• The Conference

Preliminary Agenda


Tuesday, September 15

8:30 am - 4:45 pm Preconference
Ethanol 101 Workshop
Learn More

8:30 am - 4:30 pm Preconference
Biofuels Environmental, Health & Safety Forum
Learn More

8:30 am - 4:30 pm Preconference
Low Carbon Fuel Production Workshop
Learn More | View Agenda

5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Expo Grand Opening & Welcome Reception
Top of the page

Wednesday, September 16

7:30 am - 8:30 am Breakfast
8:30 am - 11:00 am FEW General Session
  • Welcome
  • Industry Awards
  • Keynote Speaker
    Emily Skor, CEO, Growth Energy
  • General Session Panel
9:00 am - 11:00 am Biodiesel Production Technology Summit
  • Introduction & Welcome
  • Keynote Presentation
    Bob King, Founder & President, Pacific Biodiesel Technologies
    Our 25-Year Journey to a High-Efficiency, Zero Waste Plant Design
    Read Description
  • Emerging Biodiesel Technologies Panel
    Read Description
    • Rudy Pruszko, Owner, Pruszko Consulting
      How to Evaluate New Technologies
    • Etienne Sturm, Business Development Director, Air Liquide Engineering & Construction
      Supercritical Biodiesel
    • Rana K. Mohamed, Research Scientist, Visionary Fiber Technologies
      Fiber Reactor Technology for Oil Processing
    • Tom Slunecka, CEO, Plasma Blue
      Plasma Blue: A Gamechanger in Transesterification
11:00 am - 6:30 pm Expo Open
11:00 am - 1:30 pm Dedicated Expo Time
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
  • Lunch in the Expo
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm Concurrent Tracks
Track 1: Production and Operations

Reviewing the Ongoing Effort to Develop Yeast Strains that Increase Yield while Reducing Overall Operational Expenses
Read Description

  • Matthew Watts, Senior Scientist, Novozymes
    Reducing Process Variability and Increasing Yield with Robust Advanced Yeasts
  • Greg Poynter, Senior Biotechnologist, Cargill
    Development of a Yeast Biocatalyst with Yield Enhancing Traits for the Corn Ethanol Industry
  • Mickel Jansen, Senior Scientist Fermentation, DSM Bio-based Products & Services
    Realization of the Full Ethanol Production Performance with Advanced Yeasts
  • Matt Richards, Director of Application Technology, Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits
    The Next Generation of Yeast-Expressed Enzymes to Enhance Production
Track 2: Leadership and Financial Management

A Framework for Producers Working to Prioritize Long-Term Production Goals and Deploy Their Capital Accordingly
Read Description

  • Neal Jakel, Vice President, Strategy & Technology, Fluid Quip Technologies LLC
    Comparative Financial Analysis of Capex Projects
  • Jennifer Aurandt-Pilgrim, Director of Technology, Marquis Energy LLC
    Managing Innovation in the Ethanol Industry
  • Douglas Rivers, Project Director, Lee Enterprises Consulting Inc.
    Ethanol 2020: Where Should Ethanol Producers be Headed?
Track 3: Coproducts and Product Diversification

Production Approaches Available to Operational Teams Looking to Liberate Inbound Protein to Capture Its Full Value
Read Description

  • Kyle Flynn, Director of Business Development, ST Equipment & Technology
    Water Free Process for Protein Enhancement of DDGS
  • Michael Franko, Vice President, Fluid Quip Technologies LLC
    Protein Separation Innovation; The Latest Advances in Protein Separation Technologies
  • Jeff Scharping, Director of Sales & Marketing, ICM Inc.
    Advanced Processing Package™ from ICM Produces 50% Yeast-Rich Protein Feed and Maximizes Efficiency
  • Don Cannon, QA/QC Lead, Fluid Quip Technologies LLC
    Simulating Protein Recovery from the MSC™ Protein Process
Biodiesel Production Technology Summit

Improving Existing Biodiesel Technologies
Read Description

  • Hermann Stockinger, Vice President of Global Sales, BDI-BioEnergy International
    The Evolution of Biodiesel Technology
  • Bill Morphew, Global Commercial Director - Liquids Segment, Crown Americas
    ACRE Upgrade and Solid Catalyst Esterification
  • Axel Ingendoh, CEO, Lanxess Corp.
    New Catalyst on the Block
  • Ernie Pollitzer, Owner, Clean Energy Consultants
    Biodiesel Production Improvement Study
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm Refreshment Break in the Expo
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm Concurrent Tracks
Track 1: Production and Operations

