With this in mind, I have gone back to the 'President's Statement' of December 10, 2018.  Here are some quotes - take them however you feel appropriate.

This was published after "changes to Liberty Star's management structure made by the Board" on December 7th.  He says the changes "are a strong statement of the Board's expectations for the Company's future."

The next paragraph is an excellent example of 'legal-ese':  "magnifying the importance of its achievement"; "Discovery, development and placement into the stream of commerce"; "new economic activity which multiplies in its inertial impact as it ripples throughout all levels of our society"; "creating jobs and opportunity ... for many decades to come.  In business there is no nobler cause."

Gross acknowledges JB's "many prior contributions" to LBSR and the "indispensable thread his expertise represents" to management (obviously wasn't too indispensable).

Stating that we should all be excited about LBSR's potential, it is because future advances will "create further uses for these base commodities" (coming out of Hay Mountain) "by innovative application in the service of ever-increasing populations and elevating worldwide standards of living."

Gross says the management team will "work assiduously" and "seek out strategic partnerships", and are "optomistic about the Company's growth potential".  And, ironically, he ends by saying that he looks "forward to meeting each of you at our next Shareholder meeting."

FWIW