Miami, Florida — Today, Growth Energy awarded former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack with its highest honor, the America’s Fuel Award, at its eighth annual Executive Leadership Conference. The America’s Fuel Award is presented to an individual who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to act as a champion for the renewable fuels industry. Past winners include Growth Energy Co-chairman Tom Buis, Gov. Terry Branstad, retired Four Star General, Wesley Clark, and Richard Childress of Richard Childress Racing.

“We are thrilled to recognize Secretary Vilsack with the America’s Fuel Award for his remarkable commitment to the nation’s most successful energy policy, the Renewable Fuel Standard. We thank Secretary Vilsack for his unwavering dedication to the growth and success of the American ethanol industry throughout his time as Secretary of Agriculture and Governor of Iowa,” said Emily Skor, Growth Energy CEO, “We are forever grateful for his leadership and present this award as a token of our appreciation.”

Growth Energy also presented the following individuals with “TOBI” awards, given each year to Growth Energy members who go above and beyond exhibiting innovation, fortitude, perseverance, and leadership within the ethanol industry:

Mick Miller, DENCO II
Amanda Huber, Front Range Energy
Amy Davis, Novozymes
Matt Merritt, POET
Jeff Gallic, Thorntons
Doug Berven, POET

The ethanol industry is an American success story contributing to our energy security and growing American jobs. Growth Energy’s Executive Leadership Conference brings together leaders of the biofuels industry and provides them with the most current insights affecting the ethanol industry and celebrates the achievements of the industry in moving America forward.

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