Washington

Sustainable Aviation Fuels Summit

07-08, March 2019

Seattle, WA

About Washington SAF

At the two-day Washington Sustainable Aviation Fuels Summit, you will hear from national leaders on engaging and aligning the entire sustainable fuels value chain as we bring Washington’s most innovative industries together to develop a local supply chain of clean and sustainable fuels for aviation.    

Background

Innovative Funding for Sustainable Aviation Fuel at U.S. Airports

Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest: Powering the Next Generation of Flight

Aviation Biofuels Infrastructure Feasibility Study 

Speakers

Commissioner Calkins

Ryan Calkins was elected to the Port of Seattle Commission in 2017. Ryan works as a nonprofit professional at Ventures, a charitable organization that supports low-income entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses in the Puget Sound area. For more than a decade, Ryan ran an import and distribution company in Seattle that was recognized for its industry-leading sustainability initiatives. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Willamette University and earned his Master’s degree from Yale University.

Commissioner Felleman

Commissioner Felleman has been a conservation leader protecting the Pacific Northwest’s marine environment through research, photography, and advocacy for over three decades. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan and his Master of Science degree in Fisheries Biology from the University of Washington where he studied the feeding ecology of Southern Resident killer whales.  

Commissioner Steinbrueck

Peter Steinbrueck was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. As a former three-term Seattle city council member from 1997 to 2007, Peter led numerous legislative efforts to advance innovative programs and policies in comprehensive planning, land use and development, parks and open space, affordable housing, climate protection and renewable energies, water conservation, municipal waste reduction, and urban mobility. In 2008 Peter founded Steinbrueck Urban Strategies, a mission-driven professional consulting practice with an emphasis on driving best practices for greening cities. He graduated from Bowdoin College with a major in government and earned his Master's degree in architecture from the University of Washington. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, community planner and urban strategist.

Secretary Ray Mabus

Ray Mabus has been a change leader throughout his career, from attacking entrenched public corruption as Mississippi’s State Auditor in the early 1980s to revolutionizing the Navy and Marine Corps as the longest serving Secretary of the Navy since WW I.

Mabus has also served as Governor of Mississippi, Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Chairman and CEO of Foamex, where he revived a bankrupt publicly traded sector manufacturing company with no loss in equity and no loss to creditors.

As Navy Secretary throughout President Obama’s two terms, Mabus led America's Sailors and Marines in a time of two wars, rebuilding the U.S. fleet, revolutionizing Navy energy by moving toward alternatives, promoting innovation in Navy personnel and business practices; and strengthening global partnerships by traveling over 1.3 million miles to meet with Sailors and Marines and leaders in over 152 separate countries and territories.

Early his term, Mabus established aggressive energy goals to make the Navy and Marine Corps

better warfighters. The most ambitious of the goals requires that by 2020 more than half of naval energy afloat and ashore will come from non-fossil fuel sources. The Department met that goal ashore in 2015 and is well positioned to meet it at sea no later than the deadline.

Currently, Mabus serves as CEO of The Mabus Group, a strategic advisory firm specializing in resiliency.  He is an advisor to Google Ventures and is lecturer at the Harvard Law School and an executive fellow at the Harvard Business School.

Jim Lane

Jim Lane is the CEO of Nuu Media and the Editor and Publisher of Biofuels Digest. With 3.4 million unique readers, the Digest is the most widely-read biofuels daily, covering bioeconomy production, finance, policy and research.

 Dr. Jennifer Holmgren

Dr. Jennifer Holmgren is the Chief Executive Officer of LanzaTech. Prior to joining LanzaTech, she was Vice President and General Manager of the Renewable Energy and Chemicals business unit at UOP LLC, a Honeywell Company. She is the author or co-author of 50 US patents, 20 scientific publications and is the 2003 recipient of the Council for Chemical Research’s (CCR) Malcolm E. Pruitt Award. Dr. Jennifer Holmgren is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and holds a B.Sc. degree from Harvey Mudd College, a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Dr. Mike Wolcott

Michael Wolcott, Regents Professor and LP Distinguished Professor in Washington State University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is a member of the interdisciplinary Materials Science and Engineering faculty and a researcher in the Composite Materials and Engineering Center. He currently serves as the Associate Director for Research and Director of the Office of Clean Technology.

Since 2017, Wolcott has served as the Director for the Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT), which is the FAA Center of Excellence for Alternative Jet Fuels and the Environment.

From 2011 to 2017, Wolcott served as the Principal Co-Director for the NARA – the Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance. He holds a Ph.D. in materials engineering science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University and BS/MS in forestry from the University of Maine. A member of the WSU faculty since 1996, he previously served as an associate professor at West Virginia University.

