The Renewable Fuels Association applauds the four industry leaders who received recognition at the 2026 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop and Expo today in St. Louis—all of whom represent RFA member companies.
“Every year, the Fuel Ethanol Workshop honors men and women whose drive and dedication helped move the U.S. ethanol industry forward to new heights,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “As the leading trade association for our industry, we’re pleased to see that the companies they represent are all producer or associate members of RFA. We congratulate them, thank them for their outstanding service, and wish them every future success. We’re especially happy to see former RFA Chairman Chuck Woodside honored for his strong leadership as a respected voice and thoughtful innovator for U.S. ethanol.”
Recognized by BBI International at its annual event were:
- Chuck Woodside, CEO of KAAPA Ethanol LLC, who received the High Octane Award for his decades of leadership and service to the ethanol industry. Woodside served as RFA chairman from 2011–2012. Woodside has served as CEO at KAAPA for 25 years, and KAAPA has grown into the largest farmer-owned ethanol producer in Nebraska, with a grain elevator and three ethanol plants producing over 350 million gallons annually. In addition to RFA, Woodside has also served in leadership roles with Renewable Fuels Nebraska and Renewable Products Marketing Group,
- Jenny Forbes, vice president of sales and service at Phibro Ethanol, who received the Women in Ethanol Award for her more than 20 years of leadership, technical expertise and dedication to ethanol producers.
- Pauline Teunissen, global application director for grain processing at IFF, who received the Award of Excellence for her longstanding contributions to innovation in ethanol production.
- Jim Ramm, who co-founded and served as vice president of U.S. biofuels at EcoEngineers, received the Distinguished Service Award for his pioneering work in low-carbon fuel compliance and carbon markets. He retired last year.
Pictured is Chuck Woodside. Click here for more photos from the event.
