Steve Brenner is an associate in the Environmental practice section of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP’s Washington, D.C. Office. His practice focuses on complex environmental litigation matters along with regulatory and compliance counseling.
The Renewable Fuel Standard is a cornerstone of Steve’s law practice. Steve has worked on multiple appellate litigation matters, concerning EPA’s implementation of the RFS. Steve also advises on enforcement matters relating to EPA’s administration of the RFS.
Prior to Pillsbury, Steve worked as a legislative staffer in the U.S. House of Representatives, advising on energy, environmental, and transportation issues.
Steve is a commercial aviation professional with 38 years of broad, strategic airline, aviation OEM, and SAF experience. Over his career, Steve has been a strong industry advocate who has worked in roles of developing pragmatic solutions to the challenges of aviation growth, and such engagement led him to accepting the current CAAFI Executive Director role in 2012. CAAFI (the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative, www.caafi.org) is an industry partnership fostering the development and commercialization of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). CAAFI engages in public-private-partnership activities designed to convene the group of participants needed to stand up an entirely new industrial sector.
Steve also continues to serve in leadership, steering committee, consultancy, and BOD roles with multiple aviation industry organizations in areas of applying technology and business concepts to enable commercial progression with SAF, both through the work of CAAFI, as well as independent activities through his consultancy.
Andrew Lipow is the President of Lipow Oil Associates, a consulting firm which he founded in May 2004. Lipow Oil Associates specializes in refinery operations, bulk liquid storage terminals and provides expertise in crude oil and petroleum product trading opportunities. Mr. Lipow is also familiar with the blending of ethanol, renewable diesel and biodiesel can provide guidance on the Renewable Fuel Standard. Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) and the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Mr. Lipow has a Master of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Mr. Lipow is a frequent guest on Fox Business News and CNBC and has appeared on the nightly newscasts of the major networks.
Mr. Randy L. Gard has over 30 years of executive leadership and management experience, with a background in Business Management from Waldorf College in Forest City, IA. His career includes key roles in various industries. He spent 18 years with Eaton Corporation in the Automotive Components Group and served as Director of Operations for Stuart Entertainment in the gaming industry. At Vermeer Manufacturing Co. in Pella, IA, he held the position of Vice President of Global Planning and Business Development. Mr. Gard also led Chief Automotive Technologies in Grand Island, NE, as President and CEO, during which the company was part of Dover Corporation (DOV), a Fortune 500 company.
Currently, Mr. Gard is the COO of Bosselman Enterprises and serves on the board of the organization. He is a member of the Nebraska Ethanol Board, the American Coalition for Ethanol Board, and the governmental affairs team for the National Association of Truck Stop Owners (NATSO). In addition to his corporate roles, he is actively involved in state and federal governmental affairs, particularly in the ethanol, biodiesel, hydrogen, and EV markets. He has championed legislative bills focusing on renewable fuel incentives for retailers.
Tim Urban leads the Bracewell tax policy practice out of the firm’s Washington, DC-based Policy Resolution Group. He is an experienced tax lobbyist who has advocated for clients on every major tax bill introduced in Congress over the past 20 years. Drawing on his work on the House Ways and Means tax-writing committee and two decades at a “Big Four” accounting firm’s tax policy group, Tim represents companies on business tax issues, extension of temporary tax provisions, and federal tax policies affecting the energy sector. Regarding federal energy tax policy, he has represented and advised companies on tax policy issues affecting conventional energy companies, such as the 45Q credit for carbon capture and storage (CCS); production credits for hydrogen and for electricity produced from renewable resources (including solar, wind, and hydropower); investment incentives for purchases of renewable energy plant property (hydrogen storage, energy storage, and biogas equipment, for example), and production and blending tax credits for clean fuels including biodiesel, renewable diesel, cellulosic ethanol, sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), renewable natural gas, and methanol.
Laura Yellig brings diverse perspectives from over 30 years of leadership in the petroleum industry. As President and Chief Executive Officer of PetroCard Inc., Laura has led the company through transformational change and growth, establishing a platform and vision for the future of commercial fuels.
Under Laura’s leadership, PetroCard has executed a targeted acquisition strategy to grow its commercial cardlock portfolio and provide unmatched access to the future of fuels for commercial and municipal fleets. Before PetroCard, Laura enjoyed 18 years in operations and sales leadership roles for Shell Oil and six years as Vice President of Alaska Petroleum Distribution for Crowley Maritime. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Rice University and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (Operations Management and Logistics) from New Mexico State University.
PetroCard Inc, is the largest operator of commercial cardlocks in the Northwest and the region’s premier provider of commercial fleet fuel, lubricant and bulk fuel management solutions. As a leader in commercial and municipal fleet fueling, PetroCard is uniquely positioned to lead fleet customers to the future of fuels and provide “now solutions” for greenhouse gas reduction in transportation activities.
Chris Bliley serves as Growth Energy’s Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. Chris handles all federal regulatory matters covering fuel, vehicle emission and air quality standards, food safety, as well as transportation and logistics. His responsibilities also include state fuel quality and labeling matters. Prior to joining Growth Energy in 2011, Chris was a Director at the Nussle Group, a Washington, D.C. based consulting firm. He served as the Associate Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency running the agency’s Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations from 2007 until 2009 under President George W. Bush. Bliley was also Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Congressman Jim Nussle. Prior to joining Nussle’s staff, Chris was Director of Government Relations for the Smokeless Tobacco Council, a Washington-based trade association. Chris is a graduate of the University of Virginia and lives in Arlington, Virginia with his wife Allison and their two daughters.
Piotr Wozniak is manager, decarbonization for Phillips 66, a diversified energy manufacturing and logistics company. He is responsible for optimizing the carbon intensity of Phillips 66’s renewable fuels.
He has 15 years of experience in the energy industry. Previously, Piotr was director, Emerging Energy Strategy. Past roles also include working in corporate strategy, corporate finance, and various roles within the global commercial supply & trading organization.
Piotr graduated from London School of Economics with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.
Geoff Moody serves as the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers’ (AFPM) Senior Vice President of Government Relations & Policy. Geoff leads AFPM’s federal and state advocacy on issues impacting the refining and petrochemical industries, including fuels, environmental regulation, trade, transportation and infrastructure, chemicals management, and tax policy. Geoff started his career on Capitol Hill and has spent more than 15 years working in various policy and energy and environmental advocacy roles. He holds his law degree from the George Mason University School of Law.
Will Hupman is Vice President of Downstream Policy at the American Petroleum Institute. His responsibilities include managing the development and implementation of policies in the fuels, marketing, refining, and downstream heath, environment, and safety sectors.
Prior to his role at API, Will led federal government affairs efforts for The Sherwin-Williams Company. He also previously served as Senior Director of Federal Relations at API where he advanced the association’s policy positions and developed advocacy strategies. Before joining API, Will worked as a Legislative Director and Counsel on Capitol Hill for two Members of Congress. Will received a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned a Juris Doctor from Louisiana State University.