Mark Yancey
President and CEO
Full Resumé

Mark has 30 years of experience in the fields of renewable energy and environmental engineering including extensive experience in project development and economic analysis for first and second generation biofuels facilities. Mark’s expertise is in the development of renewable energy projects including development of business strategies and financial, market and technical analyses of projects and renewable energy opportunities. Mark has excellent management skills and his strengths include business development, project planning, financial analysis, and project development in addition to his excellent communications and interpersonal skills. Mark has presented at well over 100 conferences and workshops worldwide during his tenure at BBI International and NREL. He is a recognized expert in the development of biofuels projects.

Rafael Nieves
Senior Vice President
Full Resumé

Dr. Rafael Nieves has worked in the renewable energy sector for over 25 years. His formal training is in biotechnology with emphasis on the biofuels and bioindustry sector. Rafael is experienced in the management of national and international collaborations as well as management of large technical projects. Rafael’s technical expertise is in the hydrolysis and fermentation sciences of biomass conversion as well as the production of monoclonal antibodies. He was a cellulase researcher and Technical Lead for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy’s cellulase cost-reduction research performed by Novozymes Biotech Incorporated and is co-author of three enzyme patents. He is an experienced lead project manager and was Director of Business Development at BBI International, a biofuels service firm. Successful client collaborations have been well-served by his R&D technical skills and business experience. Rafael has extensive experience nationally and internationally being intimately involved in bioenergy projects in the U.S., Mexico, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Australia, Philippines, Ghana, Armenia, Indonesia and the Ukraine. He possesses a Ph.D. from Colorado Sate University and a M.B.A. from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver.

Jeff Kistner
Senior Financial Specialist
   

Jeff Kistner provides CFO services to agribusiness and renewable energy companies. His services include: forecasting operational performance and financials, enhancing cash flow, liquidity requirements, capital structures, and increased equity valuations. Kistner understands there are many different solutions designed to help companies achieve success. This knowledge is from working in the industry as a lender for 19 years and as an industry consultant for five. Jeff’s expertise is in the collection, monitoring and analyzing information for best business practices.

Kistner was raised on a family farm in southeast Nebraska and graduated in 1986 with a Bachelors of Science in Agricultural Economics from the University of Nebraska. In 1991 he earned his MBA in Finance from Webster University in St. Louis, MO. Kistner has 19 years of banking experience and he concluded his banking career at CoBank, one of the largest lenders to the agribusiness and renewable energy industry in the US. He then worked 4 years at BBI International focusing on project development and management of ethanol projects in the US and internationally. At BBI, he had a strong influence in business economics, equity valuations and capital structures from early stage to operating renewable energy companies.

Art Wiselogel
Senior Project Manager
Full Resumé

Art Wiselogel has over 30 years of experience in project management, personnel management, and as a scientist in environmental sustainability, and renewable energy and fuels. Formerly a BBI International Project Manager, Art worked closely with renewable project principals to plan, develop and oversee the implementation of business plans under the guidance of the Client’s Project Board or Steering Committee. Art also served as Project Manager for Integrated Resource Technologies Inc. on their largest contract with the US Department of Energy’s Golden Field Office. Art has also worked as a project coordinator and geneticist at the University of Georgia, Texas A&M University, and Texas Forest Service.

Art has a Doctorate from Texas A&M University where he studied genetics and plant breeding, a Masters of Science degree in Agriculture from Oklahoma State University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Science from Mississippi State University.

Kelly Ibsen is a consultant/associate to NEAtech. Kelly is a Professional Chemical Engineer with more than twenty years experience in research, development and deployment for a variety of industries.  After a distinguished 15-year career at NREL, DOE’s premier renewable energy laboratory, managing multi-disciplinary R&D programs to develop technically sound and financially robust processes, Kelly went on to direct the scale-up of chemical and biological systems for biorefineries for BioEnergy International LLC. In 2009, she started a consulting firm, Lynx Engineering LLC, to provide engineering and project management services to the renewable energy industry.

Chris is a chemical engineer with 4 years of experience in renewable energy from biomass. He has worked with BBI International's Process Engineering group and has garnered expertise in process development methods, modeling in ASPEN+ and METSIM process simulators, cost estimating, and performing technical feasibility studies.

Jeff Coombe
Project Manager
Full Resumé

Jeff has been in the renewable energy and environmental science field for 5 years, including experience in economic analysis for ethanol and biodiesel production facilities, project management for end use vehicle fleet conversions to alternative fuels, and environmental protection management for industrial facility wastewater effluent. Jeff is an active member of the Colorado Governor’s Biofuels Coalition steering committee. Strengths include data acquisition and analysis, current and emerging biodiesel feedstock and production technology, and inter-industry relations. Jeff has conducted technical studies on biofuels and other renewable energy technology applications. He has also assisted in the organization, logistics, and management of biofuel production plant development. Jeff holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Oregon.