auren Sanchez was appointed Chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2025. A seasoned climate policy expert, Sanchez brings experience at the intersection of environmental policy, diplomacy, and state governance. Prior to her appointment, Sanchez served as Senior Advisor for Climate in the Office of Governor Newsom beginning in 2021, where she was widely recognized as a chief architect of California’s ambitious climate agenda including codifying the state’s carbon neutrality goal and extending the Cap-and-Invest program through mid-century. Her leadership also helped direct billions in climate and clean air investments, further solidifying California’s position as a global leader. Sanchez’s career spans both state and federal service. In 2021, she was Senior Advisor to the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate in the Biden-Harris Administration, contributing to international climate diplomacy. From 2019 to 2021, she served as Deputy Secretary for Climate Policy and Intergovernmental Relations at the California Environmental Protection Agency. She also held the role of International Policy Director at CARB from 2018 to 2019 and was a Climate Negotiator at the U.S. Department of State from 2015 to 2017, where she played a role in shaping global climate agreements. A Fulbright Scholar, Sanchez holds a Master of Science in Environmental Management from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and Biology from Middlebury College. She lives in Oakland with her husband and son. In her spare time, she enjoys trails, tacos and travelling.
Abbey Brown is the Technical Lead for the Clean Fuel Standard at the Washington Department of Ecology. She has spent her career working on climate, energy, and air quality policy for governments and non-profits in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Washington State, including Environmental Defense Fund and the World Resources Institute’s NDC Partnership. She holds a B.A. in Political Studies from Bard College and a M.A. in International Environmental Policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.
After joining New Mexico’s Environment Department in 2020 to work on climate change policy, in 2022 Claudia Borchert became the inaugural bureau chief of NMED’s Climate Change Bureau. Core functions of the Bureau include developing and implementing New Mexico-appropriate climate actions to reduce the state greenhouse gas emission, implementing New Mexico’s Advanced Clean Cars and Clean Trucks rule (e.g. NM New Motor Vehicle Emission Standards), and executing the New Mexico’s Clean Transportation Fuel Program. After working on getting the CTFP rules approved for over 2 years, NMED is thrilled to have launched the program April 1, 2026. Another highlight - with a $3 million EPA grant, the Bureau developed a comprehensive climate action plan that maps 47 separate climate measures to achieve statewide greenhouse gas emission reductions of at least 45% below 2005 levels by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050. If you want to engage Claudia on non-work passions - ask her about Kim Stanley Robinson’s book The Ministry for the Future or banging on percussion!
Nicole has spent her career developing and implementing innovative public policy to address climate change and to support an equitable clean energy transition. Nicole is currently the Senior Climate Policy Advisor at Oregon DEQ and leads the agency’s Climate Protection Program. With this program Oregon became the second state in the nation to place limits on greenhouse gas pollution from the natural gas and transportation sectors. Previously, Nicole spent several years as the Executive Director for RGGI, Inc., implementing the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the nation’s first mandatory market-based program in the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A multi-state initiative, RGGI caps and reduces carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector. Nicole also worked as the Associate Director for the Environmental Bankers Association (EBA), a trade association which focused on climate change risk, sustainability and environmental, social, governance (ESG) issues in financial operations and lending practices.
Derek Nixon currently serves as Washington State’s cap-and-invest auctions and market supervisor. In this role, he is responsible for coordinating auctions, trading, and market surveillance of the cap-and-invest program. Among other hats, he helped shape the design of the Washington cap-and-invest market during the 2022 rulemaking that established the program. Derek enjoyed working for five years in the California Cap-and-Trade program, specializing in EITE allocation and organized wholesale electricity markets. Prior to obtaining an MS in Agricultural and Resource Economics from UC Davis, Derek worked as a financial analyst in solar PV as the industry ramped up U.S. deployment.
Bill Peters is the Interim Clean Fuels Program Manager for Oregon’s Clean Fuels Program, where he’s worked since 2016. He works on various aspects of the program from rulemaking to implementation and market monitoring. Prior to that he was a reporter and deputy editor for Argus Air Daily in Washington, DC and Portland, Oregon where he worked on covering North American carbon, emissions, and renewable electricity policy and markets.
