T.J. Morice
Marth
BTEC Vice-Chairman

T.J. Morice has over 20 years business experience since graduation at UW-Madison.  Since 1998 he has been devoted to the development and advocacy of biomass fuel markets in the Midwest in addition to related enterprises.  In addition to his VP position of Marth Companies, in the past he was an vital part of the PFI board, participating in Wisconsin activities including the Governors Woody Biomass Taskforce and other industry trade conferences.  He also enjoys volunteering on the board of WCLQ (Religious radio station) and is a member of NSP (National Ski Patrol).

Steven Jay Mueller
International WoodFuels
BTEC Treasurer

Steven Jay Mueller is the President of International WoodFuels, a renewable solid fuels technology company that develops, owns and operates wood pellet plants throughout the US and overseas. Previous to joining WoodFuels, he was the CEO of DG Energy, a company which owned and operated biomass power generation plants, district energy systems and industrial gas cogeneration facilities throughout the US.

Scott Nichols
Tarm Biomass
BTEC Secretary

Scott Nichols graduated with B.S. in Law and Public Policy from the School of Management at Syracuse University in 1993.
From 1995 to 2006 Mr. Nichols assisted with operations of Tarm USA, Inc. a family run company, importing and distributing biomass boilers for three European manufacturers. Since 2006 he is the owner of Tarm USA, Inc. He ran an active hearth shop in Lyme, NH from 1995-2005, with a predominant number of sales in wood and wood pellet burning appliances.

Mr. Nichols has been active in the Heating the Northeast Conference Steering Committee in 2009 and 2010.

John Ackerly
Alliance for Green Heat

John Ackerly is the President of the Alliance for Green Heat, a non-profit that promotes cleaner and more efficient residential biomass heating, with a strong focus on low and middle-income families.  Previously, Mr. Ackerly was the President of the International Campaign for Tibet and worked with many human rights and environmental groups in Washington, DC.

He attended Dartmouth College and American University Law School.  He is an avid rock climber, skier, outdoorsman and wood stove aficionado.  He lives in Takoma Park, Maryland with his wife Nina Smith and son Sammy.

Raymond J. Albrecht, P.E.
Fulton Companies

Ray Albrecht is a consulting member of the New Product Development Group at the Fulton Companies in upstate New York.  Fulton is entering the biomass market as a manufacturer of boilers and thermal systems for commercial and industrial applications and a liaison to German and Austrian wood boiler manufacturers.

He managed the heating research program for residential, commercial and industrial buildings for thirty years at NYSERDA.  Program included the development of new burners, boilers, furnaces and controls in cooperation with New York State manufacturers as well as development and demonstration of ultra-low emissions wood and biomass-fired boiler systems.

Mr. Albrecht has a Bachelor of Science (Engineering) degree and Master of Science (Theoretical and Applied Mechanics) degree from Cornell University. 

Rob Davis
Forest Energy Corporation

Rob Davis is the President and Owner of Forest Energy Corporation of Show Low, Arizona— a wood pellet manufacturer founded in 1991. Forest Energy’s subsidiaries include Forest Energy Colorado, New Mexico Fuels, and Forest Energy Systems distributes a European biomass boiler in the US and provides a biomass boiler system supplier.

Mr. Davis is also a founding partner of Future Forest, LLC, which is the primary contractor for the White Mountain Stewardship Project within the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. This contract is for a 150,000-acre, ten-year forest restoration and fire mitigation project.

Mr. Davis is on the Governor’s Forest Health Advisory Council in AZ and CO. He is the past President and current Director of the Pellet Fuels Institute.

Stephen Faehner
American Wood Fibers

Stephen J. Faehner is the Vice President of Industrial Sales & Business Development at American Wood Fibers and an owner and son of the original founder of AWF, Frank Faehner. Over the past 40 years AWF has processed millions of tons of woody biomass into value added products.  As part of the “4th Generation” he has been immersed in the wood fiber and biomass business his entire life.

Mr. Faehner graduated with a B.B.A. in Business Management from Andrews University in 1993.  Early in his career he spent 5 years managing the Jessup, Maryland facility of AWF.  In 1998 he moved into Sales and was promoted to Vice President of the $25+ million industrial business unit in 2007, working directly with Fortune 500 companies in the retail, building products and automotive sectors. In 2005 Stephen lead AWF into the wood pellet fuel business and directed AWF's largest acquisition in 2006. 

Mr. Faehner resides in Maryland with his wife Hollie and his "5th Generation" sons Owen, Jack and Sam. His hobbies include family, water and snow skiing, golf, coaching youth sports and of course, Sawdust.