Dr. Eric Toone

Eric Toone the executive managing director and science lead of Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

He received his doctoral degree in Chemistry from the University of Toronto in 1988 and completed post-doctoral studies at Harvard University. He began his independent career at Duke in 1990, and retired from Duke in 2017 as Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Biochemistry.

During his academic career Dr. Toone authored nearly 300 original papers, reviews, book chapters and abstracts in physical organic and biophysical chemistry. He is also listed as an inventor on more than 30 patents in a range of biomedical fields and is a scientific founder of three research-based pharmaceutical companies, including Aerie Pharmaceuticals, a publicly-traded ophthalmology (glaucoma) company.

From 2009 to 2012 Dr. Toone was detailed to the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E). During that time, he served as Program Director and Deputy Director for Technology before leading the Agency in 2012. Dr. Toone returned to Duke in 2013 as Vice Provost and Director of the Duke University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative, an initiative designed to foster entrepreneurship across the entire university community.

Bruce Comer

Bruce Comer is the founder and a Managing Director of Ocean Park. Prior to founding Ocean Park, he was a Principal at Platinum Equity, where he played a key role in raising the firm’s $700 million fund and actively managed the firm’s $4 billion revenue portfolio. He also previously served as the Chairman and CEO of Allegro Biodiesel, a publicly-traded company. Mr. Comer has published articles in industry journals, and appeared at conferences and on CNBC to discuss renewable fuels. He received his Bachelor’s Degree, cum laude, from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University; a Master’s Degree with Distinction in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University; and an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School.

Dave Kettner

Dave Kettner is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Virent, and has managed Virent’s legal affairs since joining the company in early 2007.  Dave is a licensed patent attorney with over 20 years of experience in intellectual property management and other legal matters, and played a key role in establishing Virent’s collaborative partnerships, financing strategy, and the sale of Virent to Andeavor prior to its merger with Marathon Petroleum Corporation. Before joining Virent, Dave served as Chief Legal Counsel for the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) and provided similar services to a variety of clients as an attorney in private practice.  Dave holds a JD in Law and BS in Genetics and Cellular Biology from the University of Minnesota.

John Plaza

John Plaza is President & CEO of Membrion, a new University of Washington spinout developing low-cost, high performance ion-exchange ceramic membranes. He also serves as Executive Chairman at Agrisoma, a dynamic and industry leading Ag-tech company located in Ottawa. Prior to founding Imperium, John was a commercial airline pilot for 20 years.

Dr. Colin Murphy

Colin is the Deputy Director at the Policy Institute for Energy, Environment, and the Economy as well as Policy Director for the National Center for Sustainable Transportation at UC Davis.

He holds a B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering from UC Davis, an M.S. in Science, Technology and Public Policy from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Transportation Technology and Policy from the UC Davis.

Graham Noyes

Graham is a co-founder of the Low Carbon Fuels Coalition (LCFC) and continues to serve as Executive Director of the LCFC on a part-time basis.  In 2016, Graham established a firm dedicated to fuel and carbon law, Noyes Law Corporation. He previously worked at World Energy Alternatives LLC, Imperium Renewables, and served on the Board and was Secretary of the National Biodiesel Board. Graham has a B.A. from University of Virginia and earned his J.D. from University of California, Davis.

Dr. Patrick Gruber

Dr. Patrick Gruber is the Chief Executive Officer of Gevo and has served as a director of the company since 2007. Previously, he was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Outlast Technologies Inc. In 1997, Dr. Gruber co-founded NatureWorks, LLC (formerly Cargill Dow, LLC), and served as Vice President of Technology and Operations and Chief Technology Officer until 2005.  Dr. Gruber spent 16 years with Cargill Incorporated and its renewable chemical JV’s. Dr. Gruber holds an M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management, a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Minnesota and a B.S. in chemistry and biology from the University of St. Thomas.

John Saris

John Saris is the Business Services Manager at the Oregon Business Development Department for the State of Oregon. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University.

Michael Schrader

Michael Schrader is a member of the Public Finance Department in Portland, Oregon. Mike regularly works with state agencies, counties, cities, special districts and other local governments, tribal governments and enterprises, for-profit and not-for-profit borrowers in structuring, negotiating and documenting bond issues, loans and other financing arrangements.