Our Happy Home: The Rewards of Optimizing Fermentation Conditions to Guarantee the Health and Vitality of Plant Yeast Populations
Read Description

  • Caroline Peres, Principal Scientist, DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences
    Ethanol Yield has Increasing Value if Combined with Robustness
  • Andrew Hawkins, Director of Laboratory Services, Phibro Ethanol Performance Group
    Ion Landscape and Yeast Health in the North American Ethanol Industry
  • Raquel Rodriguez, Technical Service Manager, Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits
    A Simple Tool to Improve Fermentation Performance: Yeast Propagation Profile
  • Pedro Peña, Lab and R&D Director, CTE Global Inc.
    Strategies for Optimizing Fermentation Environment for Efficient Yeast Performance and Feedstock Utilization
Track 1: Production and Operations

Before the Flood: Deploying Common Sense Maintenance Protocols Now to Reduce the Risk and Cost of an Unplanned Outage
Read Description

  • Anthony Stanley, Business Development Director, Grundfos Pumps Corporation
    Grundfos Machine Health (GMH) Combines Artificial Intelligence Technology with a Next-Generation Machine Health and Predictive Maintenance Solution
  • Herbert Huong, Business Development Automation & Connectivity, Service Division, Alfa Laval Inc.
    From Preventive to Predictive Maintenance
  • Dan Walter, Senior Engineering Manager, SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions
    On-Line Analysis of Evaporator Efficiency Allows More Effective Management of System Cleanliness Leading to Reduced Operational Cost and Minimizing Carbon Impact from Evaporator Operations
  • Evan Almberg, Analysis Engineer, HRST Inc.
    Inspection Priorities for Non-Pressure Part HRSG/Boiler Equipment
Track 2: Leadership and Financial Management

A Comprehensive Look at Risk Management for Ethanol Producers in the Context of an Increasingly Turbulent Marketplace and Policy Environment
Read Description

  • Chip Whalen, Vice President of Education & Research, Commodity & Ingredient Hedging
    Risk Management in the Absence of Margin
  • John Kwik, Principal, Fluid Quip Technologies LLC
    Engineering for Safety and Lower Insurance Rates
  • Connie Lindstrom, Senior Biofuels Analyst, Christianson PLLP
    Mapping the Road Ahead: A SWOT Analysis of the US Ethanol Industry
  • Corey Lavinsky, Director Global Biofuels, S&P Global
    Current Developments in U.S. Biofuels Law
Track 4: Infrastructure and Market Development

Anticipating and Eliminating the Drag that Fuel and Coproduct Specifications Can Have on Efforts to Open New Ethanol and Distiller’s Grains Markets
Read Description

Moderator: Kristy Moore, Principal, K Moore Consulting
  • Jacki Fee, Technical Director, Cargill
  • Chris Bliley, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Growth Energy
    How Fuel Specifications Impact Our Ability to Grow Domestic and Foreign Ethanol Markets
  • Shon Van Hulzen, Director of Quality Control, POET
Biodiesel Production Technology Summit

Adsorbents for Biodiesel & Renewable Diesel Applications
Read Description

  • John McNichol, Market Development Manager, PQ Corp.
    Synthetic Silica Adsorbents for Biodiesel Pre and Posttreatment and Renewable Diesel Pretreatment
  • Rich Cairncross, Senior Research Engineer, Environmental Fuel Research LLC
    Desulfurization of Biodiesel: What Works and What Doesn’t
  • Brian Cooke, Technical Manager, Clariant Corp.
    Absorptive Removal of Contaminants from Fats and Oils for Biofuels Production
  • Stan Huddleston, Technical Service Manager, W.R. Grace & Co.
    Role of Synthetic Amorphous Silica in Biodiesel Feedstock Purification and Posttreatment
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Networking Reception in the Expo

Top of the page

Thursday, September 17

7:30 am - 8:30 am Breakfast
7:30 am - 1:30 pm Expo Open
8:30 am - 10:00 am Concurrent Tracks
Track 1: Production and Operations

Deploying Best-in-Class Analytical Methods to Optimize Fermentation, Control Infection and Increase Overall Ethanol Production
Read Description

