Contact: Cassidy Riley
515-252-6249

Top priorities for 2017 include maintaining a strong RFS at the federal level and funding the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program at the state level

JOHNSTON, IA – The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) today announced its Board of Directors, Officers and Executive Committee for 2017, elected at its Dec. 8, 2016 annual meeting. Each producer member has a seat on the Board and votes on officers. New officers will serve a one-year term during the 2017 calendar year.

2017 IRFA Board of Directors Officers

President                   Eamonn Byrne, Lakeview Plymouth Energy
Vice President          Steve Bleyl, Green Plains
Treasurer                   Bill Howell, POET Biorefining – Coon Rapids
Secretary                   Derek Winkel, Renewable Energy Group, Inc.
Executive Director    Monte Shaw (non-voting)

The IRFA Executive Committee is comprised of the IRFA Officers and other members as elected by the Board. Elected to join the IRFA Officers on the Executive Committee for 2017 are:

Past President          Tom Brooks, Western Dubuque Biodiesel
At-Large                     Craig Willis, Archer Daniels Midland
At-Large                     Rick Schwarck, Absolute Energy

“We are grateful for the leadership of Tom Brooks this year and we look forward to confronting the challenges and opportunities in 2017,” said newly-elected President Eamonn Byrne. “We intend to work with President-elect Donald Trump’s administration to implement a robust Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) that ensures greater consumer choice at the pump. Here in Iowa, we will be working to extend the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program, the very successful public-private cost share grants that have been instrumental in making higher ethanol and biodiesel blends more accessible to more Iowans.”

Iowa is the nation’s leader in renewable fuels production. Iowa has 43 ethanol refineries capable of producing 4 billion gallons annually, including nearly 55 million gallons of annual cellulosic ethanol production capacity. In addition, Iowa has 12 biodiesel facilities with the capacity to produce more than 315 million gallons annually.

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association was formed in 2002 to represent the state’s liquid renewable fuels industry. The trade group fosters the development and growth of the renewable fuels industry in Iowa through education, promotion, legislation and infrastructure development.

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For more information, visit the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association website at: www.IowaRFA.org