Expert Speakers & Panelists

Josh BledsoePartner, Latham & Watkins LLP

Josh draws on sophisticated industry knowledge to guide clients on all aspects of energy transition projects, including entitlement, environmental review, and financing. He helps clients navigate projects involving: CCUS; low-carbon fuels; federal laws and policy influencing the energy sector; and state climate change laws, including California’s catalytic statutes and regulations, such as the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and Cap-and-Invest Programs. He devises sophisticated strategy for clients to monetize the low-carbon attributes of their products or services under various carbon pricing and regulatory regimes, both in the compliance and voluntary carbon markets.

Megan BoutwellPresident - Stillwater Associates

Megan Boutwell, President. Stillwater Associates is a transportation energy consulting firm, focused on the energy transition and practical ways to decarbonize the current fleet. Megan directs Stillwater’s business operations and implements growth management within the company. Megan has overseen the expansion of Stillwater’s transportation fuels consulting and online publication business over her 18-year career at the company. She guides sales and management of consulting projects and publication efforts. She is also responsible for developing and editing content on a wide range of transportation energy issues reported on in Stillwater’s LCFS Newsletter, Carbon Market Outlook Publications, and monthly company newsletter. This content includes transportation energy policy, supply and demand fundamentals, petroleum and renewable fuels market activity, and the transportation fuels transition.  

Megan earned a BA in French and English Literature from Hollins University and an MBA from the University of Oregon.

Abbey BrownTechnical Lead, Clean Fuel Standard - Washington Department of Ecology

Abbey Brown is the Technical Lead for the Clean Fuel Standard with the Washington Department of Ecology. She has spent her career working on climate, energy, and air quality policy for governments and non-profits in New York City, Washington DC, and Washington state, including Environmental Defense Fund and the World Resources Institute’s NDC Partnership. She holds a BA in Political Studies from Bard College and a MA in International Environmental Policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.

Brock BurtonClimate and Trade Associate Fellow - Center for Climate and Energy Solutions

Brock Burton is the Climate and Trade Associate Fellow at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. He researches and analyzes trade policies to develop approaches that decarbonize industry and spur greater climate ambition in the United States and internationally. Previously, he worked at the World Trade Organization, where he coordinated engagement on emerging issues of international trade and sustainable development policy. Mr. Burton holds a Master’s in International Affairs specialized in Trade and International Finance from the Geneva Graduate Institute and an undergraduate degree in International Relations from the University of St. Andrews.

Richard CoreyPartner - AJW Inc.

Richard W. Corey served the second-longest tenure as Executive Officer (EO) of the California Air Resources Board (CARB). In his role at AJW, Richard supports clients with his deep knowledge of decarbonization policy
mechanisms, markets, technologies, and stakeholders at the state, federal, and international levels. He has over 30 years of experience in developing and implementing California’s program. Richard’s work included establishing partnerships with other states in the U.S. and jurisdictions around the world including Canada, China, Mexico, Australia, and many members of the European Union. While at CARB, Richard managed a team of more than 1,800 engineers, scientists, and other professionals responsible for a broad range of programs including those concerning clean fuels, climate, incentives, and air toxics. His team was responsible for developing and implementing a series of first-in-the-world programs to slash greenhouse gas emissions. His team also developed measures and incentives to reduce emissions from a variety of freight-related sources, including port trucks, 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 that adversely impact communities.

Christine DragisicManaging Director, Global Policy - National Audubon Society

Christine Dragisic is Managing Director for Global Policy at the National Audubon Society, a 120-year old conservation organization with reach across the United States and the Americas. In this role, she overseas international and U.S. conservation and climate policy, helping to connect policy priorities at the global, national, state levels, and local levels. Prior to this, Chris worked in the climate change office at the U.S. Department of State. In this capacity she led efforts to help countries design and implement ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) climate targets;  helped design and implement significant forest carbon market initiatives;  oversaw the team developing carbon market approaches for the International Civil Aviation Organization and International Maritime Organization; and led programming and partnerships on forests and sustainable landscapes. Chris also served as Director for Agriculture, Biofuels and Forestry at Conservation International, and worked on forestry, biodiversity, and climate projects at the World Bank.