  • Dan Biggerstaff, Technical Director, Enertech Solutions Inc.
    Evaluation of a New HPLC Column for Quality Control Analysis in Fermentation Process Control
  • Jonathon Speed, Product & Applications Manager, Keit Spectrometers
    Taking Analysis Out of the Lab and Into the Plant
  • Allen Ziegler, CEO, Archangel Inc.
    Introducing the Revolutionary, New, GenesisgeneTM, Onsite DNA Microbiological Technology that Allow Biofuel Facilities to Determine Both Total and Specific Bacteria in Less Than One Hour
  • Matt Hawkins, Applications Manager, Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits
    Use of a Molecular Technique to Determine the Antimicrobial Resistance of Bacteria within an Industrial Mash Sample
Track 1: Production and Operations

The Technologies Available to Producers Today Looking to Manufacture Higher Value Fuel and Chemical Products
Read Description

  • Chris Robbins, Field Technical Manager – Process Technologies Group, U.S. Water, a Kurita company
    Ten Years of Progress in Process Deposit Control
  • Keith Jakel, Sales & Marketing Lead, Fluid Quip Technologies LLC
    Ethanol the Coproduct: How Diversifying Products Reduces Reliance on Ethanol and Sets the Stage for Efficiencies
  • Chuck Gallop, Operations Development Manager, ICM Inc.
    Selecting ICM Technologies to Meet Your Plant-Specific Goals and Operating Strategies
Track 3: Coproducts and Product Diversification

The Technologies Available to Ethanol Producers Looking to Broaden Their Coproduct Portfolio and Derive Increased Revenues from It
Read Description

  • Jennifer Aurandt-Pilgrim, Director of Technology, Marquis Energy LLC
    Ethanol Plant Integration of Increased Oil Recovery, Energy Savings and Coproduct Diversification
  • Jaclyn DeMartini, Scientist, DuPont Industrial Biosciences
    Maximizing Value from Corn Coproducts
  • Daniel Hayes, CEO, Celignis Biomass Analysis Laboratory
    Analytical Methods for Enhancing Revenue Potential from DDGS
  • Douglas Tiffany, Research Fellow, University of Minnesota
    Using Solid State Fermentation of DDGS to Enhance Critical Amino Acids
Biodiesel Production Technology Summit

Alternative Approaches & New Tech Integration
Read Description

  • Josef Doerfler, President, ZT Doerfler
    Solvent Process Technology: Unique and Advanced Technology for Improvement of Existing Biodiesel Plants or Ethanol Plants Interested in Integration
  • Ryan Davis, Principal Member Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratories
    The Lactate and Fusel Alcohol Platform: Biofuels Production, and Biochemical Upgrading to Superior Performance Biodiesel
  • András Kovács, Director, QS Biodiesel Ltd.
    Refuse Fats to Biodiesel Via Co-Sol Apolar Solvent Technology
  • Chris Getty, President, AE Resources Inc.
    The Multi-Energy Optimization Process
  • Marcelo Cantele, USFC/TransferTech
    Rational Integration of Conventional and Enzymatic Routes in Large-scale Biodiesel Production
10:00 am - 10:30 am Refreshment Break in the Expo
10:30 am - Noon Concurrent Tracks
Track 1: Production and Operations

Assessing the Control Options Available to Ethanol Producers in Their Never-Ending War Against Bacterial Infection
Read Description

  • James Steele, Lactic Solutions General Manager, Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits
    Ecology and Control of the Microbiota of Ethanol Biorefineries
  • Cam Fowler, Senior Director Technical Service & Marketing, Phibro Ethanol Performance Group
    Cleaning the Most Common Infection Source in Ethanol Production (Beer Mash Area)
Track 1: Production and Operations

How Effective Dehydration and Water Treatment Strategies Can Drive Down Operational Expenses, Improve Carbon Intensity Scores and Increase Plant Throughput
Read Description

  • Manaf Farhan, President & CEO, EMG International LLC
    High-Rate Anaerobic Digester Technology for Wastewater Treatment, Cost Reduction, and Renewable Energy Generation at Ethanol and Biofuel Facilities: System Components, Performance Data, and Realized Benefits
  • Daniel Jones, Ethanol Industry Leader, SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions
    Improving Facility Production Rates through Simplistic Water Balance Improvement Strategy
  • Trond Heggenhougen, Operating Officer and Director, Whitefox Technologies Limited
    Ethanol Production Process: A Step-Change in Overall Efficiency by the Use of Membranes
  • Kraig Kmiotek, Product Specialist – Process Analytics, Metrohm USA Inc.
    From Ethanol to Waste Water: Online Analysis for Process Improvement
Track 2: Leadership and Financial Management

