Leadership
Our mission is to safely and conscientiously produce low-carbon, renewable fuels for the aviation and heavy transport industries. Using the latest technologies, we strive to excel in production performance and quality, while maintaining the highest level of service to our partners, customers, and community.
Red Rock Biofuels Team – Ground Breaking 2018
Photo courtesy of Shannon Hogue
Terry Kulesa
Terry Kulesa is a co-founder and CEO of Red Rock Biofuels. Terry handles business development, team management and construction and operations. His previous experience included the design, construction and operation of five ethanol plants totaling over $500 million of construction and over $500 million of annual revenues. Terry has over 20 years experience in managing biofuel operations. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Ag-Biosciences (Dairy Manufacturing) from South Dakota State University and an MBA from the University of Minnesota.
Jeff Manternach
Jeff Manternach is a co-founder and CFO of Red Rock Biofuels. Jeff handles business development, financial modeling, industry valuations and project development services. Prior to Red Rock Biofuels, Jeff lead debt capital raises of $400+ million, including a $325 million project finance deal. Jeff received his MBA and an MS in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan and his BA in Economics and Physical Anthropology from Haverford College.
Joe Winckler
Joe Winckler is Director of Operations/Senior Project Manager of Red Rock Biofuels. Joe leads onsite construction management, plant evaluation, plant repair and plant operations. He was previously responsible for development, construction and operations of five ethanol production plants totaling $500+ million of construction cost and $500+ million of annual revenues. Joe has over 25 years experience managing biofuels operations and is a graduate of the Graduate US Army Non-Commissioned Officers Academy (Korea) and the Graduate Process Safety Management School (Louisville, KY).
Jim Moore
Jim Moore is Director of Engineering/Senior Project Manager of Red Rock Biofuels. Jim’s professional career spans over 30 years of construction, engineering & operations management with an emphasis on design/build projects for the process and manufacturing industries. He possesses a demonstrated record of success in managing the P&L for projects and multi-plant programs of over US$500M in capital value and teams up to 110 design engineering and 500 construction personnel for in house and client account design build projects in multiple industries. Jim also has extensive experience in renewable energy technology, and served as Senior Project Executive for a major US ethanol technology provider as well as Director of Engineering and Construction where he managed design/build efforts on four greenfield ethanol plants. Jim has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University.
Larry Slaughter
Larry Slaughter is Director of Construction for Red Rock Biofuels. Larry leads the on-site Construction Management Team. Larry has 40 plus years of experience with the engineering, procurement and construction of new plants and upgrades to industrial facilities from 100 mil to 1 bil. TIC. Specific industries range from Biofuels, Oil & Gas, Nuclear, and Large Scale Industrial and Commercial insured losses. Larry has CM certifications from multiple Universities, with a special emphasis on large modularized projects.
Mary Dinh
Mary Dinh is Project Manager at Red Rock Biofuels. Mary’s work experience encompasses both engineering and project management. Prior to Red Rock Biofuels, Mary was a Development Engineer at UC Santa Barbara’s Mechanical Engineering Dept., where she was responsible for the design, development, and management of undergraduate lab courses and advising student design projects. While at UCSB, she founded the student chapter of Engineers Without Borders-USA and led teams of students and professionals in design and implementation of appropriate technologies in rural Peru for 8 years, including clean water systems and clean cookstoves. Mary has a BS. and MS. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and UC Berkeley, respectively, and an MBA from Colorado State University's Global Social & Sustainable Enterprise (GSSE) program.
Sue Primsky
Sue Primsky is Red Rock Biofuels’ Controller. Sue has worked in various financial and accounting capacities in both headquarters and plant operations. She was a Financial Analyst for the CFO at the Diocese of Bridgeport (CT) responsible for managing the accounting and allocation of self-insurance programs. Prior to joining the Diocese, Sue was the Sr. Accountant for the Corporate Controller of Roller Bearing Company of America (RBC). Sue started her career in Accounting and Finance with the IBM Corporation where she spent 11 years in multiple locations and divisions. Sue has an MBA in Financial Management from Pace University, New York and a BS in Accounting and Economics from the State University of New York.