Bruce Fleming is Chief Executive Officer of Montana Renewables, a controlled subsidiary of Calumet Specialty Products (NASDAQ: CLMT). Fleming was previously Vice President Mergers & Acquisitions at Tesoro Corporation and an officer of Tesoro Companies Inc. from 2004-2016. He founded and was Managing Director of Hong Kong-based Orient Refining Ltd 1997-2004, and served in various operations, business development and planning roles with Amoco Oil and Amoco Corporation from 1981-1996. Fleming holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering (Princeton University) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering (University of Delaware).
Keith Sawyer, manager of alternative fuels for Avfuel Corporation, has worked in the energy business since 1977, including 10 years in the aviation industry. After a 40-year career with Chevron, Sawyer joined Avfuel—a leading independent global supplier of aviation fuel and services with 650+ branded FBOs and 3,000+ fueling locations worldwide—in 2016 as its regional business development/supply chain manager where he was responsible for developing and nurturing relationships with fueling locations throughout the Western U.S., Canada and Alaska. To further capitalize on his expertise in the fuel market, Sawyer became Avfuel’s manager of alternative fuels in 2017, leading all aspects of evaluating and developing the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market and its suppliers and securing SAF supplies for Avfuel’s customers while representing Avfuel within the environmental and fuel supply chain groups associated with GAMA, NBAA, NATA and IBAC. During Sawyer’s tenure at Chevron, he oversaw petroleum and natural gas product supply chain management, cargo operations, general aviation business, branded programs, aviation investments, and marketing in various markets, operating out of Perth, Western Australia; Houston, Texas; San Ramon, California; Almaty, Kazakhstan; San Francisco, California; and Vancouver, British Columbia. Sawyer received a bachelor’s degree in economic geography from the University of British Columbia, as well as completed the university’s executive development program, and Alberta’s Banff School of Management business and marketing development program.
Geoff is a senior leader in commercial aviation and an engineering professional at the forefront of airline sustainability with more than 25 years of experience in integrating aviation fuel procurement, environment, and climate risk management, giving him a unique perspective on creating a sustainable aviation fuels market in Canada to support decarbonizing the aviation industry. His past responsibilities have centred around setting direction on aviation environmental sustainability strategies, being an industry advocate in the design of aviation climate policy and regulatory measures and reducing aviation emissions through stakeholder collaborations to advance the use of sustainable fuels and other emissions reduction initiatives. Geoff holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in civil engineering. He is also an ambassador with the Alberta Energy Futures Lab, a sustainability-driven, innovation-focused initiative whose vision is to accelerate the clean transition of Alberta’s energy system and a board member of the Clean Resource Innovation Network.
Steve is a commercial aviation professional with 38 years of broad, strategic airline, aviation OEM, and SAF experience. Over his career, Steve has been a strong industry advocate who has worked in roles of developing pragmatic solutions to the challenges of aviation growth, and such engagement led him to accepting the current CAAFI Executive Director role in 2012. CAAFI (the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative, www.caafi.org) is an industry partnership fostering the development and commercialization of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). CAAFI engages in public-private-partnership activities designed to convene the group of participants needed to stand up an entirely new industrial sector. Steve also continues to serve in leadership, steering committee, consultancy, and BOD roles with multiple aviation industry organizations in areas of applying technology and business concepts to enable commercial progression with SAF, both through the work of CAAFI, as well as independent activities through his consultancy.
Matthew F. Wright is Vice President and General Manager of Monterey Fuel Company, LLC, where he has led operations on the Monterey Peninsula since 2017. With nearly two decades of leadership experience in fixed-base operations — including roles at Landmark Aviation, Atlantic Aviation, and Jackson Hole Aviation — Matthew brings a ground-level perspective on the operational and commercial realities of aviation fuel delivery. A college of law and business school graduate, he combines legal and strategic fluency with hands-on FBO management expertise. Monterey Fuel Company has been a leader in the customer facing rollout of sustainable aviation fuel, as Avfuel's first branded location to offer SAF as well as the first to deliver fuel to aircraft in an electric powered mobile refueling vehicle. Matthew is passionate about the role sustainable aviation fuel can play in reducing the environmental footprint of general and business aviation, and the practical challenges and opportunities facing FBO operators in the transition ahead.