Jordan GodwinDirector of Renewable Fuels - OPIS, a Dow Jones Company

Jordan joined OPIS following several years as an price reporter, and later an analyst, covering the renewable fuels industry at Platts. His primary areas of focus have included U.S. ethanol and biodiesel industry policy and pricing trends, global biofuels tradeflows and carbon-reducing fuel policies. Prior to diving into energy markets, he was a sportswriter, primarily covering Houston-area sports. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2010 with a degree in Journalism.

Stephen DonofrioHead of Carbon Intelligence - OPIS, A Dow Jones Company

Stephen Donofrio is a Director and Head of Carbon Markets Intelligence at OPIS, a Dow Jones company. During his time at the company, he has developed and launched CAMIRO, the carbon analytics service of the OPIS Carbon Suite, providing policy insights and price forecasts, updated weekly to account for the latest regulatory developments and grounded in market fundamentals to help stakeholders anticipate shifts that may impact their businesses.

Based in New York City, he leads carbon markets policy and price forecasting in the Americas and Europe. He works closely with companies in GHG-intensive industries and in the biofuel supply chain, investors, liquidity providers and traders.

He is an international climate expert, creative strategist and experienced leader with a strong two-decade sustainability/ESG track record in global compliance and voluntary carbon markets, climate policy, corporate sustainability, non-financial mandatory reporting, ethical supply chains and responsible investing.

Before joining OPIS, he senior leadership positions at Ecosystem Marketplace (a Forest Trends initiative), Chicago Climate Exchange, CDP (formerly, Carbon Disclosure Project) and the United Nations. 

Stephen holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Villanova University with a double major in Marketing and International Business

Mark FitzPresident and Principal - Star Oilco

Mark Fitz started his professional career enlisting as a Forward Observer within the Field Artillery branch of the U.S. Army. Later transferring to service with the Alaska Air National Guard while an undergraduate student, he specialized in the Alaska Air National Guard as a fuel handler and fuel quality laboratory technician, gaining expertise in fuel quality assurance and his first introduction to biodiesel. After graduating from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics in 2000, Mark returned to his family’s business, Star Oilco, now a 90-year-old fuel distribution company, where he has worked for 25 years building a business focused on providing low CO2 fuels as a drop in solution for fleets seeking to decarbonize. Mark’s contribution to the alternative fuels market began in 2002 with the sale of his first gallon of biodiesel, during the industry’s early stages. In 2015, he facilitated the first loads of Renewable Diesel in the Pacific Northwest.  Mark is an active member of several industry boards and associations. He sits on the Board of the Columbia Willamette Clean Cities Coalition, the Washington Oil Marketers Association, and is the Energy Marketers of America Director from Oregon. His past roles include serving on the Customer Advisory Board for Renewable Energy Group (now Chevron) and the Distributor Advisory Board for Petro Canada, representing the Pacific Northwest. Mark has been dedicated to community service, participating in local planning commissions in every city or county he has lived in since 2005. An Honors graduate of the University of Alaska, Anchorage, Fitz, holds a Juris Doctorate from the Lewis and Clark University Northwestern School of Law

Bruce FlemingChief Executive Officer - Montana Renewables, Inc

Bruce Fleming is CEO of Montana Renewables, the largest Sustainable Aviation Fuel producer in the western hemisphere (2004 sales). He is also EVP Corporate Development for Calumet Inc, the largest shareholder in Montana Renewables. Fleming has previously served as VP M&A for Tesoro Corp (now Marathon); founder and first Managing Director of Orient Refining Ltd (Hong Kong); VP China Business Development for Amoco Corporation; and chief scientist at Amoco Whiting which was then the largest inland refinery in North America. Dr. Fleming is a member of the Board of M&A Standards and the CFO Business Panel of the Federal Reserve Bank (Atlanta). He has a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University, where his thesis addressed a fundamental issue in geothermal energy production, and a BS Chemical Engineering from University of Delaware. Dr. Fleming has over 40 years experience in building and operating commodities businesses, and has lived in five countries including Texas.

Nathalie FloresVP, Carbon Markets - StoneX Group Inc.

Nathalie Flores is an international public policy specialist with 15 years of experience in climate change, international development & environmental affairs. Since 2010, she has shaped climate policy in the Dominican Republic & abroad, serving as Director of Climate Change at the Ministry of Environment, advisor to multilateral coalitions, and researcher in the UK on renewable energy for social housing. Elected Vice-Chair of the UNFCCC SBSTA in 2023 & re-elected at COP29, she now bridges public & private sectors as Vice President for Carbon Markets at StoneX Group Inc., advancing strategic partnerships & risk-management solutions for a greener future.

