What Drives Me:The intersection of agriculture and energy is providing new challenges for experienced commercial leaders to bring projects and development to life. Across the Midwest, where I grew up in a farm family in central Illinois, there has never been a greater set of opportunities to solve for. Decarbonization and the role biofuels will play in the energy transition offers the potential to revitalize the agricultural economy for the next generation. Only skillful collaboration will unlock the full potential of these markets and transform existing feedstocks into new products and solutions, and that is my current focus. Experience and time lend an irreplaceable perspective and offer lessons along the way. Through my earliest years learning the commodities business as a trader at Conagra and then Gavilon, the markets have shaped my approach to problem solving. Weighing risks and spotlighting inefficiencies, leveraging relationships and utilizing creative commercial solutions to deliver value are the foundation for how I attack opportunities. My background in the energy space now spans almost two decades, across large public corporations and private equity backed startups. Prior to joining Cresta in 2023, I helped lead business development and carbon capture and sequestration origination activities for Navigator CO2 and drove the firm’s strategy for environmental attributes as Executive Director, Carbon Supply & Markets. I was recruited by Navigator after nearly a decade with NGL Energy Partners LP, where I most recently served in Vice President and Director level roles in the company’s Water Solutions business. I was responsible for leading asset integration, optimization and strategic relationship management for NGL, helping build an industry leading water management platform. Before moving into executive leadership, I served as a Senior Trader in the company’s renewable fuels division and spent five years directing NGL’s ethanol marketing and compliance trading businesses. Prior to NGL, I spent six years in trading roles of increasing responsibility across Gavilon Energy’s commodity trading business where I focused on arbitrage, physical supply and logistics in the renewable fuels markets.Areas I Excel In:I excel at building consensus, integrating perspectives from internal and external stakeholders, and fostering collaborative approaches to find best solutions. My diverse professional experience has helped me successfully build long-term partnerships with many Fortune 500 clients.