Chris Cooper leverages more than 25 years of experience in the global energy industry. As President of Neste U.S. (North America), he oversaw regional leadership for renewable products, following his tenure as Vice President, Americas, Renewable Aviation. As Head of Renewables Trading at BGN, Mr. Cooper led global trading activities for renewable fuels, including SAF, renewable diesel, and biogenic feedstocks. Earlier in his career, he spent nearly two decades at Phillips 66 and Chevron, holding a range of leadership roles in commercial strategy, downstream operations, and business development. A professional pilot, Mr. Cooper brings a unique perspective on the aviation sector, combining operational depth with an international view of energy transition, renewable fuels, and infrastructure innovation.
Nishal Popovic is a Trading Manager with Valero Energy’s Biofuels Supply & Trading team, where she leads the development of international biofuels market strategy. Her current focus is on the blending and commercial sales of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, supporting production from Diamond Green Diesel—the joint venture between Valero and Darling Ingredients. Prior to this role, Nishal held multiple positions across Valero’s refining organization, including Process Engineering, Planning & Economics, Process Safety, and Operations. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Walter Floyd has spent nearly 13 years at Darling Ingredients, where he currently drives global business development within the Strategy group. Coming from a professional foundation at KPMG, Walter's diverse career at Darling includes early roles in accounting and finance—including two years at Darling’s International headquarters in the Netherlands—before he joined the commercial team in 2018. During his time on the commercial team, he oversaw the sales and compliance of North American renewable feedstocks (Fats and UCO) while working closely with Darling’s global feedstock team. In addition to sales, he managed North American energy procurement consisting primarily of natural gas and electricity.
Jimmy Samartzis is the Chief Executive Officer of LanzaJet, Inc., a global leader in renewable fuels technology and production of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel. Jimmy is leading the company through a scale-up in technology and production, with renewable fuel refineries planned in multiple countries – US, EU, UK, Japan, Canada, and others. LanzaJet’s technology was developed in partnership with the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the company is financially supported by strategic investors Suncor, Mitsui, and LanzaTech. Jimmy has spent the majority of his career focused on climate change, advancing the decarbonization of industries reliant on fossil fuels. Jimmy’s work in the airline industry led to pioneering test flights, the first commercial-scale renewable jet fuel deal and commercial production, and a global industry agreement to enable a reduction in aviation emissions and adoption of sustainable fuels. Additionally, he has led a global coalition of stakeholders across the value chain to break down the barriers of the commercialization of renewable fuels. Jimmy previously served in several executive roles at United Airlines including as chief executive of a $2B business unit, and as an executive advisor to clients globally through his work with Oliver Wyman, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Slalom. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, a global leader in high-energy particle physics. Jimmy earned his M.B.A. from the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, a M.A. from John Hopkins University, and an B.A. from the University of Chicago. He is actively engaged in the community as a Director on several Boards of nonprofit organization focused on youth development, an issue of importance and dedication throughout his life.
I am part of the Fuels Strategy & Management team which supports our sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and ultimately, our emissions goals. I evaluate technology, help vet capital investments, negotiate offtakes, and support policy development internally and externally for SAF. With over 16 years of experience working in design engineering prior to Southwest, I am well-versed in the stage-gate approach to successfully scale up and build bioprocessing facilities with extensive work experience in sustainable/renewable/biofuels. I was a process engineer and then project manager for full multi-discipline engineering teams for capital project in excess of $1 billion
Andrea leads biofeedstocks and biofuels activities at Eni. He became the head of biofuels trading at Eni Trading and Shipping in 2019, with responsibility for redesigning and enlarging biofeedstocks and biofuels trading activities. In 2020 he took over the role of head of supply for Eni. Since 2021, he has been a member of the board of directors of Eni Trading and Shipping. With more than 17 years’ experience within the group, he has held roles in several countries, including as German and Austrian branch manager, head of gas and power sales in France, Italy and the Benelux, and lead originator for gas, power and emissions.
