Course Instructors
Robert T. Burns, PhD, PE
Professor - Iowa State University
Robert has over 16 years of engineering experience and holds a BS in Agricultural Engineering, MS in Environmental Engineering, and PhD in Civil Engineering from The University of Tennessee. Dr. Burns leads the 20 person ISU Agricultural Waste Management Laboratory research team on various air emissions and manure management projects. He has worked on numerous US and foreign agricultural and environmental consulting projects and has published over 175 technical publications. He is a registered Professional Engineer.
Van Dobbs
National Sales Manager - Plastic Fusion Fabricators
Mr. Dobbs has been in the thermoplastic pipe, lining and fabrication industry for 27 years. Mr.Dobbs has experience in sales, marketing, management, design and installation of HDPE pipe systems, lining systems, lagoon covers and custom fabrications. He has a BS in marketing from Auburn University.
Thomas Elsenbruch, DI (FH)
Biogas Applications Marketing Manager - GE Jenbacher, Austria
Mr. Elsenbruch has 13 years of experience in the engine and power generation industry. He holds a Diploma Engineer in Mechanical Engineering from the Fachhochschule Landshut/Germany. He has worked for GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engine business as an application engineer and a marketing manager. Recently, his primary focus has been dissemination of biogas applications worldwide, based on Europe's experiences.
Curt Gooch, MS, PE
Senior Extension Associate - Cornell University
Curt Gooch has 20 years of experience in environmental and agricultural engineering. His primary focus is on-farm anaerobic digestion and biogas treatment and utilization. Curt has a BS in Agricultural Engineering and an MS in Biological Resources Engineering from the University of Maryland James Clark School of Engineering. He is a registered Professional Engineer.
Mark Kingland
Technical Sales Support Project Manager - Alliant Energy
Mr. Kingland specializes in energy management, auditing, and analysis of commercial business operations and helps customers implement process and energy efficient improvements. He is a member of the Bio Energy Solutions Team focusing on assisting customers interested in implementing alternative energy systems, such as anaerobic digestion. Mr. Kingland graduated with a degree in Agriculture from Iowa State University.
Barry Kintzer, PE
Engineering Consultant, VA
Mr. Kintzer has more than 35 years of experience as an agricultural and environmental engineer for USDA/NRCS. He received his B.S. degree in Agricultural Engineering from Pennsylvania State University. He is a registered professional engineer in Illinois and Virginia.
Larry Krom
Project Manager - Wisconsin Focus on Energy
Larry Krom is the biogas and large wind energy project manager for Wisconsin's renewable energy program. He is the program's technical lead for biogas technologies in the industrial and agricultural sectors, and he assists in coordinating program efforts with other state agencies. He's also president of L&S Technical Associates, Inc., a company providing innovative research and development solutions in renewable energy, physical science, and technical modeling.
William Lazarus, PhD
Professor and Extension Economist - University of Minnesota
Dr. Lazarus has 28 years of farm management research and extension experience. His interests include the anaerobic digester and biomass energy crop economics, farm machinery management, and crop and livestock production economics. Dr. Lazarus has a B.S in Agronomy and a M.S. in Agricultural Economics from Pennsylvania State University, and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois.
Norma McDonald
Owner and Operating Manager - Phase 3 Renewables
Ms. McDonald has extensive experience determining the feasibility of agricultural waste to energy projects. She was a founding member of the National Biogas Industry Association and is on the Michigan State University Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Industry Advisory Board. Her previous experience includes commercializing bio-based materials and chemicals made by fermentation with project management in the US, Europe, and Asia. She attended Hope Collegeand the University of Wisconsin.
Andrew Mills
Research and Technology Manager - Layfield Geosynthetics and Industrial Fabrics Ltd.
Mr. Mills has over 20 years of experience as an installer, product and research manager, plant manager, and marketing manager for Layfield. He has led many projects including geomembrane manufacturing, secondary containment market development, and development of the Arctic Liner, Enviro Liner, and HAZGARD brands of geomembranes. His publications include technical papers, case histories, articles, and he is the primary author of www.geomembranes.com.
Lara Moody, MS, PE
Program Manager - Iowa State University
Mrs. Moody has over 10 years of experience in agricultural engineering and nutrient management for animal feeding operations. She manages the Agricultural Waste Management Lab at Iowa State University. She holds a B.S. and M.S. in Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering from the University of Tennessee. She is a registered Professional Engineer in Iowa.
Brandon Moffatt, MBA
Vice President of Development - StormFisher Biogas
Mr. Moffatt has over 10 years of experience in environmental and agricultural consulting and has considerable knowledge of agricultural issues. His project management experience includes various agricultural and environmental projects with farms, food processors, contractors, and regulatory agencies. He has a B.S in Environmental Engineering from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from the University of Windsor.
Dan Nemke, MS
General Manger - Clear Horizons LLC
Mr. Nemke has 5 years of experience in the dairy anaerobic digestion industry. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UW-Platteville and an MS in Engineering Management from Milwaukee School of Engineering. His company installed, owns, operates, and maintains an anaerobic digestion facility in Waterloo, WI that was originally installed in 2007. This system was doubled in size and fully commissioned in April of 2009.
Jeff Pankonie
Senior Sales Engineer - Firestone Specialty Products
Mr. PanKonie has over 20 years of experience with the Firestone Building Products Company. He has more than 30 years experience in designing, installing and specifying EPDM and other membrane systems. He has recently written and had accepted three ASTM Test Standards. He has published several articles on lining installations. He is a member of ASTM, ASCE, and CSI. He holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Purdue University.
Scott Subler, PhD
President - Environmental Credit Corp.
Dr. Subler is actively involved in developing environmental projects to mitigate greenhouse gases, and he provides expertise for policy and protocol development for U.S. and international carbon offset programs. He received his Ph.D. in Agricultural Ecology from Penn State University. Dr. Subler chairs the Chicago Climate Exchange Offsets Committee and serves on the U.S. Composting Council Board of Directors as well as on several other scientific advisory boards.
Jeff Van Voorhis
Project Manager - Symbiont
Mr. Van Voorhis has over 15 years of experience in wastewater treatment for the food, beverage, pulp & paper, and chemical industries. He has served as the project manager for a variety of large and small scale projects. Mr. Van Voorhis incorporates renewable energy utilization into his projects whenever feasible. Mr. Van Voorhis received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Purdue University and an M.B.A. from Marquette University.
Andrew Wedel, MS, PE
Agricultural Engineer - McLanahan Corporation
Mr. Wedel has 17 years experience researching and designing sand-laden manure handling systems for dairy farms ranging in complexity from short term storage structures to sand recycling systems pre-advanced treatment systems. Andrew holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Agricultural Engineering from University of Delaware and Michigan State University, respectively. He is a registered professional engineer in DE, MI, PA, and WI.
Chris Voell
Program Manager-USEPA AgSTAR
Mr. Voell currently works both in the US and internationally to advance development of renewable biogas recovery systems. With the EPA AgSTAR program, Chris works across the US with livestock producers, project developers, utilities, and government agencies to overcome barriers to manure biogas project development. Chris has degrees in forestry from Paul Smiths College in New York and natural resources management from the University of Maryland.