Building a Results-Oriented Plant Culture that Inspires Your Team, Increases Production and Reduces Costly Employee Turnover
Read Description

  • Bart Nichols, Talent Advisor, K-Coe Isom
    Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast!
  • Esther Homandberg, Manager, Bion Companies
    Engaging Skills
  • Kala Jenkins, Agriculture Consultant, K-Coe Isom LLP
    Leading from WHY
  • Gary Weihs, Managing Partner, Kincannon Reed
    Developing Executive Presence
Biodiesel Production Technology Summit

Hydrotreating Technologies & Partnerships
Read Description

  • Larry Sullivan, Professor, Trident Technical College
    Evolution of Biodiesel and Related Technologies: A 20-Year Perspective
  • Matthew Clingerman, Director of Technology, Sulzer GTC Technology US
    Flexible and Cost-effective Hydrotreating Technology for Renewable Diesel Production
  • Michele Rubino, Principal, 3Peaks Consulting
    Renewable Diesel Scaled to Your Feedstock
  • Adam Belyamani, Chief Operating Officer, Saola Energy LLC
    The Road to Higher Profits: How a Renewable Diesel Plant Fits the Concept of a Diversified Biorefinery
Noon - 1:30 pm Lunch in the Expo
1:30 pm Exhibitor Move-Out
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm Concurrent Tracks
Track 1: Production and Operations

Capturing and Bringing Abundant Operational Data to Bear on Your Plant’s Overall Operational Strategy
Read Description

  • Ben Fuchs, Global Applications Leader, DuPont Industrial Biosciences
    Maximize Your Now, Predict Your Future
  • Don Mack, Industry Manager, Siemens Industry Inc.
    Digitalization Use Cases
  • Andrew Hawkins, Director of Laboratory Services, Phibro Ethanol Performance Group
    Regain Control of Your Lab Instruments: How to Use Control Charts
  • Hank Brittain, Director of Optimization & Advanced Control, OpX Control Inc.
    48% Average Variability Reduction at 36 Ethanol Plants: Where do you Stack Up; or Are you Missing Out?
Track 1: Production and Operations

Minding the Tight Correlation Between Plant Cleanliness, Plant Efficiency and Ethanol Yield
Read Description

  • Dennis Bayrock, R&D Director, Phibro Ethanol Performance Group
    Effective CIP at Fuel Ethanol Plants: Understanding the Operating Dynamics and Chemistries of Caustic Management in the Dilute Caustic Tank
  • Andrew Ledlie, Marketing Manager, Solenis LLC
    Novel Cooling Water Treatment Strategy Increases Ethanol Production while Reducing Operating Costs and Carbon Intensity
  • Monty McCoy, Director of Technology, Process Technologies, U.S. Water, a Kurita company
    Enhancing Ethanol Quality to Produce High Value Chemical Raw Materials
  • Chris Nagel, Staff Scientist, Ecolab Inc.
    Product Development for Fuel Ethanol Total Plant Cleaning
Track 2: Leadership and Financial Management

Position-Specific Training Approaches to Increase Employee Effectiveness Across Your Operation
Read Description

  • Rick Cowman, President, Welding Training Solutions Inc.
    Dealing with the Skills Gap in the Pool of Prospective Employees
  • Shelly Siemonsma, Technical Services Manager, Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits
    Increasing Value as Bio-Refinery Lab Personnel
  • Neal Jakel, Vice President, Strategy & Technology, Fluid Quip Technologies LLC
    The Benefits of, and How to Manage for an Engineer at Your Facility
  • Jim Carrel, Reliability Coach, Reliability Management Strategies
    Developing Your Competency-Based Learning Model for Uptime and Reliability
Track 3: Coproducts and Product Diversification

Rebooting the Industry’s Vision on the Opportunities for Coproducts within Global Food and Feed Markets
Read Description