Caroline GentryDirector, Environmental Markets - Nodal Exchange 

Caroline is responsible for overseeing environmental markets at Nodal Exchange. This involves tracking regulatory developments at the state and federal level in coordination with IncubEx, Nodal’s partner on environmental markets. Caroline has 25 years of experience in energy and environmental attribute markets. At price reporting agency Argus Media she was responsible for overseeing the launch of North American natural gas and US and European environmental market coverage, including SO 2 , NO x , carbon and renewable energy certificates (RECs). Prior to joining Nodal Caroline managed the RECs portfolio at Anew, which was formed from the merger of Element Markets and Bluesource. She has an MBA from the University of Sussex Business School and a BA in Russian and Soviet Studies from the University of Manchester.

Fred GhatalaPresident - Advanced Biofuels Canada

Fred Ghatala is the President of Advanced Biofuels Canada, a national industry association established to promote the production and use of advanced biofuels in Canada. ABFC members are global leaders in commercial production of advanced biofuels and technology development, with over 45 billion litres of installed annual production capacity worldwide.

Nathalie HoffmanManaging Director, Energy Compliance Services, Regulatory Consulting - Weaver

Nathalie Hoffman is Managing Director, Energy Compliance Services, Regulatory Consulting, at Weaver, www.weaver.com. Leading Weaver’s LCFS consulting practice, she has consulted for clients on California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) since its inception in 2011. She is accredited by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as an LCFS Verifier. Nathalie is located in Los Angeles, a short plane ride away from CARB’s offices in Sacramento, California. She lived in Brazil and is a fluent Portuguese speaker and writer, with substantial experience in Brazilian biofuels. Prior to her consulting work, Nathalie was a project finance transactions partner of corporate law firm Sidley Austin. She is a graduate of UCLA Law School and has an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Justin JohnsonRGGI Representative - IETA

Justin Johnson has been IETA’s RGGI go-to person for eight years following more than 25 years working in federal, state, and municipal government in both the United States and Australia,

Immediately prior to working with IETA, Justin was the Secretary of Administration for the State of Vermont. In addition, he has worked for Democratic and Republican Governors in Vermont as Commissioner of Environmental Conservation and Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources.

Justin served on the board of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative for seven years and is a valuable and trusted source of information and advice for clients seeking to navigate the regulations and policies related to carbon pricing.  

In 2015 Justin was the winner of the prestigious USEPA Ira Leighton “In Service to States” Award, just the second person to receive this award.

He holds a BA (Journalism) from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Christina McCainFounder and Principal, Ecosophy Collaborative Consulting

Dr. Christina McCain is the founder and principal of Ecosophy Collaborative Consulting. She also serves as Vice President for GeoOptics, Inc, a technology startup deploying cutting edge Earth observation technology in service of nature-based solutions for the planet’s future. She has focused the last 15 years of her career on climate change and conservation policy and advocacy at the international, national, and subnational levels domestically and abroad. She has over 25 years of experience focused on land use change, including living and working in Latin America, and is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. Her prior positions include serving as the Acting Director of Programs at the Climate & Land Use Alliance and the Director for Latin America in the Global Climate Program at Environmental Defense Fund.  Prior to EDF, she was a Foreign Affairs Officer at the U.S. Department of State working on issues related to scientific cooperation, environment, and international trade. She earned her Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Miami, focused on the ecological effects of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon and holds a B.S. in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology from the University of Texas at Austin. Her expertise includes climate change policy, forests and ecosystem services, carbon markets and emissions trading systems, and environment, conservation, and sustainability.

Dan KalafatasCo-Founder & Chairman - 3Degrees

Dan Kalafatas is Co-Founder, former CEO, and Chairman of 3Degrees, a leading renewable energy and decarbonization solutions provider to global enterprises.  With $1B in annual revenues and operations across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, 3Degrees enables its clientele to participate in renewable power purchase, renewable natural gas/biomethane, transportation decarbonization, carbon credit, and EAC markets globally.

