Gordon Ommen
Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board

Mr. Ommen has served as our Chief Executive Officer and as Chairman of our Board since inception. Mr. Ommen is also the Principal of Capitaline Advisors, which he founded in 2002. In addition to a proven track record as an entrepreneur and leader in the renewable energy industry, he has more than 25 years of experience in banking, investing, and building and managing successful businesses. In 1989, he began his executive career as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of Coastal Virginia Bank in Virginia Beach. Three years later, he was named to a similar role with Fishback Financial Corporation, a multi-bank holding company in Brookings, South Dakota. In 1997, he assumed additional duties as President and Director of First National Venture Capital, a subsidiary of First National Bank, also in Brookings.

In 2004, Mr. Ommen, Capitaline, and a group of investors launched US BioEnergy Corporation, a producer and marketer of ethanol and distillers grains. He became CEO and Chairman of the Board in December 2005. One year later, US BioEnergy launched a successful IPO trading on the NASDAQ Global Market.

Mr. Ommen was named a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2007. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in Economics from South Dakota State University, where he has served as an adjunct Professor of Economics. He is a frequent speaker at business and academic forums on biofuels.    

 

Tim Kubista
Senior Vice President, Director

Mr. Kubista has served as JetE’s Senior Vice President since February 2009. From 2008 to 2009 he served as a principal at Elements, a renewable energy communications and business advisory firm. Mr. Kubista was responsible for business development and business advisory for clients. From 2001 to 2008 he served as President of BKG, a renewable energy marketing firm. Mr. Kubista founded BKG in 2001. From 1997 to 2001 he held the positions of Director of European Operations and Director of International Marketing at Orion Food Systems, a division of Schwan’s.

Mr. Kubista was named the 2006 South Dakota Small Business Person of the Year. In 2007 BKG was honored as an Inc. 5000 company.

 

Dan Yarano
Director

Mr. Yarano is a co-chair of Fredrikson & Byron’s Energy Practice Group and is a member of the firm’s Corporate, Securities, and Mergers & Acquisitions Groups.

Mr. Yarano advises clients on matters relating to the private and public financing of companies and wind energy and biomass concerns, including venture capital and bank financing, mergers, acquisitions, wind energy and biomass development, and compliance with corporate and securities laws. Mr. Yarano represents public and private companies on general corporate, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and compliance with state and federal securities laws. Mr. Yarano works with investment banks, venture capitalists and investors in connection with the private placement and public offering of corporate equity and debt securities, and assists investment banks in structuring secured and unsecured loans. 

Mr. Yarano received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and an MBA degree from The American University. He received his law degree from William Mitchell College of Law where he graduated cum laude.

 

Daniel Scott
Director

Mr. Scott is a partner with the law firm of Larson King, LLP engaged in commercial, product and employment litigation, insurance-related disputes and public affairs. With a business and tort litigation focus, Mr. Scott serves clients in the construction, energy, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, political, retail and professional services industries.

Mr. Scott represents clients before judges and juries in state, federal, appellate and administrative courts, and in alternative dispute resolution. His clients include individuals, professionals, entrepreneurs, politicians, Fortune 500 companies, and governmental units. Minnesota Law & Politics recognizes Mr. Scott as a “Rising Star” and “Super Lawyer,” placing him in the top 5% of Minnesota lawyers.

Mr. Scott has served in numerous professional, civic and business organizations. He has been successively appointed by Saint Paul Mayors Norm Coleman, Randy Kelly and Chris Coleman to the city Heritage Preservation and Planning commissions. In 2009 he is the Chairman of the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce and serves as a director on Capital City Partnership.

A South Dakota native, Mr. Scott received his undergraduate degree from Augustana College and law degree from the William Mitchell College of Law.

 

Cyndi Lesher
Director

Cynthia (Cyndi) Lesher is the retired president and CEO of Northern States Power Company-Minnesota, an Xcel Energy company. During her career at Xcel Energy she served as Xcel Energy's vice president, chief administrative officer and chief human resources officer, president of NSP Gas, vice president of NSP human resources, and various other positions.

Ms. Lesher serves on the Board of Directors of Anchor Bank, the Twin Cities Area Red Cross (Board Chair), the Animal Humane Society and the University of Minnesota Institute of Technology Advisory Board. She also serves as a commissioner of the New Brighton Economic Development Commission and is a Regent Emeritus of the University of Minnesota.

Ms. Lesher was appointed chair of the Governor’s Workforce Development Council in 2004 by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. In 2003 she was inducted into the Women’s Economic Roundtable, comprising of the top 100 women leaders in Minnesota. In January 2007 Lesher was named President of the Host Committee for the 2008 Republican National Convention responsible for raising $58 million to fund the convention and to showcase Minneapolis, St. Paul and Minnesota to the world.

CityBusiness magazine named her among the Twin Cities' most innovative women. In 2007 she received the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal’s Lifetime Career Achievement Award and she was selected by the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce as the 2008 Woman of the Year.

Ms. Lesher earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Drake University, a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling and psychology from St. Cloud State University, and completed the Master of Excellence Program at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management.

 

Randy Schneider
Director

Mr. Schneider is a Senior Tax Manager at Senger & Associates, P.C. He specializes in the construction, manufacturing, real estate, and agricultural industries. Mr. Schneider provides tax planning and business consulting within these industries. He has 23 years of experience in the public accounting and private industries.

Mr. Schneider has served as North Dakota Governor Appointee to the North Dakota Energy Policy Commission and North Dakota Renewable Energy Council since 2007 and also currently serves on the Business and Labor Advisory Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, the board of the North Dakota State University Center for Community Vitality and is President and Treasurer of the North Dakota Ethanol Producers Association.

Mr. Schneider was a founding member and treasurer of Gold Energy LLC, a start-up ethanol plant in Hankinson, North Dakota, and was a board member of US BioEnergy – Hankinson from 2006 to 2007.

Mr. Schneider graduated from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, in 1980, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Accounting. He is a member of the North Dakota and Minnesota Societies of CPAs, and the American Institute of CPAs.

 

Don Drake
Director

Mr. Drake is the founder and owner of Shred-it Madison a document destruction company based in Madison, WI.  With over 3000 customers they are the largest document destruction company in the state of Wisconsin.  Shred-it provides document destruction services to a wide range of business and government entities.  Mr. Drake is also the founder of PODS Northeast Wisconsin, a portable storage company based in Appleton, WI.  They recently completed their 6000 move.  Mr. Drake recently successfully sold Endeavor Therapy and Sleep based in Mequon, WI.   Endeavor Therapy and sleep is a Medicare certified comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facility and an independent diagnostic testing facility, which provides pulmonary rehabilitation, physical therapy and sleep studies.  A lifelong entrepreneur and veteran of ten startups, Mr. Drake continues to do business across the state of Wisconsin.

A native of South Dakota, Mr. Drake received his undergraduate degree in entrepreneurship from St. Thomas University and an MBA degree from the University of South Dakota.