Advocating for Public Policies to Promote the Development & Production of Alternative Fuels, Renewable Chemicals, Biobased Products, and Sustainable Aviation Fuels
Alternative Fuels & Chemicals Coalition
AFCC's
Governing
Board of Directors
AFCC members are able to have a voice in and directly influence legislation affecting the alternative fuels & chemicals industries
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| AFCC's Leadership |
| AFCC's Executive Committee |
| AFCC's Governing Board of Directors |
| AFCC's Advisory Board |
AFCC's Executive Committee
Paul Zorner, Ph.D.
CHAIR
President, BleuJaune Advisors
Dr. Paul Zorner is President, BleuJaune Advisors where he works with several organizations to improve agricultural productivity and the economic health of rural communities. He is an executive and innovator with 40+ years of international experience in science, R&D, operations and administration, holding leadership positions at multiple agricultural organizations including Mycogen Corporation, Dow Chemical, BASF, Diversa Corporation and Locus Agricultural Solutions. Dr. Zorner is also Adjunct Professor of Horticulture at North Carolina State University, Associate Editor of the journal Industrial Biotechnology and serves on the Boards of several commercial and 501(c)(3) organizations.
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Phil Van Trump
VICE CHAIR
CTO, Danimer Scientific
As chief technology officer, Mr. Phil Van Trump manages research & development, product development, regulatory affairs, and intellectual property for Danimer Scientific.
Prior to this role, which he stepped into in 2014, Mr. Van Trump worked in a variety of positions within the company, performing bench-scale to pilot-level research as well as playing an integral role in the procurement of equipment and laboratory personnel to advance the company’s objectives. His undergraduate background in molecular biology and microbiology (BSc University of Central Florida) is supplemented by an MBA from Emory University.
In addition to his education, he brought to Danimer Scientific over a decade of industry experience. Mr. Van Trump’s proficiency in management and scientific insight are a rare combination and are put to use daily as he leads an innovative team of scientists and support personnel in creation of sustainable biopolymer solutions.
AFCC's Governing Board of Directors
Michael Darcy
Chairman and CEO, DG Fuels
Mr. Darcy is Chairman and CEO of DG Fuels, LLC. He was educated in southern Military Academies, studied Physics and Military History through a college program for advanced students. In 1978, Mr. Darcy attended UCLA where he studied business administration. In 1979, he left college to join Commodore International, Inc., a concern formed (1965) and owned by his family, with interests in entertainment, retailing, communications, shipping and marketing. He joined the Shipping Division where he gained considerable experience in passenger ship operations. In 1980, he joined the parent company as Vice President, Operations and subsequently succeeded his father as President. In 1984, several divisions of Commodore were sold. Mr. Darcy continues to manage the remaining family business interests and seeks to continue a heritage of exploiting innovative business opportunities.
www.dgfuels.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-darcy-08509115/
Chad Frahm
Vice President, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Brightmark LLC
Chad Frahm works with policymakers at the federal and state levels on waste solution initiatives for Brightmark’s biogas and plastics renewal businesses. Prior to Brightmark, Chad had roles with the innovation Center for US Dairy and BP’s Biofuels division focused on renewable energy and environmental sustainability. He has degrees in agricultural economics, law and business from Purdue and Indiana Universities.
​Lori Giver, Ph.D.
Chief and Sustainability Officer, Calysta
Dr. Lori Giver, was named Vice President, Research and Development in 2019. She joined Calysta in 2013 as Vice President, Biological Engineering.
Previously, Dr. Giver was with Codexis, Inc., where she held a number of positions including Vice President of Systems Biology, Senior Director of Technology and Innovation, and Manager of Market Development. Prior to Codexis she was head of the Core Technology Group at Maxgyen, Inc.
Dr. Giver has focused her career on the directed evolution of nucleic acids, proteins and organisms. She has chaired a wide variety of conferences in the field including Enzyme Engineering XXI and Applications for Enzyme Technologies 2013. She is an author on numerous scientific publications and over 50 patents and patent applications.
