Joe Jobe is the Chief Executive Officer for the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). Joe has been with NBB since 1997, and has been CEO since January 1999. He has helped lead the industry to grow from approximately 200,000 gallons in 1999 to almost 2 billion gallons in 2013 from over 200 plants nationwide.
Joe is a recognized leader, author, and international speaker on renewable energy. He has published articles or been interviewed in many national publications including TIME, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Washington Post. And he has appeared on national broadcasts including the Today Show, History Channel, Discovery Channel, PBS, CSPAN, Fox News, CNN, Sirius XM radio, and Jay Leno's Garage. Prior to coming to the National Biodiesel Board, Joe was a fraud investigator for the Missouri Attorney General's Office.
Joe holds professional certifications as a certified public accountant, and a certified association executive. Joe lives in Jefferson City with his wife Lisa and two teenage children, Delaney and Levi. All three drivers in the household proudly drive diesel vehicles operating on biodiesel year-round.
Speakers in Alphabetical Order
Gavin Carpenter, Policy and Business Development, SeQuential Biodiesel, oversees all policy initiatives and development business opportunities. As one of SeQuential's first employees, Gavin now serves as the Responsible Corporate Office managing compliance in EPA's RFS2 program and supervises all RIN sales. In 2013 he successfully lobbied for HB2435, Oregon's Tax Forgiveness Program and subsequently has implemented B20 sales to over 60 retail locations in Oregon. Gavin is on Governor Kitzhaber's Clean Fuels Advisory Committee and DEQ's Rulemaking task force and is currently lobbying for full implementation of the Oregon Clean Fuels Program in the 2015 Legislature.
Richard Corey has 28 years of professional experience in the air pollution field with over 20 years of that experience in a management capacity at ARB. Prior to his appointment as Executive Officer, he served as Deputy Executive Officer and Chief of the Stationary Source Division. Mr. Corey's team of over 1200 professional managers and staff are responsible for a broad range of programs including those concerning fuels, climate, incentives, and air toxics. Some of the key programs that his team is responsible for implementing include the low carbon fuel standard, cap-and-trade regulation, measures and incentives to reduce emissions from a variety of goods movement sources, including port trucking, transport refrigeration units, cargo handling operations, maritime operations, rail-related goods movement, and measures to reduce emissions from stationary and portable diesel engines as well as several strategies to reduce toxic air contaminants from a wide variety of sources. In addition, Mr. Corey oversees the Board's administrative services and information technology operations.Mr. Corey has an undergraduate degree in Environmental Toxicology as well as an MBA from the University of California, Davis.
Douglas Hepper was born and raised in Seattle, Washington (Go Huskies, Seahawks and Mariners!). He received a DVM degree from Washington State University in 1979 (Go Cougars!) Doug practiced large and small animal medicine in Western Washington, including building a veterinary practice near Bellingham, Washington.
He worked for USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service in Orland, CA from 1987 to 1990. Since 1990 he has worked for CDFA, Meat, Poultry and Egg Safety Branch - field VMO, Unit Training Coordinator, Staff Veterinarian, Area Supervisor, Branch Chief. He has been married to Hollis for 30+ years with four children and one grandchild
Bonnie Holmes-Gen is the Senior Director for Policy and Advocacy for the American Lung Association in California. Bonnie has over twenty-five years of experience as a public interest and health advocate on a wide range of air quality and environmental health issues. In her position with the American Lung Association in California, Bonnie provides leadership on advocacy and policy development in the legislative and regulatory arenas to support the lung association's policy agenda and oversees statewide air quality grant programs. Areas of expertise include: climate change (AB 32 Nunez/Pavley), sustainable communities planning and SB 375, heavy-duty diesel pollution, alternative fuel and zero emission vehicle programs, renewable energy, statewide and local air pollution control programs, and indoor air pollution.
She is a member of the state's AB 118 Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program Advisory Committee (2010 to present), the ClimatePlan Steering Committee (2010 to present) and the Board of Directors of the Center For Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technology (2009 to present). Ms. Holmes-Gen has a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning from the University of California at Davis (June, 1982) and a Master of Arts degree from New College Berkeley (August, 1993).
Kristin Macey is the director of the California Department of Food and Agriculture's Division of Measurement Standards (DMS). She has been at CDFA for eight years and DMS director since 2010. Before then, she worked as director of weights and measures for the Colorado Department of Agriculture from 2002-2007. Ms. Macey has a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture from the University of Nebraska, and a Masters in Public Administration from Troy State University.
Ms. Macey represents California as state sealer at the National Conference on Weights (NCWM) and Measures and at the Western Weights and Measures Association. She is an active member of the NCWM Fuels and Lubricants Subcommittee that shapes fuels-related national model weights and measures laws and regulations, many of which are adopted in California. She chaired the U.S. National Work Group that established hydrogen dispenser specifications and is current member of the group developing specifications for electric charging stations. She has been selected to begin as chair-elect of NCWM in July 2015.
