During its 25th annual meeting, the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) elected three new members to its Board of Directors that will expand grassroots representation of the national ethanol advocacy association.
Paul Enstad, Board of Governors Chairman for Granite Falls Energy, LLC, a 60 million-gallon-per-year (MGY) ethanol producer in Granite Falls, MN, was elected to the ACE board. “ACE and Granite Falls Energy share the same grassroots beginnings and values and I’m honored by this opportunity to work together to promote ethanol’s positive message and develop long term policies for the industry that will support all independently owned producers,” Enstad said.
Doug Punke, CEO of Renewable Products Marketing Group (RPMG), an ethanol marketing company in Shakopee, MN, has also been elected to the ACE board. “Serving on the ACE board is an important opportunity to help promote the ethanol industry. ACE and RPMG are a natural fit given our grassroots reputations and I look forward to helping get the ethanol message to the public and lawmakers on a local and a national level,” Punke said.
John Christenson has joined the ACE board representing Christianson and Associates, an accounting firm that specializes in consulting for biofuel producers and rural businesses. Christianson is a CPA and a partner in the firm. “I am excited about the potential for biofuels and opportunity to serve. ACE has always stood out for its ability to mobilize the grassroots of the industry and I am pleased to join that effort as a board member,” Christianson said.
“We are grateful to have a diverse board representing a variety of industry segments that work well as a grassroots team,” said Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President of ACE. “Paul, Doug, and John add important voices to improve our efforts as an organization and we look forward to their service on the ACE board.”
In addition, four current Board members were nominated and accepted for re-election:
- Ron Alverson, Wentworth, South Dakota, representing Dakota Ethanol
- David Gillen, White Lake, South Dakota, representing South Dakota Corn Utilization Council
- Wallie Hardie, Fairmount, North Dakota, representing North Dakota Corn Growers Association.
- Brian Wilcox, Columbus, Nebraska, representing Nebraska Public Power District.
“I am pleased to be re-elected to the ACE board,” Alverson said. “Given our current mix of board members, ACE is well-positioned to counter the misinformation campaign from ethanol’s critics, while highlighting the benefits of the industry to the public,” said Alverson.
A complete roster of the ACE Board is available at https://bit.ly/qLXu4a