Prosperity Ag & Energy Resources is pleased to introduce our stellar advisory board team. This group of professionals have diverse backgrounds and bring immense experience and great ideas to challenge and push our company with suggestions, current issues and an unparalleled network in energy and agriculture.

Kristina Tridico
Attorney
Ice Miller, LLC.

Kristina M. Tridico's primary areas of concentration are corporate transactions, environmental law, general corporate matters, green industries and sustainable development and agriculture law.

She chairs the Firm's Green Industries Initiative and assists entities on sustainable development, clean technology, green house gas emissions management and energy management.

In her corporate practice, Tridico represents companies in connection with asset sales and acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures and stock transactions. She advises clients on issues related to entity formation and structuring, strategic alternatives, and general operations matters, including commercial agreement terms and conditions of customer, supplier and distributor agreements. Tridico's clients are involved in a variety of industries including automobile redistribution, health care, manufacturing, chemical manufacturing and agriculture.

A significant portion of Tridico's practice is devoted to representing both entities and individuals on environmental matters. She works in environmental and natural resources and sustainability law, as well as general administrative agency practice. She represents businesses in environmental permitting and regulatory compliance in matters before the United States Environmental Protection Agency, state environmental protection agencies, including the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Department of Natural Resources, as well as the United States Department of Agriculture. In addition to her general corporate practice, Tridico is often called upon to use her transaction background to assist in environmental aspects of the law, including the transfer of operations that are contaminated or potentially regulated by environmental laws. Tridico also serves on the Firm's agricultural law initiative.

She has been a presenter for the Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum Basic Environmental Law seminar on the topic of Environmental Contractual Provisions and Issues, and has presented at the Manufacturers Education Council Symposium on Environment, Health and Safety. Her recent articles have appeared in the Indiana State Bar Association Environmental Newsletter and the Indiana Chamber GreeNotes.

Tridico graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude from Ohio University where she received her Bachelor of Science in environmental geography in 1996. She obtained her juris doctorate from University of Oregon School of Law, graduating in 1999 with a certificate in environmental law. While attending law school she was the articles editor for the Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation, and was part of the Land Air Water Environmental Group.

Tridico joined the Firm as an associate in September 1999. She is admitted to practice law in the state of Indiana.

Cary Aubrey
Program Manager, Bioenergy Development
Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA)

Mr. Cary Aubrey currently serves as a Program Manager for Bioenergy Development with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA). He joined the ISDA as part of the initial team when legislation approved the establishment of a department of agriculture. One of his first initiatives was to work with fuel retailers to encourage implementation of biofuels stations (E85 and B20) throughout the state by offering up to $1million in grant funds to qualifying locations. In less than two years, he was able to move the state from zero E85 sites to more than 100; making Indiana third in the U.S. for E85 stations.

Among his many duties, he works with the leading edge bio-energy and renewable fuels projects with locations in both small town communities and the State’s larger cities. Aubrey’s role is often as a networker, coordinating developers with agricultural producers and entrepreneurs as they collectively work to design and implement ambitious projects. He strives to do his part to help Indiana be the model for what collaboration between state, private investors and local communities can accomplish to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

Aubrey focuses on all areas of bio-based bioenergy development and production including biofuels, biomass and wind energy. He aids projects in developing a variety of resources including wood byproducts, agricultural crop residue, livestock waste and other resources that can be used to created renewable energy.

In 2007, Aubrey was honored by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels as a recipient of the Governor’s Public Service Achievement Award for his work in biofuels promotions and development.  In 2008, Aubrey received the Central Indiana Clean Cities Alliance (CICCA) Partnership Award.

Kellie Walsh has been the Executive Director for the Greater Indiana Clean Cities Coalition, Inc. 7.5 years.  In that time, she has assisted Greater Indiana Clean Cities Coalition, Inc. Stakeholders in securing over 14 million dollars in federal and state funds for the implementation of alternative fuel projects, in both the public and private sectors.

Kellie has been recognized by; Senator Richard G. Lugar as his first Indiana Energy Patriot for her work in alternative fuel, specifically biofuels, assisting with the opening of over 100 of the State’s current 126 E85 stations; Indiana’s Lt. Governor Becky Skillman as the first Paul Dana Excellence in Biofuels Award recipient in honor of the Late Paul Dana, IRL driver instrumental in making fuel grade ethanol the fuel of choice in the IRL; 2007 AFVi Conference Clean Cities Peer Award Recipient and the USDOE Clean Cities Coordinator of the year in 2007.

When not working to reduce our nation’s foreign oil dependence and improve the air quality in Indiana, Kellie is a wife to Rob and mother of two girls, Samantha, 10 and Chloe, 7.

Chad Martin
Renewable Energy Extension Specialist
Agriculture & Biological Engineering
Purdue University

Chad Martin is the Renewable Energy Extension Specialist in Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Purdue University. He earned his B.S. degree in Agriculture from Western Illinois University and an M.S. in Agricultural & Extension Education from Purdue University. 

