ACE 2025 Awards Honor Ethanol Industry Contributors

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) honored a select group of advocates for their contributions to the ethanol industry during its 38^th annual conference in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The Merle Anderson Award, named after the organization’s founder, was presented to Rick Schwarck of Absolute Energy, LLC this year. ACE CEO Brian Jennings, along with ACE board president Dave Sovereign, representing Golden Grain Energy, presented the award to Schwarck during the event’s awards ceremony.

The Merle Anderson Award is presented annually to recognize an individual who has made distinguished and lasting contributions to advancing the U.S. ethanol industry. Stepping down as CEO of Absolute Energy last year, Schwarck remains chairman of the company’s board of directors and an active industry leader, serving on several boards and championing initiatives. Notably, he has been a strong advocate for cancer and aromatics research related to emissions and biofuels. The Hormel Institute provided an update on the latest research in this area at the event. Schwarck has also been active in ethanol exports through the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council and has played an active role in ethanol policy development, attending every ACE Washington, DC Fly-In since 2010.

“I’m honored to receive an award named after Merle Anderson, a pioneer who inspired so many of us to think bigger and fight harder for ethanol,” Schwarck said. “This industry is full of people who care deeply about rural communities, cleaner air, and giving consumers fuel choices. I’m grateful to work alongside so many who share that vision and set an example for the next generation.”

Jennings and CMO Ron Lamberty presented the Grassroots Award to the late Greg Veerman, honoring the decades of creative and strategic work he contributed to ACE. His wife, Jane, accepted the award on his behalf. Veerman, who passed away from cancer in 2024, was the creative force behind ACE’s “Power by People” brand and played an instrumental role in developing ACE websites, campaigns, and advocacy projects. He was also a frequent attendee at ACE events and was actively developing a new campaign to highlight ACE’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) work before his passing. Veerman was also awarded the 2024 Creative Legacy Award at the American Advertising Awards show in February from the American Advertising Federation – South Dakota.

“Greg was a true friend and passionate supporter of ACE,” Jennings said. “He knew how to connect our mission to the values and everyday lives of the people in this industry. His impact on our organization and the broader biofuels community will not be forgotten.”

Additionally, ACE recognized Ron Lamberty for 25 years of service to the organization, noting his role as a driving force behind ACE’s market development and fuel marketer outreach efforts.

During a panel discussion with state corn and ethanol groups, Lamberty presented the Paul Dana Marketing Vision Award to the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council (SDCUC) for its innovative “It’s Okay to Go Low” campaign. The effort, in partnership with Kwik Trip/Kwik Star, promoted E15 by focusing on what resonates most with consumers—cost savings—while leveraging the credibility of a trusted fuel retailer to build confidence and demand. SDCUC President Jim Ketelhut accepted the award on behalf of the organization.

“SDCUC’s campaign is a textbook example of meeting consumers where they are and speaking their language,” Lamberty said. “By connecting affordability with trust, they’ve helped put E15 on the radar for thousands of drivers who might not have tried it otherwise.”

ACE provided special recognition to Cindy Zimmerman at the event for her decades of dedicated reporting on the people, policies, and progress shaping the U.S. ethanol industry. Her coverage has helped amplify the voices of ACE members and capture key moments from ACE’s annual events. After over 20 years of traveling to cover various industry events, including ACE’s, Cindy, along with her husband, Chuck, will be retiring from business travel at the end of 2025.

ACE has also designated its 2025 Policy and Legislative Leadership Award to U.S. Congressman Randy Feenstra (IA), for his strong leadership on biofuel issues, including his efforts to champion policies that benefit agriculture, rural communities, and clean energy, like year-round E15, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), and the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit. He was not able to attend the event to accept the award in person.

For photos, interviews and videos from the 2025 ACE conference, visit the virtual newsroom. To view a complete list of past ACE award recipients, visit our website.