NEWS RELEASE
October 26, 2017
Renewable Natural Gas Coalition Adds Biofuels Policy & Government Affairs Experts Manning Feraci, Anne Steckel, Larry Schafer and Sandra Franco to Run New Washington, D.C. Office
Washington, DC – // The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition) announced today the addition of four senior government affairs and biofuels policy experts to run its Washington, D.C. operations.
Manning Feraci, Anne Steckel, Larry Schafer and Sandra Franco will lead the renewable natural gas industry’s federal advocacy and government affairs efforts from a new RNG Coalition office located in downtown Washington, D.C. at 750 9th Street, which will serve as the organization’s Eastern U.S. hub.
Adding these seasoned experts will further bolster the renewable natural gas industry’s presence on Capitol Hill and amplify its voice as America’s Cellulosic Biofuel under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program.
Manning Feraci joins the RNG Coalition as Director of Federal Government Affairs. He brings more than 20 years of experience navigating a myriad of tax, energy, trade, and agriculture issues through the federal legislative and regulatory process. He has an extensive background in biofuels policy and previously led the federal affairs operation for the Solar Energy Industries Association. Feraci served over a decade on Capitol Hill as a Legislative Director and Chief of Staff for a member of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee.
Anne Steckel joins the RNG Coalition as Director of Federal Legislative Affairs. She has over 20 years of Washington, D.C. experience working on legislative, regulatory, advocacy, policy and political issues on and off Capitol Hill. Most recently, she was the Vice President of Federal Affairs for the National Biodiesel Board. She previously held senior government relations positions with the American Farm Bureau Federation and Growth Energy, and was a Chief of Staff for a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Larry Schafer joins the RNG Coalition as Director of Federal Policy. He is one of the nation’s preeminent experts on federal biofuels policy and has extensive experience providing clients and trade associations with guidance on technical, legislative and regulatory matters relating to renewable fuels, energy, agriculture, tax and trade. He previously served as Vice President of Federal Affairs for the Renewable Fuels Association, and Vice President of Legal, Tax and Accounting Policy with the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. Schafer also served as Legislative Counsel to a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Sandra Franco joins the RNG Coalition as Director of Federal Regulatory Affairs. She has advised clients on administrative, regulatory and litigation matters under several federal environmental laws, including numerous U.S. EPA and federal agency rule-making proceedings. She has worked on Renewable Fuel Standard matters since the program’s inception, including successfully defending full implementation of the RFS before the D.C. Circuit. She was Director of Regulatory Affairs and General Counsel for the National Biodiesel Board, and spent time as a partner at a major international law firm.
“Manning, Anne, Sandra and Larry are highly respected experts in our field. Their addition exponentially increases the potential of what we can accomplish in our nation’s Capitol,” said Johannes Escudero, RNG Coalition CEO and Executive Director. “Excellence in relationship building, educating policy makers, and legislative and regulatory advocacy will advance renewable natural gas. It will further enable our industry to develop more projects and employ more people across the country.”
One such developer of numerous renewable natural gas projects across the U.S. is Aria Energy.
“Over the last six years the renewable natural gas industry has grown at an exponential rate,” said Jay Hopper, Aria Energy’s Vice President of Development. “To support the growth we have come to expect we need this kind of representation in DC to promote our mission.”
“The growth to our team and to our presence in Washington, D.C reflects the arrival of renewable natural gas as a substantial renewable fuel and sustainable energy industry in the U.S.,” said Marcus Gillette, RNG Coalition Director of Public Affairs.
Industry stakeholders and RNG Coalition members will have the opportunity to meet the new team members at the RNG 2017 Conference, November 27-30.
Find extended professional histories for the new team members at RNGCoalition.com.
ABOUT THE COALITION FOR RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS (RNG COALITION) - Founded in 2011, the RNG Coalition represents the renewable natural gas industry in North America, including companies that produce, or otherwise support production and distribution of biogas-derived renewable natural gas, which is a domestic, clean, low-carbon, and renewable source of power, heat and fuel that makes up the predominant share of Cellulosic Biofuel in North America. For more information, please see RNGCoalition.com.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Marcus Gillette, Director of Public Affairs
916.588.3033 Ext. 3
Marcus@RNGCoalition.com