ACE’s most prestigious award is named after our “founding father” and first President. The Merle Anderson Award recognizes an individual who has made distinguished and significant contributions to the advancement of the U.S. ethanol industry.
1997 – Merle Anderson
1998 – U.S. Senator Bob Dole (R-KS)
1999 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter
2000 – Carl Curtis (State Senator and U.S. Senator from Nebraska)
2001 – Dr. William A. Scheller
2002 – Loran Schmit (Neb State Senator)
2003 – Bill Holmberg
2004 – Roger Moe (MN State Senator)
2005 – U.S. Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD)
2006 – Paul Dana, Jeff Broin, Ron Fagen, Dave VanderGriend
2007 – Scott Parsley, East River Electric Co-op
2008 – Max Shauck, Baylor University
2009 – David Hallberg
2010 – Ron Fagen, Fagen Inc.
2011 – Dallas Tonsager, Under Secretary for Rural Development, USDA
2012 – U.S. Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE)
2013 – USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack
2014 – Cong. Collin Peterson (D-MN)
2015 – Todd Sneller, Nebraska Ethanol Board
2016 – Lars Herseth, Herseth Ranch & SD Corn
2017 – Doug Durante, Clean Fuels Development Coalition
2018 – Owen Jones, 4 Seasons Coop
2019 - Randy Ives, ICM, Hawkeye Gold, Gavilon
2020 – Bob Scott, former Broin/Poet ethanol marketer, longtime ACE President
2021 – Larry Johnson, MN Corn, the “Ethanol Answer Man”
2022 – Randy Doyal, Al-Corn Clean Fuel
2023 – Ron Alverson, Dakota Ethanol
2024 – John Christianson, Christianson PLLP
2025 - Rick Schwarck, Absolute Energy