In addition to his role as Chairman, Dan is an active investor in clean energy and serves on the Advisory Boards of Dartmouth College’s Climate Collaborative and Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society and is Governing Council Chair for the Northern Sierra Partnership focused on conserving the northern Sierra Nevada.

Originally from a milltown outside of Boston, Dan holds a BA from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Management and resides just north of the Golden Gate Bridge where he can often be found hiking California’s golden hills with his two dogs.

Jordan KummerfieldManager, Energy & Industrial Innovation - Verra

Jordan Kummerfield is the Manager of Energy & Industrial Innovation at Verra, developing leading-edge approaches to accelerate greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions and carbon dioxide removals. His focus is on carbon capture and removal technologies, the just transition of energy systems, and methane management at the global scale.

Jordan has fifteen years of experience in carbon accounting and marketing development, with a focus on low-carbon fuels, offset methodology development, and lifecycle assessment in both regulatory and voluntary carbon markets. Jordan lives in Victoria, BC, Canada, with his family.

Teresa LangSenior Director, Policy - Anew Climate

Teresa Lang is the Senior Director, Policy at Anew Climate and has spent over 15 years working in voluntary and compliance carbon markets. Her experience spans a range of capacities across the carbon project lifecycle, from project origination to methodology development to advising large corporations on their environmental product portfolios. In her current role at Anew, Teresa works to track, engage on, and influence carbon policy in both the voluntary and regulatory space, as well as supports clients in developing and implementing their carbon credit procurement strategies and claims. Prior to Anew, Teresa has held roles at the Climate Action Reserve, Clinton Global Initiative, South Pole, and conservation non-profit Paso Pacifico. Teresa holds an MBA from IE Business School in Madrid, a Masters in international environmental policy from Columbia University, and an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Corey LavinskyVP, Renewables Policy - Montana Renewables

Corey Lavinsky joined Montana Renewables as VP of Renewables Policy in July 2025, following 16 years as a biofuels analyst and consultant at S&P Global and PIRA Energy Group. He has been an attorney for three decades and is a frequent speaker on biofuels law and policy. In June 2018, he testified as an expert witness before the US House Committee on Energy & Commerce on the topic of RINs. He has also taught Continuing Legal Education classes on biofuels law.

Corey began his career as an attorney with Kilo & Flynn, P.C., a St. Louis law firm. He earned a B.A. from Binghamton University and a J.D. from the University of Missouri, where he was a member of the Missouri Law Review.

Jim LucasMarket Development Manager - Southern California Gas Company

Jim Lucas is a Market Development Manager for the Southern California Gas Company. His group’s primary mission is to facilitate the market growth, deployment opportunities, and advancement of renewable natural gas within SoCalGas’s service territory.Since starting with SoCalGas over 30 years ago, Jim has held a variety of positions relating to Product Development, Project Management, Energy Efficiency, Pipeline Operations, Financial Analysis, and Engineering on both the regulated and unregulated sides of the business.Jim received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Santa Barbara and his Masters of Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton. Jim is also a registered Professional Mechanical Engineer in the State of California.

Michelle MianoEnvironmental Protection Division Director - New Mexico Environment Department

Michelle Miano serves in the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), where she oversees the state’s Air Quality, Climate Change and Radiation Control Bureaus and works to protect public health and the environment through innovative regulatory programs, stakeholder engagement, and policy development. In her role, she coordinates complex projects, fosters interagency collaboration, and translates technical information into actionable strategies.

Clayton MunningsFounder - Elevate Climate and Executive Director - Clean and Prosperous California

Clayton is a widely published climate economist with over four dozen scholarly articles and policy papers on carbon pricing. Clayton has also led research and advised on the design of carbon taxes, cap-and-trade programs, and other carbon pricing policies on six continents.Clayton held previous roles in the Executive Office of the California Air Resources Board, the Carbon Markets Team at the World Bank Group, Resources for the Future, the International Emissions Trading Association, and Kepos Capital LP.Clayton has held multiple expert and advisory roles including as Board Member at Earthshot, member of Colorado’s GEMM Trading Technical Working Group, and Expert to the International Initiative for Development of Article 6 Methodology Tools.Clayton holds an A.S. from Monroe Community College, B.S. from Cornell University (with Distinction), M.S. from UC Berkeley, and is completing his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley. He is a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation scholar. He is based in Sacramento.

