Backgrounder on Avalon Rare Metals (TSE:AVL) Two New Directors

Toronto, Canada (ABN Newswire) - Avalon Rare Metals Inc. (TSE:AVL) (NYSE MKT:AVL) ("Avalon" or the "Company") is pleased to welcome two Directors elected at the Company's February 25, 2014 annual and special meeting of shareholders, Ken Thomas and Hon. Sergio Marchi, P.C. The following provides some background information on their careers.

HON. SERGIO MARCHI, P.C.

Sergio Marchi is a well-known, retired politician with extensive experience in international trade. He entered federal politics in 1984 when he was first elected to the House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for the Toronto-area riding of York West. He was subsequently elected three times, serving until 1999. In 1994, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien appointed Mr. Marchi as the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and in 1996 as the Minister of the Environment. In 1997, he was appointed Minister of International Trade, a position he held until his departure from Canadian politics. In 1999, he was appointed as the Canadian ambassador to the World Trade Organization in Geneva. He went on to be nominated by the UN Secretary General to serve as a Commissioner on the UN Global Commission on International Migration and has also served on the Canada-China Business Council. More recently, he was invited by the World Economic Forum to serve as a member of their Global Agenda Council on Migration.

Mr. Marchi is currently a strategic consultant to a number of international organizations from his base in Geneva. He is an advocate for sustainable development and published several articles while a Member of Parliament including Sustainability and the future of Canada (1996). Mr. Marchi also teaches at the US Webster University Campus of Geneva, in the International Relations Department.

KEN THOMAS, Ph.D., P. Eng.

Ken Thomas is a project developer and metallurgical engineer with over 40 years of experience in mining industry operations and project development. He has negotiated large EPCM and construction contracts, and managed the research, engineering and construction of a number of large scale mining and mineral processing projects. Until July 2012, he was Senior Vice President, Projects, at Kinross Gold Corp.. Previously he was a Global Managing Director and Board Director at Hatch, a leading international engineering and construction firm headquartered in Canada. From 1987 to 2001, he served in senior management roles at Barrick Gold Corp., from Vice President, Metallurgy, to Senior Vice President, Technical Services. At Barrick, he had direct responsibility for the research and development, engineering, construction and commissioning of mine surface plants and infrastructure, including the development of large scale gold autoclave and roaster facilities at Barrick's Goldstrike mine in Nevada.

In addition to his doctorate in Technical Sciences (Project Implementation) from Delft University of Technology (Netherlands, 1994), he has several industry awards including Mill Man of the Year (1991), Airey Award (1999) and the Selwyn G. Blaylock Medal (2001), awarded by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum for advances internationally in the mining and metallurgical industry.

About Avalon Rare Metals Inc.:

Avalon Rare Metals Inc. (TSE:AVL) (NYSE-MKT:AVL) is a mineral development company focused on rare metal deposits in Canada. Its flagship project, the 100%-owned Nechalacho Deposit, Thor Lake, NWT is exceptional in its large size and enrichment in the scarce 'heavy' rare earth elements, key to enabling advances in clean technology and other growing high-tech applications. With a positive feasibility study and environmental assessment completed, Nechalacho remains the most advanced potential large new source of heavy rare earths in the world outside of China, currently the source of over 95% of the world supply. Avalon is well funded, has no debt and its work programs are progressing steadily. Social responsibility and environmental stewardship are corporate cornerstones.

Source:

Avalon Rare Metals Inc.

Contact:

Avalon Rare Metals Inc.
Communications and Investor Relations
T: +1-416-364-4938
F: +1-416-364-5162
WWW: www.avalonraremetals.com