Shashi Menon is a founding partner of EcoEngineers and an authority on leveraging environmental credits to capitalize renewable energy projects. EcoEngineers is a private consulting firm and project developer in the renewable energy sector. EcoEngineers provides comprehensive compliance management, market data, facility planning and project development services for biofuel companies operating under US regulations. EcoEngineers has advised over 200 companies on compliance matters related to US environmental fuel credits (RINS) and registered them with the USEPA to participate in US markets. EcoEngineers' value offerings fall within the following categories:
i) Regulations & Policy: Compliance management, facility planning, federal liaison, EU certifications
ii) Renewable Fuel Credits: RIN QAP, price indexing and trends, CAGREET analysis, LCFS verifications
iii) Engineering: Design reviews, RFS reviews, process improvements, new pathways petitions
iv) Project Development: Feasibility studies; Project finance; Engineering; Build-Own-Operate
Simon Mui is a senior scientist and director of NRDC's advocacy and research on vehicles and fuels in California. Over the past six years, Simon has engaged in various state and regional efforts to cut climate pollution from the transportation sector.
Prior to joining NRDC, Simon worked at the U.S. EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality Transportation & Climate Division, where he authored studies on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and on climate mitigation strategies for the transportation sector. Simon has also served as a fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and as an engineer at an energy start-up. Simon, a native of California, received his undergraduate degrees from U.C. Berkeley and his master's and doctorate from MIT.
Shelby Neal serves as the Director of State Governmental Affairs for the National Biodiesel Board. In this capacity, he is responsible for government relations in all 50 states. Before coming to NBB, Shelby served as a senior policy adviser to three Members of Congress and a governor. His policy expertise includes renewable fuels, agriculture, economic development, and environmental issues. Shelby is a graduate of the University of Missouri.
Steven Scott Nicholls, USDA Rural Development, Business & Energy Programs Specialist, and State Energy Coordinator for California. has over 25 years' experience in the financial sector with most recent concentration in Federal Government Grants & Guaranteed Loans for Renewable Energy Projects. Steven administers USDA's Energy Programs in California.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) energy related programs are large in scope, and extend among many USDA agencies and mission areas. The mission area of Rural Development provides Federal funding assistance which accelerates development and facilitates deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and market-based solutions that strengthen U.S. energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality. Eligible renewable energy sources include wind, solar, geothermal, hydrogen, ocean waves, hydroelectric, biomass, and biofuel (ethanol, biodiesel). Eligible renewable energy sources include algae-based technologies such as Sapphire Energy's algae-to-crude oil commercial demonstration facility in Columbus, New Mexico. In Dec. 2009, the company was awarded a $54.5 million loan guarantee through USDA's Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Assistance Program. By making renewable energy sources commercially viable, USDA Rural Development is also creating sustainable opportunities for wealth, new jobs, and increased economic activity in rural America.
Timothy ("Tim") O'Connor is a senior attorney and Director of Environmental Defense Fund's California Climate Initiative in their San Francisco office. Since joining EDF in 2006, Mr. O'Connor has engaged state regulatory agencies and legislature on the implementation of AB 32 with particular focus on transportation fuels and vehicles, heavy industries, natural gas, and compliance instruments in market-based emission reduction programs. During this time, Mr. O'Connor has also managed EDF's participation in both state and federal courts on issues related to climate, fuels and energy, both as a formal party and as amicus curiae.
In addition to working on AB32 policies, Mr. O'Connor has served as an attorney in EDF's Energy Program, participating in proceedings at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and California Energy Commission (CEC) on issues related to electric vehicles, energy storage, smart grid planning, power plant permitting and geologic carbon capture and sequestration.
Prior to joining EDF, Mr. O'Connor was a senior compliance inspector at heavy industrial facilities including petroleum refineries and power plants in the San Francisco bay area. He holds a Masters of Environmental Management Degree from Duke University and a J.D. from Golden Gate University with specializations in Environmental and Public Interest Law.
Don Scott serves as Director of Sustainability for the National Biodiesel Board. Don's program areas build science and awareness to ensure that biodiesel production meets today's needs for environmental stewardship, economic prosperity, and quality of life without compromising future generations' ability to meet these needs for themselves.
Janea A. Scott is one of five Commissioners on the California Energy Commission. The Energy Commission is the State's primary energy policy and planning agency.
Clayton Vaughan joined Feed Energy in May 2012 and advanced to his vice president of sales and supply chain role in the summer of 2014. Clayton has 30 years of management experience in domestic and international purchasing, sales, and marketing. This includes working at POET Nutrition as Director of Business Development, in procurement and sales as a senior executive with Land O'Lakes, and in various management positions in procurement and sales at ConAgra. In addition, Clayton has served industry associations as a co-chairman of the American Feed Industry Association's Purchasing/Supplier Committee and as a delegate to the U.S. Grains Council's Value-Added team. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Samford University. 
Roger Wolf is the Director of Environmental Programs and Services for the Iowa Soybean Association and Executive Director of Agriculture's Clean Water Alliance. Wolf provides agricultural leadership in organizations such as the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance Management Committee, America's Watershed Initiative Steering Committee, U.S Water Alliance Board of Directors, and the 25x25 Climate Adaptation Working group. He has 26 years of agricultural resource management experience and holds a B.S. in Geography from the University of Iowa. He is co-owner, with his father and brothers, of a diversified farm in Southern Iowa. He and his wife Anne have four children -- three in college and one still at home -- and reside in Cumming, Iowa.