Colin MurphyCo-Director, Energy Futures Research Program - UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies

Colin is the Co-Director of the Energy Futures Research Program at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, where he is also Co-Director of the Low-Carbon Fuel Policy Research Initiative and Director of the Biofuel Land Use Change program. He is among the foremost academic experts on policies like the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, with more than a dozen peer-reviewed journal articles and technical reports on the topic since 2020. He has a decade of experience at the nexus of science and public policy as a researcher, advocate and speaker; with expertise in low carbon fuel policy and technology, sustainable transportation, climate policy, and scientist engagement with public policy. Previously, he worked on climate and transportation policy for the NextGen Policy Center and was a CCST Science Policy Fellow in the California Legislature. He holds a B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering from UC Daivs, a M.S. in Science, Technology and Public Policy from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in Transportation Technology and Policy from UC Davis. 

José Pedro Bastos NevesDeputy Secretary, Carbon Markets - Ministry of Finance, Brazil

José Pedro Bastos Neves is Deputy Secretary for Carbon Markets at Brazil’s Ministry of Finance, where he leads the implementation of the Brazilian Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the development of other carbon-market instruments. Previously, he worked at the Secretariat for Economic Policy on carbon pricing policies and macro climate modeling. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from The New School for Social Research (New York), with academic training in macroeconomics and environmental economics.

Shuting PomerleauDirector of Energy and Environmental Policy - American Action Forum

Shuting’s work focuses on energy and environmental policy analysis. Research topics include carbon border adjustments, carbon taxation, climate and trade, the latest developments in energy markets, and electricity markets. Her work has been featured in a wide range of outlets including Bloomberg, Financial Times, and TIME. She has also spoken at many public conferences and events.

Prior to joining AAF, Shuting served as the Deputy Director of Climate Policy at the Niskanen Center working on market-based climate change mitigation policies. Previously, she was a business strategy consultant working with senior executives of multinational corporations to advise their business strategies for U.S. and international markets.

Shuting holds a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University.

Bill PetersClean Fuels Program Manager — Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

Bill Peters is the Clean Fuels Program Manager at Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality. He’s worked there since 2016 and oversees the team that implements the program and develops new policy and improvements to the policy through rulemakings. Prior to that he was a reporter and deputy editor for Argus Air Daily in Washington, DC and Portland, Oregon where he worked on covering North American carbon, emissions, and renewable electricity policy and markets.

Curtis PowersRenewables Regulatory Consultant - Chevron

Curtis Powers has worked in renewable fuels for over 12 years, first at Renewable Energy Group (REG) and now at Chevron which acquired REG in 2022. He manages compliance across renewable and lower carbon fuel supply chains primarily focused on North American fuel programs like the US Renewable Fuel Standard, US state level LCFS programs, and a number of fuel programs in Canada. He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in public administration from Iowa State University and is currently licensed as a certified public accountant.

Slade RandCarbon Markets Editor - OPIS, a Dow Jones Company

Slade Rand is a Carbon Markets Editor at OPIS, focused on price assessments and news for North American compliance markets. Slade joined the OPIS Carbon team in 2022.

Slade is a journalist with nearly 10 years of experience in news reporting. At OPIS, he covers the Washington state Cap-and-Invest market, California Cap-and-Invest and other state-level emissions reduction programs. Slade provides daily markets commentary for the Global Carbon Market Report, tracking historical pricing trends and regulatory news. After joining OPIS during the launch of its Washington Carbon Allowance (WCA) assessments, Slade monitors the cap-and-invest market closely.

Slade holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Mississippi, and he trained with the Dow Jones News Fund in 2019.

Liane RandolphFormer Chair - California Air Resources Board

Liane Randolph served as Chair of the California Air Resources Board from 2021 to 2025. During her time as Chair, CARB expanded its focus on equity issues and solutions and the Board adopted landmark climate and air quality policies supporting a carbon neutral future and deployment of clean vehicles, equipment and fuels. Prior to her work at CARB, she served as a Commissioner at the California Public Utilities Commission, as Deputy Secretary and General Counsel and the California Natural Resources Agency and as Chair of the California Fair Political Practices Commission. Randolph earned her law degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law and also received a BA in History at UCLA. 

