Biofuels Center business development director Dr. Egle Thomas gave a lecture to a group of 30 students involved in the graduate-level Microbial Biotechnology program, led by Dr. Paul Hamilton at N.C. State University. The lecture, "Biofuels Industry Development in North Carolina," provided an overview of the biofuels industry and discussed both the spectrum of technological solutions and the industry driving forces. The questions and follow-up discussion addressed a number of areas, including landowner benefits, infrastructure development needs, and production options for specific regions.

N.C. State University’s Master’s of Microbial Biotechnology class will be following up with a visit to the Biofuels Center of North Carolina. The class will tour the feedstock trial sites and learn more details about the value chain based on specific feedstocks.

The Biofuels Center of North Carolina attended and participated in the North Carolina Federal Environmental Symposium, hosted by the North Carolina Military Business Center, on 10 September 2010 at Wake Technical Community College. The event provided a unique opportunity for industry, federal agencies, and installations in North Carolina to discuss federal mandates under Executive Order #13514, ongoing agency and installation initiatives to achieve these mandates, and industry’s innovative capacity to help agencies meet their outstanding requirements.

The symposium was headlined by Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, and included a facilitated roundtable series and an environmental trade show. The roundtable series addressed federal mandates to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and a number of energy, water, and waste reduction targets. One of the feature discussions focused entirely on transportation fuels and the mandate to reduce vehicle fleet petroleum use 30% by 2020.

Remona Callair, previously the director of finance and administration, has been promoted to vice president of finance and administration at the Biofuels Center of North Carolina. The promotion was announced at the Biofuels Center’s Board of Directors quarterly meeting on 14 September 2010 held at the North Carolina Farm Bureau in Raleigh. She was the first staffer hired to start up the Biofuels Center at its inception in 2007.

Remona Callair has more than 10 years of professional management experience in the nonprofit arena. Prior to joining the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, she served as senior vice president of finance and operations for the Council for Entrepreneurial Development in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Her background in financial and operational leadership includes technical expertise in accounting, financial control, and adherence to GAAP standards, as well as a proven track record of organizational accountability as evidenced by nine consecutive successful external audits at CED. In addition to her professional experience, Callair holds a bachelor of administration degree with a major in business management and a minor in accounting from the University of South Carolina at Aiken. As a member of the management team at the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, Callair has a deep commitment to ensuring financial integrity, operational efficiency, and achievement of the vision and goals of the organization.

Biofuels Center business development director Dr. Egle Thomas attended the SJF Summit on the New Green Economy at the Durham Convention Center on 14-15 September 2010. The summit featured over 50 speakers on topics including cleantech investing, cultivating green entrepreneurship, carbon markets, and policy outlook. Keynote speakers included sustainable leaders from the public and private sector such as: Bruce Kahn, Deutsche Bank Climate Change Advisors; Dr. Robert Wallace, BITHENERGY; and Bruce Usher, Columbia Business School.

Thomas further explored opportunities for investment and entrepreneurial company development in North Carolina. Additionally, Thomas connected with an array of attendees regarding possible internships and other opportunities in the biofuels industry.