WASHINGTON, DC (June 4, 2014) – The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the algae industry, today announced the election of eight members to its Board of Directors for the 2014-2016 term. The group includes both new and existing (re-elected) members who will join seven current members of the Board of Directors.
ABO’s board guides the organization in its mission to educate the general public, policymakers and industry about the benefits of algae to address energy security, food production and sustainability, and to advocate for policies that can accelerate the development of commercial markets for products made from algae.
ABO’s board is comprised of representatives from multiple sectors of an industry that is experiencing more investment and seeing new commercial facilities opening or being planned around the world. Board members come from industry sectors that include academia, professional services, algae producers, technology suppliers, project developers and end-users.
The newly elected board members are:
- Michael Lakeman, Ph.D. – Associate Technical Fellow, Boeing Commercial Airplanes
- Martin Sabarsky – Chief Executive Officer, Cellana, Inc.
- Emilie Slaby – Senior Business Development Manager, The Scoular Company
The re-elected board members are:
- Mark Allen – Vice President – Integrated Carbon Solutions, Accelergy Corporation
- John Benemann, Ph.D. – Chief Executive Officer, MicroBio Engineering, Inc.
- Tom Byrne – President and Chief Executive Officer, Byrne & Company Limited
- B. Gregory Mitchell, Ph.D. – Research Scientist, University of California San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- Joel Murdock – Managing Director of Strategic Projects, FedEx Express
ABO’s current board members include:
- Jacques Beaudry-Losique – Senior Vice President of Corporate and Business Development, Algenol Biofuels
- Tim Burns – President, Chairman and Co-founder, BioProcess Algae, LLC.
- David Hazlebeck, Ph.D. – Chief Executive Officer, Global Algae Innovations, Inc.
- Margaret McCormick, Ph.D. – Chief Executive Officer, Director, Matrix Genetics, LLC.
- Jose Olivares, Ph.D. – Bioscience Division Leader, Los Alamos National Laboratory
- Todd Taylor – Partner and Chair, Sustainability Group, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
- Tim Zenk – Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Sapphire Energy, Inc.
“I am thrilled to welcome both our new as well as our re-elected board members,” said Margaret McCormick, Board Chair of the Algae Biomass Organization. “It is inspiring to see a new generation of leaders join our organization as well as reaffirming to see existing directors who have already contributed so much be given the opportunity to continue their service. We look forward to a great 2014 and beyond.”
In addition to education and outreach efforts with policymakers, ABO produces and hosts the industry’s premier global conference, the Algae Biomass Summit, which this year will be held in San Diego, California, September 29-October 2, 2014. Information about the event can be found at www.algaebiomasssummit.org.
About the Algae Biomass Organization
The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a 501 c(6) non-profit whose mission is to promote the development of viable commercial markets for renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae. Its membership is comprised of people, companies and organizations across the value chain. More information about ABO, including its leadership, membership, costs, benefits and members and their affiliations, is available at the website: www.algaebiomass.org.
