Matt Merritt is Director of Public Relations for Paulsen.  Matt leads strategy and execution of public relations for clients as part of Paulsen’s technology and engagement team. After starting

his career as a news reporter and editor, he has spent the last 18 years managing public relations and public affairs campaigns with a focus on energy, agriculture and rural issues.

Dr. Holly Mayton leads external research partnerships and science policy engagements as a member of John Deere’s Emerging Technologies and Architecture team. In this role, Holly connects science and technology with public policy on issues that impact farmers productivity, profitability, and sustainability, including biofuels and climate-smart agriculture. Holly has previously served as the Managing Director of the Internet of Things for Precision Agriculture (IoT4Ag) research center and as a Science and Technology Policy Fellow in the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Agriculture Policy.

Holly holds a Ph.D. in Chemical and Environmental Engineering with a Designated Emphasis in Public Policy from the University of California, Riverside and B.S. from the University of Virginia.

 

Neville Fernandes has more than 30 years of experience in the renewable fuels, petroleum and chemical industries in a variety of roles including business development, sales, marketing, EHS and process engineering. He currently serves as Vice President, responsible for Corporate Affairs and Development, Communications and Environmental and Social Responsibility (ESR) for Chevron Renewable Energy Group. In this position, Mr. Fernandes provides strategic thought leadership regarding public policy and leads early stages of strategic business development opportunities.

Prior to Chevron Renewable Energy Group, Mr. Fernandes held various managerial roles at Neste, including General Manager and President of Neste U.S., Inc., where he led the business development and sales and marketing teams. Mr. Fernandes led the team that successfully commercialized renewable diesel in the U.S. and Canada a decade ago. He also headed up the sustainable aviation fuel development project and managed the sales of sustainable aviation fuel in the U.S.

Mr. Fernandes serves as a governing board member for the Clean Fuels Alliance America (CFAA). He is a co-founder and past Chairman of the Advanced Biofuels Association based in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Fernandes holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University as well as a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from the Schulich School of Business in Canada. He is also a licensed engineer with Professional Engineers Ontario.

Steve Reinhard grows corn, soybeans, malting barley, hay, and wheat with his brother, Tim, in Bucyrus, Ohio. He also has a small herd of Angus cattle. He is an eighth-year director and currently serves as the Chairman of the United Soybean Board and Executive Committee.

Steve is a member and past chair of the Ohio Soybean Council and past chair of the Ohio Expo Center and State Fair. He is also a member of the Ohio Soybean Association, Ohio Corn Growers, and the Crawford County Farm Bureau and Cattlemen’s Association. Steve was previously an agricultural education teacher and FFA advisor. He served in the Ohio House of Representatives, as a county commissioner, and was a volunteer firefighter for 23 years. Steve is an active member of the Martin Luther Lutheran Church.

Steve believes market development and determining the value of technology are issues facing the soybean industry today. He believes new industrial uses, new food uses, and new market development are opportunities for the industry.

Heather serves as Director of Communications for Clean Fuels Alliance America, responsible for supporting efforts to continue to grow the biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel industry and share our vision, leading efforts to craft and share messages on the industry’s plans to move from 3 to 6 billion gallons by 2030, as well as promoting Clean Fuels Alliance America and the members it serves.

Before joining Clean Fuels Alliance America, Heather was the Director of Communications for the Missouri Catholic Conference. After earning a B.A. in Communication from the University of Arkansas, she spent 12 years as a broadcast journalist. Heather, an Arkansas native, brings extensive experience crafting stories that invoke change, building community relationships and adapting to changing demands.