Michael Dreibelbis advises sponsors, developers, and investors on energy and infrastructure project development, with an emphasis on energy transition, carbon removal, low carbon fuels, and carbon capture and sequestration. Michael brings extensive experience guiding clients through project development and investments across the full spectrum of the energy transition, including: *Nature-based carbon removal *Engineered carbon removal *Carbon capture and sequestration *Low-carbon fuel supply and certification *Hydrogen *California cap-and-trade compliance In a prior role he served as commercial lead in development of carbon projects, including dairy methane capture, renewable energy, EV charging, and improved forest management. A recognized thought leader, Michael frequently speaks at major conferences, including VERGE, NACW, Argus, IETA, and New York Climate Week.
Elise Fox is Senior Director of Sustainability-Aviation at World Fuel Services. She serves as lead for aviation sustainability, which includes end-to-end commercialization of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), Book & Claim (SAFc), and the associated environmental attributes. Dr. Fox received her BS in Chemistry from the College of Charleston and MS and PhD in Materials Science from Pennsylvania State University. Her graduate work focused on the production of ultraclean fuels, including deep desulfurization of diesel and jet fuel and the purification of hydrogen freestreams from bio-based alcohols. Prior to joining World Fuel Services, she worked at Savanah River National Laboratory on renewable fuel and energy production, deployment, and policy. Dr. Fox was named a Fellow of the American Chemical Society in 2017 for her contributions to the profession in renewable energy and fuels. She is a member of the NBAA Environmental Committee, the NATA Environmental Committee, the GAMA Environmental Committee, and the Business Aviation SAF Steering Coalition.
Caroline is responsible for overseeing environmental markets at Nodal Exchange. This involves tracking regulatory developments at the state and federal level in coordination with IncubEx, Nodal’s partner on environmental markets. Caroline has 25 years of experience in energy and environmental attribute markets. At price reporting agency Argus Media she was responsible for overseeing the launch of North American natural gas and US and European environmental market coverage, including SO2, NOx, carbon and renewable energy certificates (RECs). Prior to joining Nodal Caroline managed the RECs portfolio at Anew, which was formed from the merger of Element Markets and Bluesource. She has an MBA from the University of Sussex Business School and a BA in Russian and Soviet Studies from the University of Manchester.
Mike Taylor is President and Founder of Emissions Experts which is a leading environmental credit brokerage and consulting firm. Mike has over twenty-five years trading, brokering and consulting on environmental credits including the California and Washington Cap and Invest Programs. He is a bestselling author with a book on California and Quebec carbon cap and trade programs. Mike has transacted over two billion dollars’ worth of environmental credits in his career as well as been quoted in numerous publications including CNBC, Fortune, Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg. Previous to Emissions Experts, Mike successfully founded Emission Advisors and successfully grew and sold the firm after it achieved US Emissions House of the Year and landed on INC 5000 Fastest Growing Company List.
Jon Costantino is the founder and Principal of Tradesman Advisors, Inc., a Sacramento-based consulting and advocacy firm. He has 33 years of regulatory experience both within Government and in the private sector, focused on air quality and climate change regulatory implementation and policy development. He was the original Climate Change Planning Manager for the California Air Resources Board and oversaw the first publication of the State’s economy-wide climate policy document—the AB 32 Scoping Plan. Prior to founding his own firm, Jon managed a climate change regulatory practice for a diverse portfolio of clients at a national law firm. He also was the lead legislative analyst at CARB, focused on energy and transportation fuels. He started his career as an Air Quality Engineer at one of California’s local air quality districts.
Michael Wojciechowski, or Wojo to his friends and colleagues, joined Calumet in 2018 as Director of Strategy and Growth with over 24 years of experience in the industry. He assumed his current role as Commercial and Compliance Director for Montana Renewables since its inception. He is responsible for directing the value optimization for the feedstock supply and product offtake arrangements, as well as assuring compliance with the various jurisdictions and programs for renewable fuels. He previously held roles in Process Engineering, Lab Operations, Optimization Planning, Market Analysis, and Management with Wood Mackenzie, Merrill Lynch Commodities, Tesoro Corporation, and Mustang Engineering. Wojo earned his BS in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA from the Kelley School at Indiana University.
