WASHINGTON, DC, US — The US Grains Council (USGC) added staff to its offices in the United States and China and hired a consultant specializing in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Evelyn Li joined the Beijing, China, office on Jan. 8 as administration and compliance coordinator. She will oversee day-to-day operations and support council missions and programs there.
Prior to joining the USGC, Li was an administrative assistant for Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, a global law firm based in China; a senior program manager for Country Holidays International Travel Service; and an operations manager at UMICE International Conference Services.
Li received a master’s degree in international marketing from Hult International Business School.
“Evelyn has a wealth of experience in a variety of international workplaces, and she will be a valuable asset not only to our team here in Beijing, but also to all council members and staff during their work and travels in China,” said Manuel Sanchez, USGC director in China.
Mark Ingebretson became the Council’s SAF global policy consultant on Jan. 8 and will play a key role in developing plans and programming focused on SAF policies.
Ingebretson previously worked at Phillips 66, where he gained extensive experience in the refined fuels sector, international business development initiatives and stakeholder engagement.
He received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in business administration from Rice University in Houston, Texas, US.
“As we continue to advocate for corn ethanol based SAF as a vital decarbonization tool within the aviation sector, the Council felt it was vital to gain Mark’s expertise and leverage it into promoting environmentally friendly policy changes that implement and take advantage of US-sourced SAF product across the globe,” said Mackenzie Boubin, director of global ethanol export development at the USGC.
Rebecca Williams joined the Council on Jan. 9 as its new manager of industry relations. In this role, she will handle coordination and communication between the Council, its members and state checkoff partners.
Williams previously managed operations at Pop Fizz and also has experience in international trade, customer service and public speaking.
She received a bachelor’s degree in international studies and psychology from Portland State University.
“I’m so excited to bring Rebecca to the industry relations team and I know she will be a great asset to our members and make a positive impact during our annual meetings and on our programs,” said Ellen Zimmerman, director of industry relations at the USGC.
