October 3, 2018
By Rachel Gantz
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) today elected Neil Koehler, co-founder and CEO of Pacific Ethanol, as chairman of the RFA board of directors. The election occurred at RFA’s annual membership meeting in Kansas City.
Koehler has more than 30 years of experience in ethanol production, sales, and marketing in the United States. Sacramento-based Pacific Ethanol operates nine biorefineries in Nebraska, Illinois, Idaho, California and Oregon with a combined operating capacity of 605 million gallons per year. Koehler was also the co-founder and general manager for Parallel Products, California’s first ethanol production company, which he sold in 1998. He has served on the RFA Board of Directors since 1992, and received RFA’s prestigious Industry Award in 2017. He succeeds Mick Henderson, general manager of Commonwealth Agri-Energy LLC, as RFA chairman.
“I am honored that my peers have elected me as the new RFA board chairman, and I am proud to be serving such an exceptional organization in this role,” said Koehler. “As board chairman, I look forward to providing leadership in our industry at this pivotal point of growing the demand for high octane, low carbon ethanol through higher blends in the United States, and new export markets. I also wish to congratulate Geoff Cooper and Bob Dinneen on their new roles at the RFA and look forward to continuing to work with both of them to fulfill the association’s mission and objectives.”
“Neil has been an effective advocate for renewable fuels for three decades and I am excited to work more closely with him as chairman of the board,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “His experience and vision will be a tremendous asset to the organization, as we foster new opportunities to drive demand for American-made renewable fuels. RFA also owes a huge debt of gratitude to Mick Henderson for his exemplary service and leadership as chairman over the past two years.”
RFA also elected Jeanne McCaherty of Guardian Energy LLC as the board’s Vice Chair, and Charles Wilson of Trenton Agri Products LLC as the board Treasurer.
An entire list of RFA’s membership can be seen here.
Read the original press release: RFA Elects Pacific Ethanol’s Neil Koehler as Chairman