Sandra Kilroy serves as Senior Director Environment and Sustainability, leading a team focused on industry transformation and achieving environmental commitments across maritime and airport operations. Her key areas include decarbonization, habitat restoration, regulatory compliance and resiliency planning. Within this role, she leads the Port’s initiative to decarbonize the maritime and aviation industries, advancing sustainable transportation fuels, and planning for a just transition to a clean fuel economy. Prior to the Port, Sandra served as the Assistant Director of a large wastewater utility supporting operations, policy, strategic business planning, and capital delivery. She also has extensive experience in watershed restoration, threatened species recovery, river management, and water quality. Sandra demonstrates how global and national environmental priorities are implemented on-the-ground at the local level. She currently serves as President of the Board for the Center for Sustainable Infrastructure. She has a Master of Marine Affairs and a BS in Environmental and Forest Biology.
Viola Zhu is a Senior Trade Analyst with 15 years of experience in refining, renewable fuels, and downstream market analytics, including prior roles at Chevron and Shell plc. She specializes in the U.S. RIN and ethanol markets, developing proprietary frameworks and pricing models that translate policy, physical flows, speculative positions, and cross-commodity dynamics into actionable trading insight. Her expertise spans renewable fuels compliance markets, refinery economics, environmental credits, and low-carbon fuel strategy, with a focus on supporting commercial and trading decisions through market-driven analytics.
Mr. Green joined John Deere in 2025 to promote growth in renewable fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, and SAF coalition-building, advocacy, and strategic investments. Deere cares about biofuels because they increase demand for agricultural products grown by Deere's farmer-customers and contribute to energy independence. Prior to Deere, Mr. Green spent 13 years at Chevron Renewable Energy Group, North America’s largest biodiesel producer, with roles as Executive Director, Global Sourcing; Director, Business Development; and Senior Counsel. He served on the boards of America’s Cultivation Corridor (Vice Chair) and Iowa Biotechnology Association (Chair). Before Chevron, Mr. Green was Vice President, Transactions, at McBee Strategic Consulting in Washington, D.C., with a practice focused on renewable energy project finance. Mr. Green is a member of the Iowa Bar Association and holds a JD, highest honors, from the University of Iowa College of Law. As a Fulbright Fellow to The Netherlands, Mr. Green earned a MA in Political Science from Leiden University, conducting research at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. He holds a B.A., highest distinction, from U. of Iowa, where he served as Student Body President and received the Hancher-Finkbine Medallion.
Sam Wade serves as the Director of Public Policy at the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas. Previously Mr. Wade worked as Chief of the Transportation Fuels Branch at the Californian Air Resources Board, where he oversaw the Low Carbon Fuel Standard Program for four years. In other roles at CARB, Mr. Wade served as Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs, developed the Cap-and-Trade rule, and authored portions of California’s first Greenhouse Gas Scoping Plan. He’s also worked in energy policy at Pacific Gas and Electric and with a bioenergy/biochar start-up. Sam holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from U.C. Davis, a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hawaii, and an M.P.A in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University.
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) announced today that Sean Arians has joined the organization as vice president of Sustainable Production. Arians brings to the role 20 years of experience working in the agriculture industry in a variety of production- and sustainability-focused roles. “Sean has deep agricultural roots and has earned the reputation of being a strategic thinker and innovative problem solver,” said NCGA CEO Neil Caskey. “We’re thrilled to welcome him to the NCGA team to lead and elevate our efforts to support the long trajectory of sustainability gains made by U.S. corn farmers.” Prior to joining NCGA, Arians worked for some of the biggest brands in agriculture, including roles at Advanced Agrilytics, Bayer, The Climate Corporation and Precision Planting. His past experience spans on-the-ground work with farmers to implement sustainable solutions for their farms to roles in strategy to drive big-picture solutions across companies. “I’m excited to get to work on behalf of the nation’s corn farmers,” said Arians. “We have a great opportunity to tell the story of the hard work farmers have done to date and keep building on that progress in the years to come.” An Illinois native, Arians is the fourth generation of his family to manage and operate a row crop farm in northwest Illinois, where he frequently trials new practices and solutions, including the use of cover crops. He holds a degree in agriculture business management from Illinois State University.