Dr. Giver received a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California-Berkeley and Ph.D. in Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology from Indiana University, Bloomington. Dr. Giver did her post-doctoral research at the California Institute of Technology in the laboratory of Dr. Frances Arnold, winner of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
David Kettner
President & General Counsel, Virent
Mr. Dave Kettner serves as the President for Virent, Inc., a renewable fuels and chemicals company working to commercialize its BioForming technology for the conversion of biomass based feedstocks to drop-in renewable fuels and chemicals.
Mr. Kettner previously served as Virent's VP of Legal and Business Operations and has been responsible for managing its legal affairs since joining the company in early 2007. Mr. Kettner is a licensed patent attorney with extensive years of experience in intellectual property management and other legal matters, including patent prosecution, licensing, enforcement, and strategic planning.
Before joining Virent, Mr. Kettner served as Chief Legal Counsel for the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) and was as an attorney in private practice. Mr. Kettner holds a JD in Law and BS in Genetics and Cell Biology from the University of Minnesota.
Terry Kulesa
CEO, Energy Transitions, Inc.
Mr. Terry Kulesa, is the CEO for Energy Transitions, Inc., developing Shasta Biofuels Project utilizing waste woody biomass and ag waste to renewable natural gas (RNG), negative carbon sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), naphtha and biochar. Mr. Terry Kulesa, previously was the co-founder and CEO of Red Rock Biofuels Holdings and co-founder and CEO of RRBH. Mr. Kulesa handles business development, team management and construction and operations. His previous experience included the design, construction and operation of five ethanol plants totaling over $500 million of construction and over $500 million of annual revenues.
Mr. Kulesa has over 20 years’ experience in managing biofuel operations. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Ag-Biosciences (Dairy Manufacturing) from South Dakota State University and an MBA from the University of Minnesota.
David Livingstone
Managing Director, Barclays Capital Inc.
In his 30-plus year tenure at Barclays and Citigroup, he has assisted corporate clients raise more than $40 billion of tax-exempt and taxable municipal bonds for infrastructure projects primarily on a project finance basis. He is specialist in financing circular economy and waste-to-value projects, having led over 40 waste-to-value tax-exempt financings. Most recently, he managed the financing of Gevo’s Iowa dairy manure-to-RNG project, GO Lab’s Madison, ME carbon negative insulation production facility, Commercial Metals’ scrap steel-to-rebar micro mill and AMG’s spent residual catalyst-to-vanadium project. David has a BS degree in Civil Engineering from Brown University and was a registered Professional Engineer.
Justin Mueller
Head of Adsorbents Americas, Clariant
Mr. Justin Mueller is the Head of Adsorbents Americas for Clariant, a sustainability-focused specialty chemical company. He leads the Americas Adsorbents business segments Purification, Foundry, & Specialties and Cargo & Device Protection. One of his primary focuses is increasing the production capacity of adsorbents used in the pretreatment of biofuel production to help ensure clean and efficient renewable fuels. Recently, Mr. Mueller led the acquisition of a US-based Attapulgite business to further enable the North American footprint for growth in the purification of edible oils and renewable fuels.
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With over 20 years of experience in global commercial operations, including his current role at Clariant and previous positions at Sud-Chemie, he has a proven track record of driving international expansion through strategic initiatives and acquisitions. He has contributed his expertise to various high-level advisory committees, collaborating with government agencies and industry leaders on critical issues related to global shipping and export packaging. He holds an MBA in Operations Management from Aurora University and completed the Executive Leadership Program at London Business School.
Jeff McDaniel
VP, New Projects, Velocys
Project Developer, bofuels veteran, MBA/MS-Env. Science/Chem. Eng. Jeff sets the strategy for and leads Velocys’ site selection, local government affairs, and early stage project development/financing efforts for biorefinery/carbon capture facilities. Deep knowledge of technology and project development pathways from inception to commercial revenues. Identifying, selecting and developing biorefinery/carbon capture project opportunities in North America. Lead fund-raising, partnership and regulatory activities. Secured $60+ million of local and state incentives. Established long-term offtake jet fuel agreements totaling over $2B for Bayou Fuels project.
Tara Mullen, Ph.D.
R&D Director, Product Chemistry and Process Development
Dr. Tara Mullen is a research and development director at Cargill, a Minnesota-based global food and agribusiness leader, where she leads the Bioindustrial Product Chemistry and Process Development team. Today, Tara’s team is focused on developing performance-driven, nature-derived chemistries to solve industrial application challenges.
