding companies in several mine explosions, disasters, major accident litigation and mineral law issues in both federal and Kentucky state courts, and administrative tribunals, some of which have gained national prominence. He has argued cases in front of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission and the Court of Appeals of Kentucky. Marco is an author and frequent speaker at various mining industry conventions, meetings and seminars and a guest lecturer at the University of Kentucky College of Engineering, and College of Law. He is a contributor to The Coal Mining Reference Book (2012) and co-author of The Kentucky Environmental Law Handbook, Government Institutes (1991, 1993). Marco is authorized by the Kentucky Board of Licensure of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors as an instructor on ethics and minimum technical standards and has given national presentations on ethics for the National Society of Professional Engineers. Marco is also active in church, civic and professional organizations. He is an ordained Permanent Deacon of the Catholic Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, a lifetime appointee as Defender of the Bond for the Tribunal of the Catholic Diocese of Lexington, Emeritus Member of Legatus, a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, a member of the Knights of Columbus and has served on various boards of entities serving the Catholic Diocese of Lexington. Marco has served as an officer and director of the Kentucky Engineering Foundation, Chair of the Professional Engineers in Mining Practice Group of KSPE, member of the Executive Committee and Trustee of the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation, a director of the Kentucky Coal Association and member of the KCA Health and Safety Committee, member of the Kentucky Geological Survey Advisory Board, member of the Jessamine County Joint Planning Commission, the NRCC Business Advisory Council 2005 Honorary Chairman for Kentucky, a Kentucky Bar Association Lifetime Fellow, Kentucky Colonel, Kentucky Coal Baron and a member of several national, state and local mining industry organizations