The Honorable Carole L. Brookins - Chairperson

The Honorable Carole L. Brookins served from 2001 to 2005 as the United States Executive Director to The World Bank in Washington, D.C, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate of the United States.

An international consultant, she is currently a Managing Director of Public Capital Advisors LLC (PCA), as well as a Director of Climate Exchange Plc and the Chicago Climate Exchange. She also serves on advisory boards of Rabobank North America and Zogby International.

Ms. Brookins is a member of HRH The Prince of Wales’ Rainforest Project Advisory Council and is on the GVEP International (Global Village Energy Partnership) Board of Trustees. From 1980-2001 she was founder and CEO of World Perspectives Incorporated.

James Crowley - Advisory Board Member

James Crowley who was appointed to the Board of Directors of Green Plains Renewable Energy as a part of the VBV merger transaction on October 15, 2008, also serves as Chairman of the Board’s Audit Committee.  Mr. Crowley has been the Chairman and Managing Partner of Old Strategic, LLC since July 2006.  His previous experience includes service as Chairman and Managing Partner of Strategic Research Institute, which he co-founded in 1993, President of Global Investment and Merchant Banking at Prudential Securities, and investment banking at Smith Barney Harris Upham & Co. He currently serves on the board and is audit committee chair of Core Molding Technologies and has served on a number of educational and not-for-profit boards.

Mr. Crowley has a Masters degree in Business Administration from the Wharton Graduate School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Villanova University.

Ruth Harkin - Advisory Board Member

Ruth R. Harkin served as United Technologies Corporation’s senior vice president, international affairs and government relations and chair of United Technologies International, UTC’s international representation arm from 1997-2005. She joined UTC from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), an independent, U.S. government-owned corporation at which she served as president and chief executive officer.  Under her tenure,  OPIC committed more than $6 billion in financing and sold $34 billion worth of political risk insurance, supporting a total of 450 projects and earning a record four-year profit of $725 million.

From 1979 to 1981, Ms. Harkin served as deputy general counsel at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  From 1983 to 1993, Mrs. Harkin was Of Counsel at the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, where her clients included U.S. businesses engaged in international trade and investment.

Mrs. Harkin sits on the boards of directors of ConocoPhillips, Bowater, the Iowa Board of Regents and the board of visitors of the College of Business Administration, University of Iowa.  She is a member of the Iowa and Washington, D.C. bars.

Christopher Hunt - Advisory Board Member

Christopher Hunt is Managing Director, Riverstone Holdings LLC and has nearly 20 years experience in renewable/alternative energy, gas and power. Through the course of his career, he has developed, constructed, financed and/or operated renewable and conventional energy businesses in over 25 countries involving more than 30 GWs of power capacity.

Prior to joining Riverstone, Mr. Hunt was one of the principals leading the creation and growth of BP Alternative Energy. Before BP, he was at Enron and was a founding member of a privately held international private power company with assets across Latin America, Europe and Asia.

Steve Ragiel - Advisory Board Member

Steve has over 20 years experience in the recycling sector including most recently as CEO and founder of Greenstar North America. Following a successful tenure growing an international recycling network from 17 to over 70 facilities across Europe, Australia and Asia, Steve founded and was CEO of Waste Management Inc’s Recycle America division, a $1 billion diversified recycle processing, manufacturing and commodity marketing business. Today, Steve works on sustainable energy and sustainable resource investments for NTR.

Prior to his career at Waste Management, Steve was with HDR Engineering and Technology Management Services.

Steve has held numerous recycling industry group positions including Chairmanship of the United States National Recycling Coalition.

Carlos Riva - Advisory Board Member

Carlos Riva is Chief Executive Officer of Verenium Corporation, a publicly listed advanced biofuels development company based in the United States. He was first associated with NTR while serving as a Non-executive Director of NTR’s former wind energy business Airtricity and is currently an advisor to the company.

Prior to joining Verenium, Carlos was an Executive Director of AMEC plc responsible for business in the UK and the Americas. He was also the founding Chief Executive of InterGen, a major international electric power developer.

Dr. Dennis Thomas - Advisory Board Member

Dennis Thomas provides public affairs, energy policy and technology consulting for regulated companies or developing projects in markets characterized by regulation.

Dr. Thomas has specialities in renewables, electric generation project development, acquisitions, energy efficiency and demand management, consultation with the public, and use of technology in decision-making.

He has been an advisor to NTR companies since 2004 and currently assists Stirling Energy Systems on solar projects. Dr. Thomas was previously Chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and has held numerous corporate and public board positions.