WASHINGTON – March 3, 2026 – The American Biogas Council (ABC) today announced the election of new officers. They join Bernard Sheff, P.E. from Burns and McDonnell, and Patrick Serfass, who continue as board chair and Executive Director, respectively. Together with the new officers, they form the Executive Committee for ABC’s Board of Directors.
The new leadership team reflects the depth of expertise across an expanding U.S. biogas industry that is converting waste into domestic energy and nutrient-rich fertilizer. With 2,600 biogas systems operating nationwide — and significant untapped potential across agriculture, wastewater, landfill, and food waste sectors — the industry continues to grow in response to increasing demand for low-carbon, domestically produced energy.
Vice Chairs:
Skye Austin, RNG Sales Director, Stark Tech
Skye brings more than a decade of experience across natural gas and renewable natural gas markets and serves as Sales Director for RNG and Compression Solutions at Stark Tech. In her role, she leads the commercialization and deployment of biogas upgrading and RNG infrastructure for utility and industrial customers integrating low-carbon energy solutions. Her expertise bridges reliable utility operations, infrastructure deployment, and renewable project development.
Brad Pleima, P.E., President, EcoEngineers
Brad leads EcoEngineers, an LRQA company, that provides consulting, auditing, and advisory services focused exclusively on the energy transition. He has provided advisory services to more than 300 renewable energy production facilities and supported the development and construction of over $4 billion in anaerobic digestion and RNG projects nationwide. A licensed Professional Engineer in five states, Brad holds a civil engineering degree from Iowa State University and brings deep expertise in carbon markets, regulatory compliance, and clean fuel programs.
Secretary:
Craig Frear, Ph.D., Director of Research and Technology, Regenis
Craig is a lead on engineering, operations, maintenance, and digester optimization at Regenis, partnering with biogas developers to design, build, and operate anaerobic digesters for dairy farms. His expertise in digester performance optimization, nutrient recovery, and manure-to-energy systems strengthens project reliability and environmental outcomes. He earned his Ph.D. in Engineering Science from Washington State University and previously served as an Assistant Professor in Biological Systems Engineering. He holds five patents, has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, and has served on the ABC Board for 10 years, including serving as Secretary for the Executive Team.
Treasurer:
Thomas Murray, Senior Executive for Energy Transition, Vermont Gas Systems (VGS)
Tom has helped position VGS as a national leader in utility-scale RNG integration and thermal energy decarbonization. He helped launch the utility’s voluntary RNG purchase program in 2018, the nation’s first, and has led its work to blend 5% RNG into the company’s gas supply, achieved in 2025. A member of the ABC Board since 2019, Tom supports national efforts to integrate RNG into gas utility portfolios. He also serves on the American Gas Association’s Climate and Sustainability Committee and chairs the Northeast Gas Association’s Climate and Energy Committee.
Additional Executive Committee Member:
Lizzy Reinholt, President, Peaks Renewables, Summit Utilities, Inc.
Lizzy leads development, operations, and strategy for Peaks Renewables, Summit Utilities’ renewable gas development company. She focuses on scaling RNG project development, capital deployment, and utility-integrated renewable gas solutions, while also overseeing Summit’s state and federal policy and government affairs efforts.
“The US biogas industry is strongest when we have great leaders who step up to guide the ABC, so it can truly speak with the voice of the entire industry,” said ABC Executive Director Patrick Serfass. “This is the beginning of a great new chapter to expand domestic energy production via biogas systems and deliver scalable, ready-to-deploy solutions.”
To learn more about the ABC Board of Directors and read full biographies, visit americanbiogascouncil.org.
# # #