Mike Jostrom
Plum Creek

Mr. Jostrom is responsible for managing and growing Plum Creek's renewable energy efforts. Mike has worked for Plum Creek extensively in the management of Forest Operations, development of regional conservation plans, and directing of forest health investments company-wide.

He has a Forest Management degree from Washington State University and has completed executive education at Harvard Business School.

Mark K. Lay
Gavilon

Mark Layis director, renewables of The Gavilon Group, LLC, with responsibility for the company’s newly created Biomass Energy group.  In addition to sourcing and distributing all solid biomass fuels, Lay is accountable for driving the Biomass Energy group’s overall strategy related to business development opportunities.

Mr. Lay’s extensive domestic and international experience includes executing more than $1.7 billion of complex financial transactions, strategic partnerships and business development opportunities for start-up and established corporations.  With nearly 20 years of experience in the Energy industry, he has been instrumental in the past 8 years advancing the development of renewable energy sources.  Prior to joining Gavilon, he was principal and founder of Oso Negro, LLC, an energy consultancy focused on renewable energy and financial risk management for energy and basic industries.  He was also managing director, business development for Cedars Capital, LLC, where he was responsible for the development of biomass projects, including fuel pellet and power opportunities.  Before that, he founded and built the fuel technology company, EnviroFuels, LLC, focused on specialized fuel and lubricant technologies. Mr. Lay previously held senior leadership roles at Bruin Interests, LLC, Enron Corp. and AIG Trading Corporation.

Mr. Lay earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he graduated magna cum laude and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. 

Patrick McGonagle
Biowood Energy

Bio coming soon...

Christopher Recchia
Biomass Energy Resource Center

Chris Recchia is the executive director of the Biomass Energy Resource Center since May of 2007. He has more than 22 years of experience as an environmental leader in the development of state and federal environmental policy and the implementation of programs managing air, land, and water resources.

Mr. Recchia came to BERC after a four-year tenure as executive director of the Ozone Transport Commission in Washington, DC, where he directed a commission of 12 mid-Atlantic and northeastern states and the District of Columbia, coordinating air pollution reduction programs and policy. Prior to that, he served as commissioner of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont, a master’s in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School, and a master’s in Natural Resource Policy and Management from Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Lisa Rockefeller
WoodPellets.com

Lisa A. Rockefeller is the Director of Public Affairs at the American Biomass Corporation and Woodpellets.com.

Lisa Rockefeller brings seven years of political organizing, fundraising, and strategic marketing experience to her role managing the firm’s government relations and public-private partnerships. She gained a deep understanding of online advertising platforms while working at Google in Online Sales and Operations and now contributes to the firm’s strategic brand management and online advertising campaigns through American Biomass' retail arm, Woodpellets.com. Lisa currently represents American Biomass at the Maine Pellet Fuel Association and at the Biomass Thermal Energy Vice Council of the American Council on Renewable Energy. Prior to joining American Biomass, Lisa served as National Finance Director for America Votes, the largest voter mobilization coalition in the United States. Lisa has designed and executed strategic marketing campaigns for a broad spectrum of public and private organizations, including the Campaign for America’s Future, the Apollo Alliance, and the Senate and Presidential campaigns of Senator John Kerry.

Lisa received her MBA from Dartmouth’s Amos Tuck School of Business and was a recipient of the Tuck Scholarship. She graduated cum laude with a BA from Princeton University where she was a member of the women’s water polo team, the Ivy Club, and Pi Beta Phi. She lives in Boston with her husband, Ned Sebelius, and their dog, Fenway.

Bob Sourek
Bear Mountain Forest Products

Bob Sourek, is the owner and founder of Bear Mountain Forest Products Inc. a wood pellet fuel producer established in 1988.

Mr. Sourek is a graduate forester from the University of Montana. He is on the Board of Directors of the Biomass Energy Resource Center (BERC) , a member and on the Board of Directors of the Pellet Fuels Institute (PFI), and a member of the Society of American Foresters (SAF).  As a field forester Mr. Sourek explored the potential of the forest ecosystem to reliably provide biomass resources and in the process of building Bear Mt., he gained experience in collecting and utilizing Biomass in all forms available. Mr. Sourek has traveled throughout Europe investigating the technology available to not only harvest/collect biomass but also process and utilize the resulting fuels. Through his association with BTEC and PFI, and on behalf of these organizations Mr. Sourek has traveled to the Oregon and Washington State capitols and Washington DC to educate and advocate for the efficient use of biomass energy. These experiences have given him an appreciation for the complex interactions between business, public policy and societal good.