INDIANAPOLIS  – The Fuels Institute announced the election of its Board of Directors, Board of Advisors and Officers for 2015–2017 at its Annual Meeting in Indianapolis last week.

Founded in February 2013 by NACS, the Fuels Institute is a non-profit, research-oriented think tank dedicated to evaluating the market issues related to consumer vehicles and the fuels that power them. Its governing structure incorporates a diverse set of stakeholders including, but not limited to, fuel retailers, fuel producers and refiners, alternative and renewable fuel producers, automobile manufacturers, environmental advocates, consumer organizations, academics, government entities and others with expertise in the fuels and automotive industries.

The Board of Directors has executive and fiduciary responsibilities for the Fuels Institute; the 2015–2017 Board of Directors are:

• Jay Ricker (Chairman), CEO, Ricker’s (Anderson, IN)
• Bob Wimmer (Treasurer), director of energy & environmental research group, Toyota Motor North America (Washington, D.C.)
• Mark DeVries, director of business development, Poet Ethanol Products (Wichita, KS)
• Matt Forman, senior manager external affairs, FCA (Washington, D.C.)
• Doug Haugh, president, Mansfield Oil Company (Gainesville, GA)
• Steve Loehr, vice president operations support, Kwik Trip, Inc. (La Crosse, WI)
• Brian Mandell, president, global market, Phillips 66 (Houston, TX)
• Jeff Morris, senior advisor, Alon USA (Dallas, TX)
• Ron Sabia, president and COO, Gulf Oil, Cumberland Gulf Group of Companies (Framingham, MA)
• Norman Turiano, principal, Turiano Strategic Consulting LLC (Cape Coral, FL)
• Michael Whatley, executive vice president, Consumer Energy Alliance (Washington, D.C.)

The Board of Advisors is responsible for setting the research agenda of the Fuels Institute and peer reviewing research projects to ensure they are fact-based and free of bias. The 2015–2017 Board of Advisors are:

• Jay Ricker (Chairman), CEO, Ricker’s (Anderson, IN)
• Bob Wimmer (Treasurer), director of energy and environmental research group, Toyota Motor North America (Washington, D.C.)
• Jeremy Bezdek, vice president biofuels and ingredients, Flint Hills Resources (Wichita, KS)
• Mark DeVries, director of business development, Poet Ethanol Products (Wichita, KS)
• Matt Forman, senior manager external affairs, FCA (Washington, D.C.)
• Doug Haugh, president, Mansfield Oil Company (Gainesville, GA)
• Norman Herrera, managing partner and chief executive office, Sparq Natural Gas, LLC (Oklahoma City, OK)
• Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis, OPIS (Wall Township, NJ)
• Anthony Lambkin, EV infrastructure and business development, Nissan North America (Franklin, TN)
• Steve Loehr, vice president operations support, Kwik Trip, Inc. (La Crosse, WI)
• Brian Mandell, president, global marketing, Phillips 66 (Houston, TX)
• Jeff Morris, senior advisor, Alon USA (Dallas, TX)
• Derek Regal, senior manager fuels and regulatory issues, Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company, LLC (San Antonio, TX)
• Ron Sabia, president and COO, Gulf Oil, Cumberland Gulf Group of Companies (Framingham, MA)
• Robert Stein, president and CEO, Kalibrate (Tulsa, OK)
• Norman Turiano, principal, Turiano Strategic Consulting LLC (Cape Coral, FL)
• Steve Vander Griend, technical manager fuel and engine tech, ICM, Inc. (Colwich, KS)
• Michael Whatley, executive vice president, Consumer Energy Alliance (Washington, D.C.)
• Craig Willis, president ethanol, Archer Daniels Midland Company (Decatur, IL)

In addition, the Board of Directors elected its 2015–2016 officers. Jay Ricker will serve as chairman, Bob Wimmer will serve as treasurer and John Eichberger, Fuels Institute executive director, will serve as secretary.

The Fuels Institute commissions and publishes comprehensive, fact-based research projects that address the issues identified by the affected stakeholders. These projects help to inform both business owners considering long-term investment decisions and policymakers considering legislation and regulations affecting the market.