Our Management
Robert Cutshall, Advisor, President of Corval/Ryan Companies US, Inc., a joint venture between two well established construction companies based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His primary role is to work with emerging companies in the renewable energy industry with the goal of becoming their trusted EPC partner and to assist them in commercializing their technology. Bob has over 36 years experience in the commercial construction industry. He began as an estimator/project manager at Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. in 1973. During his years at K-A, he managed a wide range of projects; from simple retail projects to complex printed circuit manufacturing facilities and high rise office buildings. Bob has held several management positions since joining Ryan in 1985. He is currently the co-leader of the Renewable Energy Group. Bob is an active member of several trade associations. He is also the president of CorVal-Ryan J.V., a company formed by Ryan and the CorVal Group Inc to pursue gasification projects.
Stan Donnelly, Advisor, is an entrepreneur known for his acumen in business strategy as well as his knowledge and insight into history. He founded and owns Donnelly Custom Manufacturing Company, located in Alexandria, Minnesota, a manufacturer of close-tolerance injection molded plastic parts serving OEMs nationwide. Donnelly launched the company twenty-five years ago. A fifth-generation Minnesota attorney, Donnelly began the company twenty years ago. More recently, Donnelly was one of the civic leaders in the effort to reform the Minnesota state legislature into a unicameral body. In 2002, Donnelly served as Senator Dean Barkley's chief of staff in Washington when Barkley was appointed by Governor Ventura to serve out the late Paul Wellstone's term. Past and current civic board service includes The Citizens League, Minnesotans for a Single House, MELD, The Oakland Cemetery of St. Paul, and The Taxpayers League. A native Minnesotan, Donnelly has four children and lives in Wayzata.
Steven W. Erickson, Advisor, is a nationally recognized expert in municipal, health care and Native American finance. Mr. Erickson began his career in Investment Banking in 1971. He has been directly responsible for raising in excess of $9 billion in capital for projects across the United States. Mr. Erickson formed Steven W. Erickson & Associate, LLC in 2009, and continues to provide financial consulting services to Native American and alternative energy clients. He practiced securities law with the firm of Gray, Cary, Ames & Frye in San Diego prior to beginning his career in investment banking. Mr. Erickson holds a Juris Doctor degree from Boalt Hall Law School, University of California at Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with high distinction from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He is a member of the Order of the Coif, Beta Gamma Sigma and the California Bar Association.
Dave Kittelson, Advisor, B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering. Dave is the Frank B. Rowley Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Center for Diesel Research, at the University of Minnesota. His research interests include sampling and characterization of ultrafine and nanoparticles from engines and other combustion systems; development of advanced engine exhaust after treatment systems, production and use of biofuels including biodiesel, butanol, DME, Fischer-Tropsch liquids, ethanol, and biocrudes; use of hydrogen produced on-board to modify conventional and low temperature combustion in engines; reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, and development of fast response sensors for engine control.
Tim Maneely, Consultant, MS Chemical Engineering, has extensive experience in fats and oils processing and actively works on biodiesel plant designs as well as oleochemical and vegetable oil plant designs and operations. His background includes 10 yrs of experience with Crown Iron Works, a leader in oleochemical equipment and services. In addition Tim served 5 years as co-founder and senior technical officer of Superior Process Technologies, a company dedicated to biodiesel and glycerin plant design and construction. Tim is a member of AIChE, AOCS and the National Biodiesel Board.
Rick Neville, Advisor, president and CEO of Western Petroleum Company, one of the largest independently owned petroleum-marketing companies in the United States and the 10th largest privately held company in Minnesota. Mr. Neville attributes the company's success to its ability to meet the needs of petroleum marketers and end users in the midst of ever changing markets. The company has extensive knowledge of the industry and provides continuous supplies of gasoline, diesel fuels, propane and aviation fuels for customers throughout the country. The company also provides extensive logistics and risk management programs. Mr. Neville has been with the company in 1976. He is a member of the National Petroleum Council, the National Bio Diesel Board, and the Minnesota Petroleum Association. He is a 1976 of De Pauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.
Dean Phillips, advisor, president & CEO of Phillips Distilling Company, represents the fifth generation of his family to manage the Minneapolis-based spirits producer and marketer. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Winmark Corporation (WINA), a Minneapolis-based retail franchisor and leasing company, and was a Director of Ardea Beverage Co., maker of Airforce Nutrisoda, until its recent sale to Pepsi Americas. Mr. Phillips also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Allina Health System, Minnesota's largest health care provider, and is the former Chair of its Investment and Philanthropy Committees. He also serves as a Trustee of The Jay & Rose Phillips Family Foundation, which distributes $10 million annually to charitable organizations throughout the United States. Mr. Phillips is a member of the Advisory Board of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute and a Director of The Jay Phillips Center for Jewish-Christian Learning, a joint program of The University of St. Thomas and Saint Johns University. He is also a regular guest speaker in the areas of marketing, philanthropy and ethics at the University of Minnesota. Mr. Phillips holds a B.A. degree in Urban Studies from Brown University and an M.B.A. degree from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management.
Lonnie Provencher, advisor, is an expert in commercial real-estate acquisition and development. He is with NorthMarq's Industrial Group based in Minneapolis Minnesota where he primarily focuses on site selection and Tenant Representation for specialty use and heavy industrial organizations. Mr. Provencher is a graduate of St. Johns University and a member of the Minnesota Commercial Association of Realtors (MNCAR).
Ali Selim, advisor, is an accomplished entrepreneur, writer and business advisor. He has been an advertising commercial director since 1989, during which time he has directed over 850 television commercials. In recognition of his commercial work, Mr. Selim has received the Gold Lion—advertising's most coveted award—from Cannes Advertising Film Festival, and a Gold Award from D&AD (British Design and Art Directors organization). His work resides in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Ad Week magazine lists him in the top 1% of most sought after directors in the country. Mr. Selim's first feature film, SWEET LAND won Film Independent's Spirit Award for Best First Feature, the Oscar of the independent world. The film went on to make the Top Ten List for 2006 of several publications including The Los Angeles Times and Entertainment Weekly and was recently named one of the 151 Best Films of the past 20 years by legendary film critic, Leonard Maltin. The Minneapolis Star Tribune named Ali Selim the 2006 Minnesota Artist of the Year.
Over the course of the past 20 years, Mr. Selim has successfully helmed several businesses including production companies, ad agencies and an international film distribution company. In addition to current writing assignments for Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman, Universal Studios and Warner Brothers, Selim advises CEOs at various fortune 500 companies. His expertise at recognizing story architecture as well as business structure helps improve the direction and communication of companies such as Cargill, Dow, NatureWorks and Coca-Cola.
Robert White, Consultant, principal of Robert White Industries. Since 1989 Robert White Industries, Inc. has specialized in equipment for recycling biomass and wood byproducts into value added saleable products. Bob has extensive experience in providing system design services, equipment and expertise for a wide range of size reduction, storage and material handling equipment.
Tim Zosel, Advisor, Managing Director, Nicollet Capital Investors. Mr. Zosel is a veteran private equity investor having led or co-led investments in 18 different platform companies. Mr. Zosel focuses on companies with Canadian operations or U.S. based companies that have the potential to access the Canadian public equity market. He has established several investment funds including TerraVest Income Fund, a TSX listed publicly traded income trust focused on acquiring control of privately owned Canadian based mid-market companies. Mr. Zosel spent 13 years as a founding member of Goldner Hawn Johnson & Morrison and SKM Growth Investors, the mid-market arm of Saunders Karp & Mergue (now APAX), both private equity funds. ^