In his role at Lake Erie Biofuels, Mr. Peterson oversees the operation of a multi-site manufacturing backbone as well as back-of-the-house administrative functionality supporting the refineries. His focus is in commodity risk management, including procurement of raw materials and regulatory matters such as State and Federal excise taxation and EPA Clean Air Act program compliance. Mr. Peterson was hired by Lake Erie Biofuels back in 2007 to implement a commodity risk management program prior to the startup of the flagship Erie, PA plant and has been promoted several times, finally to his current position in 2016. Prior to joining Lake Erie Biofuels, Mr. Peterson was employed by Rent-Way, Inc., a publicly-held specialty retail firm as Divisional Finance Manager for nine years. In that role, Mr. Peterson was responsible for financial analysis, budgeting and forecasting, and internal financial reporting to executive management and the Board of Directors. Mr. Peterson played an integral role in attracting and securing a nearly $300 million refinance of the company’s debt in 2003. Mr. Peterson worked in a similar role for STERIS Corporation, a global manufacturer of medical equipment, for four months prior to accepting his position with Lake Erie Biofuels. Mr. Peterson holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees (Business Communications and Accounting) from Penn State University, and a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Finance from Gannon University. In addition to his work responsibilities, Mr. Peterson has served on the Board of Directors of the American Fats and Oils Association (AFOA), a near-seventy year old trade organization serving the fats and oils industry since 2018. Mr. Peterson is currently the organization’s president and will hold that office through calendar 2026.
Alycia Tolman is the Director of Carbon Markets at the American Biogas Council (ABC), where she leads efforts to ensure that the carbon benefits of biogas systems are recognised and rewarded across existing and emerging environmental markets. In this role, she plays a critical part in ABC’s policy team, working closely with members and industry partners to shape regulatory frameworks and develop market-based solutions that support the growth of the biogas industry. As a part of this work, she manages the Biogas Carbon Accounting Tool (Biogas CAT), that helps quantify and communicate the greenhouse gas benefits of biogas projects. The tool empowers project developers and policymakers to make data-driven decisions that accelerate emissions reductions and capital investment. Alycia’s work focuses on analysing complex policies, assessing their impact on the industry and ABC members, and drafting technical summaries and legislative or regulatory text to support member engagement and informed advocacy. She brings nearly a decade of utility-sector experience, including the development and launch of voluntary RNG and carbon offset programs, and specializes in renewable energy programs, market-based carbon instruments, and systems-level decarbonisation strategies. Her insights and cross-sector experience make her a strong voice in the conversation on lifecycle analysis and the role of biogas in global carbon markets.
Jessica Johnson Bennett brings more than 20 years of experience in public and government relations, focused largely in the energy, agriculture, and sustainability areas. She provides political strategic guidance and counsel to clients as they interact with policymakers in Washington, DC, and beyond. Her thought leadership offers valuable insight to help clients successfully engage with Congress to meet their business objectives. Jessica’s knowledge of Capitol Hill helps clients navigate the political environment seamlessly as they work to advocate on behalf of their issues from both sides of the aisle. As a former congressional staffer, Jessica understands firsthand that a meeting alone does not translate to results; success takes follow-up and hard work through all levels of a congressional office. Her dedicated approach and in-depth understanding of government processes and client technologies fit AJW’s philosophy of government affairs service. During her tenure in Washington, Jessica also worked as the federal affairs representative for various national trade associations representing agriculture, clean fuels, and small businesses, and Bunge North America, a Fortune 500 agribusiness and food company.
Josh Rahm is Director of Government Affairs for the American Soybean Association, where he leads state-level advocacy efforts to expand markets for soy-based biofuels and advance clean fuel policies. Drawing on expertise in agriculture, sustainability, supply chain management, government affairs, and renewable fuels, he works with policymakers and industry stakeholders to promote science-based solutions that strengthen energy security, reduce emissions, and create economic value for U.S. farmers, rural communities, and the industry at large.
