Larry Schafer co-founded Playmaker Strategies, LLC in 2013.In 2007, Mr. Schafer created “The Diamond Group” a Washington D.C. based consulting firm.Both firms continue today. Throughout his career, Schafer has represented the National Biodiesel Board, Green Carbon, Inc,; Covanta; Gavilon, Genscape, Ocean Connect, Biourja, Petro Diamond, Center Oil, Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P., POET, Buckeye Partners, LP and others to provide technical resources on issues related to advanced biofuels including biodiesel and other renewable fuels, energy, agriculture and tax issues.He has a strong background in renewable fuels, both legislative and regulatory, having served as one of the main architects of the current Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for Biomass-based Diesel, the original RFS program and the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) for the ethanol industry. He is also technically sound on fuels policy in the marketplace having served as the coordinator for the ethanol industry at ASTM International for more than five years.Historically, Mr. Schafer served as the Vice President for the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), which he joined in October 2001, where he coordinated the RFA's "Technical Committee," "Fuel Cell Task Force," and "Safety Committee."Prior to joining the RFA, Mr. Schafer served as Vice President of Legal, Tax & Accounting (LTA) Policy with the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC), where he was the policy director on legal, tax, and accounting issues.Mr. Schafer started his career in Washington, D.C. by serving as Legislative Counsel to Congressman Earl Pomeroy from North Dakota. Congressman Pomeroy served on both the powerful Ways and Means Committee and the Agriculture Committee in the House of Representatives. He received his law degree from the University of North Dakota School of Law, and holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Valley City State University in North Dakota.Specialties: Since beginning The Diamond Group, Mr. Schafer successfully engineered the passage of the new Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS-2) contained in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which created a new national requirement to use biodiesel . Mr. Schafer specializes in tax, agriculture and trade issues and is currently working with Magellen Midstream Partners on creating a federal loan guarantee for a dedicated ethanol pipeline.