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Tara brings more than 20 years of working and leading teams in R&D. Before joining Cargill in 2021, she spent six years at SUEZ Water Technologies (formerly GE Water) as Product Line Director and as Global R&D Director for Filter and Membrane Solutions. She has also held R&D and business development roles at start-up companies in the green chemistry field. Tara holds 17 U.S. patents, with experience bringing innovations from the lab to the market. She earned her Ph.D. in polymer science and engineering from the University of Southern Mississippi and her chemistry degree from St. Norbert College.
Richard Nordin
CEO, Greeley Green Energy
Mr. Richard J. Nordin, CFA, Managing Director, has over 25 years of experience in project development and private equity capital markets, with extensive experience living and working in the emerging markets of Russia and Eastern Europe.
Mr. Nordin is an Investment Banker registered with Chatsworth Securities LLC, with a deep focus on emerging technologies in the clean-tech, renewables, and infrastructure spaces. He serves as Plasma Development’s Managing Director and will manage the capital campaign, sourcing of key staff, facility development logistics, and development of key sales and service functions.
Mr. Nordin’s previous positions include Managing Partner of Lone Star Ventures, a Moscow based property developer, in which role he raised and deployed nearly $1 Billion in equity and debt capital for over 10 million square feet of industrial developments in Russia and Kazakhstan.
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David P. Smoot
CEO, Northwest Advanced Bio-Fuels
Mr. David Smoot has an extensive business background covering almost 45 years. His business career started after an honorable discharge from the US Army Reserves. He then spent 20 years in the micro-computer hardware and software industries in Operations and numerous other senior positions. He then founded the nation’s first “software-only” leasing company which financed transactions involving Fortune 100 companies.
Mr. Smoot then retired to Arizona. After that, he started a real estate infrastructure development company, he turned his sights to renewable energy which morphed into renewable fuels. He started Hawaii Renewable Fuels, LLC in 2014 and Northwest Advanced Bio-Fuels, Inc. in 2016-17.
Mr. Smoot has created a model not seen in this industry to date: a turnkey solution to developing Bio-mass-to-Fuel that is 100% guaranteed with world-class partners, second-generation and proven technologies, fixed “cradle to grave” feed stock, operating and sale of fuel costs, operated by a world-class O&M, all under the umbrella of world-class EPC Wrap.
Mr. Smoot was twice named a regional finalist to Ernst & Young’s and Inc. magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year award. He served on the boards of five well-known charities and is still active in the Prostate-On-Site-Project, POP, which annually does the Legends Golf Tournament held at the Biltmore, with Jerry Colangelo asChairman of the event.
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Max Vernier
Managing Partner, Virentis Advisors
Max Vernier is an investor, developer, and capital advisor in the sustainable infrastructure and renewable energy sectors. He is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Virentis Advisors, a boutique renewable energy investment banking firm with a niche focus on the bioenergy industry. The company helps developers and businesses raise capital and bring projects to successful financial closing, specializing in project debt, equity, and tax incentive monetization. Max is also an investor in a small renewable energy development company. He previously spent nine years at Live Oak Bank, most recently as an SVP, where he started an alternative investment platform to provide debt solutions for projects and developers across the bioeconomy, deploying over $1B across 100+ projects, with a specialty in project finance and government guaranteed loans. He currently maintains a seat on the Board of Directors of both the American Biogas Council and the Alternative Fuels & Chemicals Coalition, advocating for support to accelerate growth in the circular economy transition. Max received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the Williams School at Washington & Lee University.
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Derek Welsh
SVP, Head of Bioenergy and E&I Strategic Development, Live Oak Bank
Derek Welsh joined Live Oak Bank in 2014 after receiving his BSBA from the UNC Wilmington Cameron School of Business. Since joining Live Oak, Mr. Welsh has managed a $100 million portfolio as a relationship manager, underwritten for multiple business segments under the SBA's 7a and 504 programs, and, as part of the founding team that brought renewable energy lending to Live Oak, helped establish its underwriting standards. He also played a similar foundation laying role in the bank's sale leaseback group. Mr. Welsh is now the head of small business bioenergy and E&I strategic development.
​https://www.liveoakbank.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-welsh-17317858/
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