Alex RauGeneral Partner - Environmental Commodity Partners

Alex has 20+ years active investing and trading experience in carbon markets, environmental commodities, and climate finance and is primarily responsible for trading and structured finance at ECP.  Alex previously founded Climate Wedge Ltd, an independent carbon trading and climate finance investment firm started with Cheyne Capital in 2005, where he advised & managed direct investments in carbon for multiple institutional funds. He also cofounded U.S. carbon credit developer EOS Climate (predecessor to Xpansiv), Ugandan clean cooking company Up Energy, and wrote and launched the original version of the Voluntary Carbon Standard (now Verra), the most widely adopted trading standard for non-Kyoto carbon assets. Alex previously helped start PricewaterhouseCoopers’s Climate Change Services team, and has advised a diverse range of clients from BP and Rio Tinto to McKinsey, 21st Century Fox, and California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) on corporate carbon management and investment strategies.  Alex has a Ph.D. in physics from Oxford University, B.A. from Cornell University, and is a CFA charterholder.

Anthony ReedPartner - FGS Global

Anthony Reed advises a diverse portfolio of clients in their public affairs efforts across the food, agriculture, energy and sustainability policy landscape. Anthony’s work spans the FGS Global Energy & Sustainability and Food & Agriculture teams.

Anthony joined FGS Global following 14 years on the government relations team at Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), where he most recently served as the Interim Head of Global Government Relations. In this capacity, he handled issues spanning food, agriculture, energy, environment, climate change, sustainability, biotechnology and biofuels. His work included leading coalition efforts to create and extend clean energy tax incentives, negotiating high-level biofuel regulatory changes, serving as an expert witness on biotechnology policy in related litigation, and representing ADM’s interests in key trade associations in the energy, biofuels, biotech, and agriculture spaces.

Reed also served as the Deputy Associate Administrator for Congressional Relations at the Environmental Protection Agency where he focused on EPA’s Offices of Air and Radiation, Enforcement and Compliance, and Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. 

Prior to his time at the EPA, he worked on Capitol Hill for 11 years as Chief of Staff and Legislative Director, for then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and legislative assistant for Representative Tom Latham (R-IA).

Anthony holds BA degrees in Economics and Political Science from the University of Iowa.  He lives in Arlington, VA, with his wife and two boys. 

Michael RensingConsultant, Energy Compliance Services, Regulatory Consulting - Weaver

Dr. Michael Rensing is a Consultant with Energy Compliance Services – Regulatory Consulting at Weaver. He was part of the British Columbia public service for 20 years. As Executive Director of the Low Carbon Fuels Branch, Electricity and Alternative Energy Division at the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Low Carbon Innovation, Michael led the development of BC’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard Program. This program has been responsible for approximately 30% of the emission reductions achieved by the province of British Columbia, making it one of the most successful low-carbon fuels programs in North America. 

Michael is the 2021 recipient of the BC Bioenergy Network’s Sector “Champion” Award for outstanding leadership and contribution to the bioenergy sector in BC. At Weaver he provides strategic advice and guidance to companies seeking to understand low carbon opportunities and prosper in the new low carbon economy.

Michael holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Victoria.

Nicole RicePresident - California Renewable Transportation Alliance (CRTA)

Ms. Nicole Rice is a seasoned public policy expert who brings over two decades of experience to her role as President of the California Renewable Transportation Alliance (CRTA), where she leads a dynamic coalition of industry and environmental leaders to advance the adoption of low-carbon transportation fuels. Prior to joining CRTA in 2021, she served as Senior Policy Director at the California Manufacturers & Technology Association, championing policies that strengthen California’s manufacturing and workforce development sectors.

Her career spans years of leadership in influential roles across both government and the private sector, including two appointed positions under Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration. Ms. Rice holds a B.A. in Political Science from California State University, East Bay and a J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law. In 2017, she was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to the California Workforce Development Board.

Katelyn Roedner SutterCalifornia State Director - Environmental Defense Fund

Ryan RuikkaBiofuels Energy Analyst - The ProExporter Network®

Ryan Ruikka is the biofuels energy analyst for The ProExporter Network®. Ryan has built and publishes the PRX biomass-based diesel monthly report, along with updating and publishing the weekly and monthly ethanol reports. Previously for PRX, he researched big academic and government computer models used in forecasting the future state of the agricultural sector. Ryan studied at Boston University receiving a B.A. in Mathematics and a B.A./M.A. in Economics. Graduating in four years with all three degrees while playing varsity hockey for the Terriers he also won the prestigious department prize in economics. His freshman year culminated in an NCAA National Championship. Ryan served as assistant captain for the hockey team in his fifth year at Boston University while receiving a second M.A. degree in Financial Economics. Ryan played professional hockey in Europe and the US for five seasons before joining PRX full-time.

