Marc Sylvester is a founding member of Cedar Creek Renewables and has over 35 years of experience in the energy efficiency, sustainability, and renewable energy sector.

After 8 years of active-duty service for the US Army, including deployment to the Middle East in support of Desert Storm, Marc went to work with Nalco Chemical in the WATERGY (water and energy) division in various sales and sales management roles. Following his 16 years at Nalco, Marc continued his tenure as a sales manager with Fuel Tech, focusing on making the United States coal fired utility plants run more efficiently by improving the combustion process and slagging.

In 2011, with the implementation of EPA issued mandates (MATS) for the removal of mercury from the combustion gases of coal fired boilers, Marc joined the startup company of ME2C as the Vice President of Sales implementing solutions at utility boilers throughout North America.

Most recently, Marc has focused on energy efficiency in the commercial and industrial market by providing consulting and turnkey implementation services with Functional Energy Solutions to assist corporations achieve their state ESG goals, primarily reducing Scope 2 emissions.

Marc has a BS in Biology with an emphasis in Chemistry from Utah State University.

Tim McMahon, a founding member of Cedar Creek Renewables, has over 45 years of Sales and Management experience.

After 6 years of US Navy Nuclear Submarine Service, he spent 25 years in a variety of sales and operational management positions at Nalco Chemical Co., a large worldwide industrial water treatment company. As Senior Operations Manager, he managed the business relationship with large multi-location corporations such as Boeing and Weyerhaeuser.

Following retirement from Nalco, Tim continued as an Operation Manager for Fuel Tech, Inc. and Midwest Energy Emissions as Operations Manager in large coal-fired electric power generation plants in the US and Mexico.

Tim has a BS in Management and Marketing and completed the MBA program at the University of North Dakota. Tim is the owner of Iowa Pork Productions, a 5,000 head wean-to-finish operation in Hedrick, Iowa.

Kurt Lowenberg is a founding member of Cedar Creek Renewables and has over 30 years in the agriculture sector including crop and swine production.

Kurt grew up on a farm in Southeast Iowa where they grew corn and soybeans and custom fed and raised swine. The family’s swine operation evolved with the industry needs, from outdoor farrow-to-finish, to large-scale confinement buildings. Upon graduation from high school, he attended Muscatine Community College, majoring in Ag Business. Upon completion, he returned to the family operation.

For the last 15 years, he and his wife have built and managed two 4,800 wean-to-finish confinements, in addition to row crop production and custom spray and manure application.

Ashley Lowenberg is a founding member of Cedar Creek Renewables and has over 16 years in the agriculture sector working for a global equipment manufacturer. During her tenure she has held varying roles in Accounting & Finance, Supply Management, and Aftermarket & Customer Support. Cost reduction, risk mitigation, negotiation, development and execution of contracts for multi-million dollar projects, and strategic planning are a few areas of expertise.

Along with her husband Kurt, they manage two 4,800 wean to finish confinements and have row crop production. Ashley graduated from Buena Vista University with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Business Entrepreneurship.

A founding member of Cedar Creek Renewables, Mark brings over 30 years of farming experience. He started at a young age on his family’s row crop and farrow-to-finish farm in SouthEast Iowa.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business from Iowa State University in 2003, he ventured into full-time farming, with his wife Katie, expanding the operation over time, moving into beef production with a cow-calf herd and feedlot as well as into pork production and seed sales.

Mark and his wife own a 4,960 head swine finishing barn, raising pigs for JBS. Mark has been an early adopter of many agricultural practices that combine innovation with conservation such as no-till, cover crops, and variable rate application of nutrients, making this next venture a logical and exciting fit.

Katie brings over two decades of agricultural experience as a founding member of Cedar Creek Renewables.

She attended Washington State University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics, emphasizing Agricultural Technology and Management. She joined John Deere in 2004, moving to Iowa where she met and married her husband, Mark. They co-founded Jacobs Land and Cattle, Heritage Family Farms, and Sugar Creek Seed, growing their row crop, beef, and swine production operation.

Winning awards in agricultural marketing and sales and taking on large-scale projects, her expertise and varied experience both on the farm and in marketing, sales, project management, and product development and training have been pivotal to the growth of their operation.

Today, as a Secondary Business Educator at the school their children attend, she is passionate about empowering the next generation of business leaders. Her mission-oriented perspective guides her as she works to develop economic opportunities for the future of her community.