September/October 2025 Power by People

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) elected and re-elected members to its board of directors during the organization’s annual business meeting on August 20, ahead of ACE’s 38th annual conference in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Board members re-elected to three-year terms include:

• Absolute Energy – Rick Schwarck
• Chief Ethanol Fuels – Wayne Garrett
• East River Electric Cooperative – Chris Studer
• Golden Grain Energy – Dave Sovereign
• KAAPA Ethanol – Scott McPheeters
• Redfield Energy – Troy Knecht

Newly elected members to serve on the board include:

• Bosselman Enterprises, Director of Petroleum - Zac Griess, succeeding Randy Gard
• Al-Corn Clean Fuel, LLC, CFO - Chad Miller

• Husker AG, LLC, General Manager and CEO - Seth Harder

“ACE is fortunate to have a strong and diverse board of directors with representation from farmers, ethanol producers, electric cooperatives, fuel retailers, and others,” said Brian Jennings, ACE CEO. “We’re grateful for the continued leadership of our re-elected members, are pleased to welcome Chad, Seth and Zac, and are appreciative of Randy’s years of service.”

CapCO₂ Hosts Open House to Celebrate its Collaboration to Produce Green Methanol

Prior to the kickoff of the American Coalition for Ethanol Conference, CapCO₂ Solutions held an open house at the AgriEnergy Innovations ethanol facility in Luverne, Minnesota, to showcase a new collaboration utilizing CO₂ waste to produce green methanol.

“Methanol has been around for 100 years and it’s almost all made nowadays with fossil fuel, so it’s not a net zero product. But if you can make it with CO₂ from ethanol plants, it is a net zero product,” said Dr. Jeff Bonar, CapCO₂ CEO, during an interview at The ACE. “The shipping industry has decided that’s their next generation fuel and it’s a key part of SAF. So, lots of people want green methanol and there’s a lot of scrambling to figure out how to do that in quantity. And ethanol plants are the perfect place to do it.”

CapCO₂ Solutions is building modular components that can be delivered on-site with the same ethanol carbon score benefits of sequestration without the need for eminent domain, an estimated 25-point carbon intensity reduction, according to the company.

ACE Scholarship Program Announces 2025 Winners 

As the new school year gets underway, the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) congratulates the 2025 scholarship recipients Sam Cederburg, Julia Trygstad, and Hailey Vandenbosch. Each student receives a $1,000 scholarship through ACE’s Scholarship Program to help further their collegiate education.

• Sam Cederburg is from Minden, Nebraska, and is pursuing pre-law with a major in agricultural economics at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska. Sam was a member and officer of his local FFA chapter, and was involved in speech, cross-country, and National Honor Society in high school. Sam is the son of Matt Cederburg. Sam’s father is affiliated with ACE ethanol producer member, KAAPA Ethanol, in Minden, Nebraska.
• Julia Trygstad is from Nunda, South Dakota, and is attending South Dakota State University, in Brookings, South Dakota, where she studies nursing. Julia played multiple sports, was a member of National Honor Society, and was a Class President in high school. She is the daughter of Karen Trygstad. Her mother is affiliated with ACE associate member East River Electric Coop in Madison, South Dakota.
• Hailey Vandenbosch is from Fulda, Minnesota, and is attending North Dakota State University, in Fargo, North Dakota, where she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Hailey is involved with the Student Nurse Association at NDSU and was active in many social and academic groups in high school. Hailey is the daughter of Ted Vandenbosch. Her father is affiliated with ACE ethanol producer member Heron Lake BioEnergy in Fulda, Minnesota.

Pictures Right to Left: Hailey Vandenbosch, Julia Trygstad, and Sam Cederburg

The ACE Scholarship Program was initiated in 2004, and ACE has since awarded $74,000. Scholarships are made available to employees and dependents of employees and shareholders of ACE Ethanol Producer, Voting and Associate member companies and organizations. Applications for 2026 scholarships will open next spring. For those interested in making a financial contribution to the program, contact Anna Carpenter at acarpenter@ethanol.org or 605-306-6142.