David SchickVice President of Regulatory Affairs, Innovation and Western Canada - Canadian Fuels Association (CFA)

Dave is Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Innovation and Western Canada at the Canadian Fuels Association (CFA). His role entails policy development and government relations at the federal, provincial and local levels.  CFA members provide approximately 95% of Canada’s transportation fuels including 80% of renewables.

Dave has been in the downstream energy business for over 30 years.   Since 2007, his roles have focused on public affairs, climate change policies and low carbon business strategy seeking to balance the needs of a strong economy, affordable, reliable energy while improving environmental outcomes.

Dave has degrees in Economics and Sociology from the University of Victoria.

Adam SchoenbergSenior Director, Carbon Markets & Transactions, Nature Finance Group - Conservation International

Adam works in Conservation International’s Nature Finance Group (NFG).  In his current role Adam works with leading companies to secure investment and support for CI’s Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) work, with a focus on transactions of carbon credits from Conservation International’s (CI) portfolio of carbon projects.  Over the past several years, Adam has spearheaded more than 150+ transactions with leading businesses helping to secure more than $250 million for natural climate solutions.  Before joining NFG, Adam worked across CI’s portfolio of business partners to develop strategic partnerships around environmental sustainability.

Adam is a graduate of the George Washington University and lives in the Washington, DC area.

Monte ShawExecutive Director - Iowa Renewable Fuels Association

Mr. Shaw has worked on behalf of the biofuels industry for 25 years, serving as the Executive Director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) since 2005. Working with a team of three colleagues to pursue IRFA’s mission of fostering the development and growth of the renewable fuels industry, Mr. Shaw is responsible for the management, policy and political agenda, and trade efforts of IRFA.

Previously, Mr. Shaw spent nearly six years as Director of Communications for the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) in Washington, DC. He began his career by working for the campaigns and official offices of numerous candidates and elected officials, including Steve Forbes, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole, U.S. Senator Charles Grassley, U.S. Senator Bob Dole, and U.S. Rep. Jim Lightfoot. Mr. Shaw was raised on a corn and soybean farm just outside of the southwest Iowa town of Shenandoah, where he still helps his father and brother bring in the harvest. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. He currently resides in West Des Moines with his wife Tina, daughter Eden, son Max, and rescue dog Jackson.

Philip SheehySenior Director, Global Carbon Advisory — BGC

Philip Sheehy is a Senior Director leading BGC’s newly formed Global Carbon Advisory team. His team provides market research and environmental commodity forecasting to support investors seeking clarity in carbon markets. Philip has led studies evaluating the feasibility and/or impact of low carbon fuel standards in California, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Colorado, New York, Illinois, and Hawaii. Philip earned his BA in Physics and Chemistry from Kalamazoo College and his PhD in Physical Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Trevor SuttonSenior Research Associate, Center on Global Energy Policy - Columbia University

Trevor Sutton, a Senior Research Associate at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, focuses on the intersection of trade, climate, and industrial policy and leads the center’s Program on Trade and the Clean Energy Transition. Trevor previously served as Research Director of the Remaking Global Trade for a Sustainable Future Project and was a co-author of a seminar report on trade system reform, the Villars Framework for a Sustainable Trade System. He has also served in various roles at the Center for American Progress, most recently as a Senior Fellow for Energy and Environment, and the United Nations. Prior to these positions, Trevor served as a judicial clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Trevor has a BA from Stanford University, a JD from Yale Law School, and an MPhil from Oxford University, where he was a Marshall Scholar.

Mike TaylorPresident - Emissions Experts Inc.

Mike Taylor is President and Founder of Emissions Experts which is a leading environmental credit brokerage and consulting firm. Mike has over twenty four years trading, brokering and consulting on environmental credit markets. He has transacted over two billion dollars worth of credits in his career as well as been quoted in numerous publications including CNBC, Fortune, Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg. He is a best selling author with a book on carbon cap and trade programs. Previous to Emissions Experts, Mike successfully founded Emission Advisors in 2016 and successfully sold the firm after it achieved US Emissions House of the Year and landed on INC 5000 Fastest Growing Company List.