  • Pete Moss, President, Cereal Process Technologies LLC
    Dry Fractionation: Implementing a New Vision and New Technology for a New Decade
  • Mallorie Wilken, Technical Consultant, ICM Inc.
    Advancing the Feed Industry through Education, Classification and Market Development
  • Michael Franko, Vice President, Fluid Quip Technologies LLC
    Feeding Trials: How Data Advances Protein Profits
  • Yanhong Zhang, Director of Research, National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center
    Relieve World Hunger with Corn Protein from Midwest
Biodiesel Production Technology Summit

Biodiesel & Renewable Diesel Pretreatment Systems
Read Description

  • Jim Willits, VP Sales & Marketing, Desmet Ballestra North America
    Processing Technologies for Pretreatment of HVO/HEFA Feedstocks
  • Bill Morphew, Global Commercial Director - Liquids Segment, Crown Americas
    Maximizing Contaminant Removal from Waste Feedstocks
  • Christine Riedl, Technical Sales Manager, BDI-BioEnergy International
    Pretreating Waste-based Feedstock for Nearly 25 Years
  • Tara Mancini, President, LetzBiofuels
    Up to 100 Percent FFA Pretreatment System for Biodiesel
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm Refreshment Break
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm Concurrent Tracks
Track 1: Production and Operations

Back to the Basics: Why Profitability Ultimately Hinges on a Plant’s Ability to Maximize Starch Conversion Via Efficient Fermentation
Read Description

  • Stephanie Gleason, Senior Manager Technical Service, Phibro Ethanol Performance Group
    Impact of Feedstock and Feedstock Quality on Ethanol Production
  • Chris Ashworth, Technical Services Manager, Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits
    Starch, Fermentation Costs, & Yield
  • Elizabeth Waguespack, Scientist, Novozymes
    Better Insights for Production Improvements: Measuring What Really Matters for Profitability
  • Yanhong Zhang, Director of Research, National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center
    Quantifying Ethanol Yield on a Per-Fermentor Basis in Commercial Ethanol Plants
Track 2: Leadership and Financial Management

Management Strategies Aimed at Efficiently Aligning Team Member Skills with Operational Needs
Read Description

  • Bart Nichols, Talent Advisor, K-Coe Isom
    Put Me In, Coach!
  • Wade Rummel, Technical Services Manager, Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits
    Consistent Operation by Use of Training and Procedures
  • Ron Faciane, Director, GP Strategies Corporation
    Building a Competent Workforce that Achieves Business Success
Track 3: Coproducts and Product Diversification

Available Biological and Technological Pathways to Increased Corn Oil, Protein and Fiber Capture
Read Description

  • Kevin Moore, VP of Advanced Separation Group, Trucent
    Distillers Corn Oil Extraction: Dosage Control and Optimization through Use of an Integrated Chemical Feed Dosage System
  • Bob Fesser, Industry Sales Manager, Hydro-Thermal Corporation
    Using DSI to Enhance Coproduct Yields
  • David Gogerty, Product Application Scientist, Novozymes
    Unlocking Benefits with Enhanced Fiber Conversion
  • Adam Belyamani, Chief Operating Officer, Saola Energy LLC
    The Road to Higher Profits: How a Renewable Diesel Plant Fits the Concept of a Diversified Biorefinery
Biodiesel Production Technology Summit

Posttreatment & Coproduct Upscaling
Read Description

  • Jay M. Railey, PE, President, Technology Development Corporation & Recovery Technologies Corporation
    Post-Distillation of Biodiesel: Lab Data and Industrial Practice
  • Dave Bradley, Chief Scientific Officer, DBNRG LLC
    High Vacuum Distillation of Glycerol and Biodiesel: Using Science to Make Better Biodiesel
  • Frankie Mathis, President, Smisson-Mathis Energy LLC
    Brown Grease to Biodiesel Production and Novel Distillation for Sulfur Removal
  • Rahul Khandelwal, Technology Manager, Sulzer GTC Technology US
    GT-ProG: Glycerin to Propylene Glycol
  • Richard Heiden, Chief Science & Technology Officer, R.W. Heiden Associates
    Unexpected Formation of Saturated Monoglycerides, Glycerol and Steryl Glucoside Deposits in Biodiesel Fuels
5:00 pm Sessions Conclude
Top of the page

Platinum Level Sponsors

Gold Level Sponsors

Silver Level Sponsors

Supporting Organizations

Media Partner

Produced By