Krissa Mayer
Krissa Mayer is Red Rock Biofuels’ Accountant. Krissa started her career in accounting working for a custom home builder and eventually becoming a Project Site Manager over a 10 year period. She then moved to financial management while simultaneously starting and operating a residential remodel company. As the company grew, her focus switched to full-time remodeling over the course of the next 10 years. Krissa has a BS in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Lillie French
Lillie French started as an Associate at Red Rock Biofuels in May 2020. Lillie recently graduated Magna Cum Laude from Boise State University with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies that includes environmental studies, applied mathematics, and sustainability. She completed her four years of college while playing D1 soccer. Lillie played her first two years at the University of Hawaii in Manoa. She finished her last two years at Boise State where she won two Mountain West Conference titles and the Mountain West Conference Tournament in 2019 leading them to a first round game in the NCAA tournament.
Pedro Palting
Pedro Palting is the Corporate Operations Manager for IR1 Group. Pedro is responsible for hiring, start-up and ongoing plant operations for the Lakeview, OR site. He previously worked in petroleum refining and the energy sector for 10 years. Pedro has experience in various petroleum engineering roles, refinery economist and operations management. He has previously served as a helicopter hydraulics mechanic in the United States Marine Corps and has a Chemical Engineering degree from UC Berkeley.
Sarah Accountius
Sarah Accountius is Red Rock Biofuels’ Junior Accountant. Sarah has worked for non-profit and for-profit organizations serving an accounting function. Her previous experience includes leading a small team in order to improve efficiency in the accounting department. She has volunteered with many organizations to assist with their accounting projects. She is from Columbus, Ohio, where she received her AAS in Accounting from Columbus State Community College.
Joaquin Morales
Joaquin Morales is the Plant Manager for Red Rock Biofuels in Lakeview, OR. He leads the operational departments of the plant which include EH&S, Laboratory, Logistics, Operations and Maintenance. With 20 years of experience playing different roles in Operations and Supply Chain, Joaquin has previously worked in (4) greenfield plant startups for different industries such as Manufacturing, Automotive and Renewable Energies. Joaquin has a Mechanical Engineering degree from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM) located in Monterrey, Mexico.
William Roberts
William Roberts is the Logistics Manager for Red Rock Biofuels in Lakeview, OR. He is responsible for biomass contracts, biomass tracking, onsite management of biomass and fuels, and shipment of the finished fuels. William has 12 years of experience working in the forest products industry from Laboratory assistant to Quality Control to operations management. He is an alumnus of Oregon State University, with a Degree in Wood Science/Renewable Materials.
Bruce Hornbuckle
Bruce Hornbuckle is the Operations Manager for Red Rock Biofuels in Lakeview, OR. His experience has been working in Operations and Production Management for the past 20+ years. He has extensive experience in Biomass Fired Power Plant Operations and Maintenance. He is a born leader and an outdoorsman. He is an experienced river guide as he is native to Southern Oregon and knows this area well. Bruce also has 13 years of Volunteer Firefighter and EMS experience, bringing security experience to the team.
Kaylie Thrash
Kaylie Thrash is the Lab Manager for Red Rock Biofuels in Lakeview, OR. She is responsible for ensuring all outgoing fuel is to regulatory and customer specification and that quality standards throughout the plant are maintained. Previously, Kaylie worked in Quality at a food manufacturing facility in Lincoln, NE. She has her BS in Microbiology from the University of Wyoming.
Dominic Bertholdi
Dominic Bertholdi is the Environmental, Health and Safety Manager in Lakeview, OR. He previously worked in the oil, gas, power and chemical industry for the past 20 years. Dominic’s experience comes in the environmental, health and safety field supporting capital construction, turnaround outages and daily maintenance for many clients around the US.