During a 30-year career in the energy industry, Bill has held senior roles in the private sector, government, and NGOs. Bill serves AJW clients as a strategic co-lead for our Energy Transition practice. He applies his passion for harnessing private sector innovation to solve policy challenges to create growth strategies and investment opportunities. Bill’s private sector experience includes: *Serving as the President of NLC Energy LLC, a biomethane developer and operator *Leading a distributed energy investment and acquisition group as Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for the Commercial Business Unit of Duke Energy *Leading the Corporate Strategy and M&A group for Cinergy Corp. *Structuring carbon investment vehicles and clean energy investments for a Wall Street boutique investment firm *Managing environmental compliance and environmental markets as Vice President of Environment of Cinergy Corp. *Twice running Federal Government Affairs Offices for energy companies (Cinergy Corp. and Duke Energy) *Serving as President of the Center for Clean Air Policy, a nonprofit that provides advice to developing countries on climate strategy and energy transformation. Bill’s government experience includes serving as minority counsel to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Before working for Congress, he served first as a Senior Counsel and then as a Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation.
Heidi Herzog is Director of Renewable Diesel Sales & Trading for the Americas at Neste. Heidi joined Neste in 2024 and is responsible for the execution of the company’s renewable diesel sales & trading commercial strategy, business development, portfolio growth and customer engagement within the Americas region. Heidi has 30 years of experience working in the energy industry. Prior to joining Neste, Heidi was the Vice President, New Energies and Head of Commercial and Business Development at Vopak Americas, where she was responsible for revenue delivery and organic and inorganic business growth for bulk liquids, gases, and renewable products. Before that, Heidi held commercial roles at Phillips 66, BP, Enron and others. Heidi holds a BA in Economics and Finance from Simpson College and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.
Josh Bledsoe advises clients on complex infrastructure and development projects, particularly those utilizing renewable or low-carbon technologies. He has broad experience in the permitting, entitlement, environmental review, and financing of cleantech projects; and also handles related administrative and judicial challenges. Mr. Bledsoe has deep experience with climate change law, including California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (commonly known as “AB 32”) and associated Air Resources Board regulations such as the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and the Cap-and-Trade Program. He guides clients to monetize the low-carbon attributes of their products or services under various carbon pricing and regulatory regimes. He also possesses in-depth knowledge of the California Environmental Quality Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air Act (and its state and local counterparts throughout California), the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act and the Warren-Alquist Act.
Leah Kennon joined Argus Media in December 2023 to lead Argus’ Biofuels Consulting group. Leah and her team have taken on several projects in the biofuels space, including market outlooks, strategy reviews, and feasibility studies around Sustainable Aviation Fuel, Renewable Diesel, Ethanol, Biodiesel and Renewable Natural Gas. Prior to Argus, she spent 10 years at Shell in various roles from chemicals sales and marketing to conventional and renewable fuels supply in the California market. During her time in the chemicals business, Leah created global strategies and developed logic to forecast product pricing, assisting in sales negotiations as well as capital investment evaluations. In her time in Shell’s Trading and Supply organization, Leah optimized the California fuels supply chain to meet the needs of Shell’s retail customers by procuring the most advantaged fuels and delivering them to market centers. Leah also worked for Dow Chemical and Schlumberger as an engineer early in her career. Leah holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Rice University and a Chemical Engineering Degree from University of Virginia.
Michael Ball is editor of Argus Air Daily, the leading source of pricing, news and analysis for the North American environmental markets. Michael joined Argus in 2003 and has been editor of Air Daily since 2012. He has covered wide range of state and federal environmental issues, including the development of California’s AB 32 legislation, US Environmental Protection Agency regulations such as the Clean Power Plan, and Clean Air Act cases before the US Supreme Court.
As Editor of North American Agriculture, Ryan Koory leads Argus’ market reporting and the development of its expanding network of market data partners. Working with these partners, Mr. Koory and Argus’ reporting team produce critical data and insights for agriculture markets including organic and non-GMO commodities. Mr. Koory has spent more than 15 years producing data and research for agricultural markets globally.