Mike also represents banks and underwriters in connection with the purchase and sale of bonds and other financing and credit-related matters. Before joining Orrick, Mike was a partner at Ater Wynne LLP in Portland.  Prior to that, Mike was an associate at Ice Miller in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Jeff Manternach

Jeff Manternach is a co-founder and CFO of Red Rock Biofuels. Jeff handles business development, financial modeling, industry valuations and project development services. Prior to Red Rock Biofuels, Jeff lead debt capital raises of $400+ million, including a $325 million project finance deal. Jeff received his MBA and an MS in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan and his BA in Economics and Physical Anthropology from Haverford College.

Kirk Myers

Kirk Myers is the Director of Sustainability at Alaska Airlines. He joined Alaska after a 16-year career with REI. Kirk holds a Bachelor’s degree from Albion College and an MBA in Sustainable Business from Bainbridge Graduate Institute (now Presidio Graduate School).

Tony Gonchar

Tony Gonchar is the Vice President – Seattle for Delta Air Lines.

Marcelle Peuckert

Marcelle Peuckert is the Business Development Director at the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials, where she leads the business development team and global efforts to increase the uptake of the RSB Standard within the global business community. Prior to the RSB, Marcelle served as FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)’s Business Development Director for 10 years. She has worked in the NGO sector for almost 25 years. Marcelle studied Commerce in South Africa, cross-sector partnerships at Cambridge University and worked in social development in South Africa and Namibia across a wide range of issues. She is an alumni of the Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership.

Robert Boyd

Robert Boyd is the Senior Manager in Aviation Environment Division for Sustainable Aviation Fuel at the International Air Transport Association (IATA). He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting and Finance and Master’s degree in Business Economics, both from the University of Queensland.

Ken Brown 

Ken Brown is the Senior Vice President SICPA Product Security, LLC – USA. 
 

Kai Sorensen

Kai Sorensen is the Director of Commercial Fuels at EPIC Fuels in Portland, Oregon. Prior to joining EPICF Fuels in 2002, he was Vice President of System Operations at Evergreen International Airlines. He received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 

Keith Sawyer

Keith Sawyer, manager of alternative fuels for Avfuel Corporation, has worked in the aviation industry since 1977. After a 40-year career with Chevron, Sawyer joined Avfuel—a leading independent global supplier of aviation fuel and services with 650+ branded FBOs and 3,000+ fueling locations worldwide—in 2016 as its regional business development/supply chain manager where he was responsible for developing and nurturing relationships with fueling locations throughout the Western U.S., Canada and Alaska. To further capitalize on his expertise in the fuel market, Sawyer became Avfuel’s manager of alternative fuels in 2017, leading all aspects of evaluating the sustainable alternative jet fuel market and its suppliers while representing Avfuel within the environmental and fuel supply chain groups associated with GAMA, NBAA, NATA and IBAC.

During Sawyer’s tenure at Chevron, he oversaw petroleum and natural gas product supply chain management, cargo operations, general aviation business, branded programs, aviation investments, and marketing in various markets, operating out of Perth, Western Australia; Houston, Texas; San Ramon, California; Almaty, Kazakhstan; San Francisco, California; and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Sawyer received a bachelor’s degree in economic geography from the University of British Columbia, as well as completed the university’s executive development program, and Alberta’s Banff School of Management business and marketing development program.
 

Charles Etter

Charles Etter is staff scientist at Gulfstream Aerospace.

Sheila Remes

Sheila Remes is vice president of Strategy for Commercial Airplanes and also leads Boeing’s Interiors vertical integration team. She previously worked as Boeing’s director of Services Strategy for Commercial Airplanes and as managing director of Sales Strategy.

Bryan Sherbacow

Bryan Sherbacow is the Chief Commercial Officer for World Energy. In 2009, Mr. Sherbacow co-founded AltAir Fuels for the refining and marketing of low carbon renewable fuels. Over the past twelve years he has been an active participant in the renewable energy sector as a principal investor, officer and director of biofuel companies as well as a corporate advisor.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Union College.

 
Zia Haq

Zia is Senior Analyst and Defense Production Act Coordinator for the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office.

Eric Berman
Eric Berman led teams at Microsoft and Expedia through 2005. Since leaving Expedia, he has turned his attention to cleantech and has made many investments with E8 over the past 12 years and became Co-Chair of E8 in September 2015. Eric also runs MyFlightbook.com, a service for pilots to track their hours.

He spends much of his time volunteering with environment- and education-oriented non-profits. He has served on the board of Zeno (a Seattle-based math non-profit), is a trustee for the Cheetah Conservation Fund, a national council member for the World Wildlife Fund, a partner at Social Venture Partners and a volunteer pilot for Angel Flight West.

Eric has degrees in Electrical Engineering and Physics from MIT and a Masters in Electrical Engineering from Stanford.