Christian TheuerDirector of Policy & External Affairs — Heirloom Carbon Technologies

Christian Theuer is the Director of Public Policy and External Affairs at Heirloom. Before joining Heirloom, he served as the chief speechwriter and climate policy advisor to Fijian Prime Minister and COP23 President, Frank Bainimarama, from 2014-2022. The Suva Declaration, signed by Pacific nations in Fiji’s capital in 2015, first enshrined the 1.5 Degree Celsius threshold that became the aspirational goal of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Robin VercruseExecutive Director - Low Carbon Fuels Coalition

Robin Vercruse is Executive Director of the Low Carbon Fuels Coalition. She specializes in building consensus amongst diverse stakeholders to establish support across the political spectrum for market-based policies that diversify transportation fuels and the sources used to produce them. Robin is also a national and international evangelist for the across-the-board benefits of these policies, and a staunch opponent of both exaggerated claims and recurring misinformation. She and has a Master of Environmental Science and Management from the Bren School of UC Santa Barbara, with a focus on energy and climate change.

Sam WadeDirector of Public Policy - Renewable Natural Gas Coalition

Sam Wade serves as the Vice President of Public Policy at the Renewable Natural Gas Coalition. Previously Mr. Wade worked as Chief of the Transportation Fuels Branch at the Californian Air Resources Board, where he oversaw the Low Carbon Fuel Standard Program for four years. In other roles at CARB, Mr. Wade served as Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs, developed the Cap-and-Trade rule, and authored portions of California’s first Greenhouse Gas Scoping Plan. He’s also worked in energy policy at Pacific Gas and Electric and with a bioenergy/biochar start-up. Sam holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from U.C. Davis, a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hawaii, and an M.P.A in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University.

Jeff WilkersonGovernment Policy & Regulatory Affairs Manager - Pearson Fuels

Jeff Wilkerson manages government policy and regulatory affairs for Pearson Fuels, the largest E85 supplier in California. In his role, Jeff communicates with government officials and staffers about the critical role E85 can play in California’s transportation future. Pearson Fuels has played a leading role in E85 expansion by partnering with more than 450 retail sites to offer E85 throughout the state and is currently working with partners to obtain certification for aftermarket E85 conversion kits.

Cory-Ann WindDirector of State Regulatory Affairs - Clean Fuels Alliance America

Cory-Ann serves as Director of State Regulatory Affairs for Clean Fuels Alliance America. In this role, she engages in issues associated with biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel and represents the interests of Clean Fuels’ members to state regulatory bodies, legislatures and environmental organizations. Located in Portland, Oregon her primary focus is advancing state and regional policy efforts on the West Coast.

Cory-Ann has 30 years of experience in developing programs and policies to address air pollution, transportation emissions, and climate change at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Most recently, she led the development and implementation of the Oregon Clean Fuels Program. Cory-Ann has a Bachelor of Science in BioResources Engineering from Oregon State University.

Olivia WindorfU.S. Policy Fellow - Center for Climate and Energy Solutions

Olivia Windorf is the U.S. Policy Fellow at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. She develops and advocates for high-impact climate and energy policies at the federal level, with a particular focus on the intersection of climate and trade and the use of market-based approaches. Olivia holds an M.S. in Energy Policy and Climate from Johns Hopkins University and a B.S. in Biology and Environmental Science from the College of William & Mary.

Sean WineVice President, Renewables, Distribution - Clean Energy

Mr. Wine serves as Clean Energy’s Vice President, Renewables, Distribution. In this role, Sean manages the renewables distribution division which is responsible for all sales, operations, compliance, and sustainability reporting related to Clean Energy’s renewable natural gas (RNG) product. Since joining Clean Energy in 2006, Sean has successfully developed a multitude of natural gas fueling implementation programs across all company markets, along with deploying some of the very first RNG to transportation fuel in the U.S. Mr. Wine is focused on expanding the company’s negative-carbon intensity RNG product offering, while also managing the regulatory risks associated with the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Sean is recognized as an RNG industry expert, working closely with various stakeholders across the entire RNG supply chain, while advocating on behalf of the company for additional Clean Fuel Programs throughout North America. Sean graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.A. in Political Science.