The American Coalition for Ethanol, headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has hired Ben Rhodes, executive director of the Nebraska Ethanol Board, as its chief marketing officer effective Sept. 28. ACE CEO Brian Jennings announced the move alongside a structural change: Ron Lamberty, the organization's longtime market-development lead, takes the new title of chief strategy officer.

Rhodes will pair with Lamberty to intensify ACE's work building domestic and international ethanol markets. Jennings framed the staffing decision around a specific commercial opening: ethanol's price advantage versus gasoline.

"We enthusiastically welcome Ben Rhodes to our team to help expand markets for ethanol," Jennings said. "The combination of Ben Rhodes and Ron Lamberty solidifies and strengthens ACE's unparalleled reputation of working with wholesalers and retailers to increase sales of ethanol-blended fuel just as access to key E15 markets is poised to be unlocked."

Rhodes has led the Nebraska Ethanol Board since April 2025, directing the state agency's operations, personnel and projects. His tenure there included stewardship of the NEB's E30 fuel demonstration, which tested 30% ethanol blends in non-flex-fuel vehicles. He spent nearly four years on the NEB staff in total, following earlier careers in pharmaceuticals and communications. Rhodes, a native of west Omaha, Nebraska, holds a bachelor's degree and an MBA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The hire signals where ACE sees gallon growth coming from: fuel retailers weighing higher blends on the strength of ethanol's margin position. Lamberty, who has run ACE's retailer-facing market development for 26 years, said the economics are already doing part of the selling.

"Ethanol's value versus gasoline in today's marketplace, coupled with the daily mention of E15 in fuel industry news and record E85 sales, is driving increasing interest in higher ethanol blends," Lamberty said. "Ben's addition to the ACE team gives us the ability to reach more prospective fuel retailers at this critical time and help them 'do the math' confirming the profit opportunity E15 and flex fuels provide, turning interest into new gallons. And as oil and electricity continue to increase in cost, Ben's experience with E30 and helping expand E85 use while at NEB will help ACE maintain ethanol's place in the low-carbon fuels discussion."

For corn growers and ethanol producers, the stakes in ACE's retail push are straightforward. Every additional E15 and E85 gallon sold expands demand for ethanol, which tightens corn offtake and supports basis in producing states. Nebraska, where Rhodes built his resume, is the second-largest ethanol-producing state, and the NEB's E30 demonstration work has been part of the technical case for blending beyond the standard 10% level.

Jennings credited Lamberty with building ACE's distinctive approach over more than two decades of market development.

"During the last 26 years, Lamberty has led ACE's unique and highly successful approach to developing new ethanol markets while providing me and the entire organization with strategic guidance and leadership on a wide range of issues," Jennings said. "Fittingly, Lamberty will now assume the role of chief strategy officer to better describe his work."

Rhodes said the timing of his move reflects where the industry sits on market access.

"I'm excited to be joining ACE at such a transformative time in the ethanol industry," Rhodes said. "With so many new and expanded markets on the imminent horizon, my vision as CMO is to help lead those conversations moving forward. I've long respected the great work ACE does to deliver results for ethanol producers and add value to agriculture. I want to thank Brian, Ron, and the ACE Board of Directors for this opportunity, and I can't wait to get started."

Rhodes starts at ACE on Sept. 28, giving the coalition a two-person senior market team — a CMO focused on new-blend retail expansion and a chief strategy officer guiding the organization's broader positioning — just as E15 access decisions and low-carbon fuel policy debates continue to shape demand for the corn-based fuel.