During the ACE Q2 board meeting May 25, 2023, former ACE board member Owen Jones was presented an award in recognition of his outstanding leadership and dedication as a director on the ACE board from 1991 to 2022. This is not the first time ACE has awarded Jones for his many achievements in the industry; in 2018, ACE presented its most prestigious award, the Merle Anderson Award, to Jones. The award is given to individuals who display unmatched dedication to ACE and the domestic ethanol industry.
“If you ever met Merle, you probably met Owen, who was usually right alongside him, and every bit as important in growing ACE into the national organization it has become,” says Ron Lamberty, ACE CMO. “Elementally speaking, if Merle breathed air into ACE, then Owen has been ACE's earth – solid and dependable when times are tough and firm footing is needed, while also quietly growing ideas planted by himself and others, and being honest and humble enough to know some seeds just won't make it. And when Merle (and others) became fiery, Owen sprinkled just enough water to keep the fires from burning out of control, while keeping the useful parts growing.”
“Owen made sure that as we evolved and grew as an organization, we stayed true to our grassroots,” says ACE CEO Brian Jennings.
Along with being a longtime ACE board member and grassroots ethanol advocate, Jones is also a cattle rancher in Britton, South Dakota. Having spent his entire career producing renewable energy, whether it be livestock feed or protein for human consumption, Jones has been actively involved in the ethanol industry for many years. He has been a part of several milestones in ACE’s history, including being one of the first groups to do a study for the Department of Energy on the production of cellulosic ethanol from CRP acres, to support the Renewable Fuel Standard and launch the program, and to install the first active blender pump in the nation. Owen was the first to suggest that ACE host an annual Washington, D.C. fly-in to deliver the industry’s message in person to congressional offices on Capitol Hill, earning him the title of “the father of the ACE fly-in,” from Jennings. He attended several of those annual fly-ins himself, and also privately sponsored fly-in trips for ethanol advocates.
“Owen Jones is an innovator,” Lamberty says. “Among files I've found in my time at ACE was a study done in the 1990's where Owen grew switchgrass for ethanol on his farm, long before anyone was talking about cellulosic biofuels. He was also the first person to confide in me that he was using 30 percent ethanol in his gasoline powered vehicles and not losing mileage – long before ACE did our optimal blend study in 2006. Above all, Owen has been the conscience and voice of reason for ACE. Always reminding us that clean air and rural America were important enough to fight for.”
The Norman Borlaug Heritage Foundation has hosted what it calls its annual “Inspire Day” for over a decade to celebrate Dr. Norman Borlaug’s legacy as the “Father of the Green Revolution.” Students attend the event to learn a range of educational skills, including biofuels and agriculture. The Biofuels Mobile Education Center has been participating in the day for several years and the importance of biofuels and the many uses of corn are among the learning objectives for attending students. You can learn more about the event and access resources at normanborlaug.org.