His background in renewable energy began while working as a research and outreach associate with the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs (IIRA) at Western Illinois University.  He worked specifically with the Agriculture Community Action Program which helped organize New Generation Cooperatives for capitalizing biofuels production operations with farmer and local ownership throughout rural Illinois.  He provided support to the IIRA’s Illinois Wind project which coordinated outreach and a statewide wind data collection initiative.  Before coming to Purdue, he was the business development specialist with the Indiana Cooperative Development Center in Indianapolis.

Martin’s provides presentations to diverse groups and coordinates the development of educational resources. His Extension efforts are focused in the areas of wind energy development, Agricultural energy efficiency, and biomass energy resources.  He provides programs for a variety of stakeholders throughout the state, and collaborates among Purdue faculty, local Extension educators, and state and federal government agencies.  He is a member of the Indiana Wind Working Group, and has been part of a team to initiate the Indiana Biomass Energy Working Group.  Martin most recently has been involved with representing Purdue Extension to form a pilot partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado.  He is also a member of the Executive Committee for the Indiana chapter of the 25 x ’25 initiative. 

Jeff Jarrett
Senior Partner
The Fertilizer Group, LLC.

Jeff Jarrett has been involved in agriculture all of his life.  Growing up on a small farm in Lapel, IN, Jeff was actively involved in his family’s retail fertilizer plant as well as their small farming operation.  Jeff attended Purdue University and received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Economics.

In addition to being Senior Partner of The Fertilizer Group, LLC, Jeff is Vice-President of Preferred Buyers Association, Inc. (PBA) a fertilizer buying group for retail members located in Indiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky.  PBA has long standing relationships with major fertilizer companies including Potash Corp, Mosaic, Agrium, Koch Nitrogen, Transammonia, Interoceanic, Terra and Yara.  PBA is active in all aspects of direct purchasing and selling of fertilizer products.  In addition to the river barge market they also participate in the rail and truck/terminal markets.

Jeff also serves as a partner in Phoenix Capital, LLC which is an independent corporate advisory company based in New York City that specializes in heavy industry, agricultural chemicals and related infrastructure. They provide high quality merchant banking and investment banking services for medium to large market clients.

Prior to joining Preferred Buyers Association, Inc. Jeff spent 14 years as a Market Manager for Monsanto Company where he was responsible for the sales, marketing and promotions of Monsanto branded crop protection chemicals and trait specific biotech products.

Jeff and his wife Christine reside in Washington, IN with their seven children.  They are active in their community and highly involved in their children’s school, sports and 4-H activities.

Belinda Puetz has 20 years experience in corporate communications, brand management and public relations. She joined CountryMark in February of 2007 as Brand Manager.

In her tenure at CountryMark, she has been involved in re-imaging trucks, facilities and retail fuel stations; re-vitalizing the CountryMark website; promoting the company brand promise within CountryMark; and promoting the CountryMark brand through appropriate media and customer channels.

Belinda grew up on a grain and livestock farm near Crawfordsville, Indiana; and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University in Agriculture Economics and Agriculture Communications. Prior to her work with CountryMark, she served as Biofuels Manager for the Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana Corn Marketing Council; was a writer and project manager for an Indiana advertising agency; and was a reporter for Indiana Agri-News, a weekly farm newspaper. Belinda recently completed Purdue Strategic AgriMarketing course, is a graduate of the Indiana Ag Leadership Program and a past chairman of the Indiana FFA Foundation Board of Directors.

She and her husband, Greg, have two children and reside in Carmel, Ind.

Robert (Bob) Fulling
Regional Vice President
Rabo Agrifinance, Inc.

Robert (Bob) Fulling has an extensive background in Agricultural investments and financing. Since 2004, Bob has been the Regional Vice President of Rabo Agrifinance, a subsidiary of Rabobank and the largest agricultural bank in the world. Bob manages the Indianapolis office and is responsible for the loan production in a five state territory of Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Michigan. During this period, he has generated substantial growth to Rabo’s portfolio and is involved in the development of a National Swine lending policy.

Before his role at Rabo, Bob served a 17 year period with MONY Agricultural Investments as a Managing Director. Over these 17 years, Bob has developed experience in agricultural investments, mortgage and finance. Bob received a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness from Illinois State University and a MBA from Lindenwood University.

Bob was raised on a combination grain, livestock and dairy farm in southeastern Indiana and is still actively involved in agriculture today. Bob plays a large role in the FFA New Century Farmer program, which is sponsored by Rabo, Pioneer, Case IH and Successful Farming. He is on the FFA New Century Farmer Selection Committee and is the co-founder of the FFA New Century Farmer Alumni. Bob also plays a role on the AgriInstitute task force, which facilitates a robust network of agricultural and rural leaders.