Meet Our Team
Johannes D. Escudero - Founder, President & CEO
Johannes is the Founder, President and CEO of RNG Coalition. Mr. Escudero is a passionate sustainability advocate and entrepreneur with twenty-five plus years of organizational leadership, business development and advocacy experience, including in non-profit management, government affairs, higher education and fundraising.
He previously served as Legislative Director in the California State Assembly where he advised ranking members of the Transportation, Utilities and Commerce, Natural Resources, Environmental Safety & Toxic Materials and Education committees, and discovered a biogas bill that was the catalyst for the Coalition’s founding.
Sam Wade - Vice President, Public Policy
Sam serves as RNG Coalition’s Vice President, Public Policy. Previously Mr. Wade worked as Chief of the Transportation Fuels Branch at the California Air Resources Board, where he oversaw the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program.
His private sector experience includes work in energy policy at a major California utility and time with a bioenergy start-up. Mr. Wade holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from U.C. Davis, a MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hawaii, and an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University.
Geoff Dietz - Sr. Director of Federal Government Affairs
Geoff serves as RNG Coalition’s Senior Director of Federal Government Affairs based in Washington D.C. Previously Mr. Dietz worked as a Manager of Government Affairs with TotalEnergies where he managed policy analysis and advocacy related to U.S. economic statecraft, industrial policy, and the energy transition. He previously served as a Global Policy Fellow with GE, managing cross-sectoral policy analysis, stakeholder engagement and written production for GE executives.
Mr. Dietz has a BA in Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs from Miami University in Ohio. He holds an MA in Security Studies with a focus in International Energy Policy & Geopolitics from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.
LeSharon Escudero - Creative Director
LeSharon serves as RNG Coalition’s Creative Director. Since the Coalition’s inaugural membership luncheon in 2011, she continues to direct events for our now 400+ member companies, serving more than 3,000 attendees annually leading up to and during RNG SUMMIT, WORKS, CONFERENCE, CONNECTS, and SMART CUP events.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of California, Sacramento. LeSharon is passionate about creative arts, artistic expression, and the art of hospitality.
Rachel Franco - Sr. Manager, LABs & Member Resources
Rachel serves as Sr. Manager, LABs and Member Resources. Most recently, she worked as Communications Manager of a publicly-traded manufacturing and distribution company. She has also held various executive level support roles within elite entertainment and professional sports organizations. Ms. Franco holds a BS in Management Science and Information Systems from The Pennsylvania State University.
Phil Vos - Sr. Manager, Data & Research
Phil joined the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas following six years working on RNG at environmental non-profit (and RNGC member) Energy Vision. Prior to Energy Vision, Mr. Vos worked for six years in the energy efficiency industry, and also helped manage an industrial materials reuse/recycling program. Phil earned his BA at Columbia University, and his MSc from the London School of Economics.
Dylan Chase - Sr. Manager, Communications
Dylan serves as RNG Coalition’s Sr. Manager of Communications. Chase was previously Editor of S&P Global Commodity Insights’ Gas Daily news service in Houston, with prior experience reporting on beats spanning from international oil markets to professional baseball. He holds degrees in Communication and Creative Writing from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Allyson Lockhart - Manager of Events
Allyson serves as the Events Manager for the RNG Coalition, where she oversees the operational logistics for RNG Coalition’s events. She has over two decades of global experience in planning, coordinating and managing innovative and impactful events across diverse industries, including the non-profit sector. She particularly enjoys planning and managing events designed to engage those involved in social entrepreneurship. A nature lover and outdoor enthusiast at heart, she also has a passion for dance, design, and art.
Alex Ripley - Manager, Canadian Policy
Alex comes to the Coalition from the Royal Danish Consulate in Toronto, where he led the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Waste, Recycling, and Biogas Advisory group. In this capacity, his work focused on helping Danish companies do business in Canada and the U.S., and on promoting the adoption of Danish solutions and regulatory best practices across North America. Alex boasts a well-developed industry network on both sides of the border, and brings to the Coalition a sophisticated knowledge of the state of innovation and regulation in both North America and Europe.
Prior to his work with the Ministry, Alex worked in economic development and enjoyed a stint in the private sector in London, UK. He holds a BA (Hons.) in Political Science from the University of Toronto (Trinity College) and an MA with a focus in International Relations from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Yanni Psareas - Manager, Western Legislative Affairs
Yanni serves as the Coalition’s Manager of Western Legislative Affairs. Previously, he worked as the Eastern Regional Director at Young Conservatives for Carbon Dividends (YCCD), where he led government affairs teams to advance pro-growth, market-based climate solutions and decarbonization policy. He brings extensive experience in building strategic partnerships and advancing clean energy policy to the Coalition's western state legislative initiatives.
Mr. Psareas holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Central Florida.
Sandra Franco - Legal & Regulatory Counsel
Sandra serves as Legal and Regulatory Counsel to the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas. She has advised clients on administrative, regulatory and litigation matters under several federal environmental laws, including numerous rule-making proceedings before the U.S. EPA and other federal agencies.
Ms. Franco has worked on Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) matters since its inception, including successfully defending full implementation of the program before the D.C. Circuit.
Ms. Franco has been recognized by Chambers USA in environmental law in D.C., particularly with respect to the Clean Air Act and natural resources law. Ms. Franco previously served as Director of Regulatory Affairs & General Counsel for the National Biodiesel Board (NBB), after time as a partner in the environmental and natural resources group at a major international law firm.
Anne Steckel - Principal Lobbyist
Anne serves as RNG Coalition’s primary lobbyist for all federal government affairs in Washington, DC. She has over 20 years of policy advocacy experience in Washington, DC working on legislative, regulatory and political issues on and off Capitol Hill.
After previously directing government relations at the American Farm Bureau Federation and at Growth Energy, she most recently served as VP of Federal Affairs for the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). Ms. Steckel ran the Washington DC office, managing federal legislative, regulatory and legal efforts, where she led a successful campaign to increase biodiesel levels in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). She is widely recognized as a thought leader in the renewable energy industry, having testified multiple times before Congress, Federal agencies, and the International Trade Commission.
Jeff Miller - Coalition Coverage
Jeff serves as the Coalition Coverage Coordinator and has been in the insurance business for 38 years. Jeff served on the Corona City Council for 8 years, including 2 years as Mayor. In 2009 he was elected to the California State Assembly and represented the 71st Assembly District where he served as Vice Chair of the Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee. During his time in the California State Assembly he was awarded Legislator of the Year from the Industrial Environmental Association, California Chemistry Council and the California Manufacturers & Tech Association.
Jeff graduated with a BA degree in Criminal Justice from California State University Fullerton.