Emily Skor

CEO at Growth Energy

Speaker

Skor has dramatically expanded the organization’s influence, footprint, and membership. Today, Growth Energy’s advocacy and ideas move policy debates and reshape the discourse around key national priorities — such as rebuilding the farm economy, lowering consumers’ fuel costs, driving American innovation, and empowering U.S. producers to compete and dominate in global markets. During Skor’s tenure, new member dues have increased more than 50 percent, PAC contributions have doubled and Growth Energy’s ranks have grown to include nearly 100 biorefineries, including America’s largest — POET, ADM, The Andersons, Marquis Energy, and Cargill — as well as 130 companies representing other elements of the value chain, including John Deere, BASF, and GROWMARK, Inc.

Under Skor’s leadership, the American biofuels industry has strengthened key federal policies, achieved greater stability and certainty in existing markets, and opened new growth opportunities both at home and abroad to secure ethanol’s future. She designed and executed a series of successful campaigns to protect year-round market access for the higher ethanol blend E15 — which has remained available each summer since 2019. She has grown the availability of higher biofuel blends from 80 retail locations to 4,000 retail locations across 33 states. And Skor has grown demand and spurred additional sales by launching the organization’s first consumer education initiative, Get Biofuel, redefining higher blends as a cleaner, more affordable fuel choice.

Since her appointment in May 2016, Growth Energy has secured new federal investments in tax credits and grants for biofuel production and infrastructure, unlocked state-level policy victories for ethanol across the country, and led successful legal strategies to protect vital legislation and overturn improper regulatory decisions. Growing numbers of policymakers — in both parties, at all levels of government — understand that ethanol is essential for promoting rural prosperity, unleashing American energy dominance, diversifying our energy mix, and winning in international markets that prioritize carbon reduction.

Named one of “Washington’s Most Influential People” in 2024 by Washingtonian magazine, Skor was also honored by BBI International — publishers of Ethanol Producer Magazine — with the first-ever Women in Ethanol award for outstanding contributions to the industry. In 2024, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative selected Skor to serve on the U.S. Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee. She also was recognized by The Hill as one of the top lobbyists in Washington. Skor has appeared on national, regional, and local news networks and testified numerous times before Congress and has been tapped to share her insights at major energy events, such as CERAWeek, Politico’s Energy Week, and the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Summit during Climate Week NYC.

Previously, Skor served as vice president of communications for the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, a trade association representing America’s $30 billion over-the-counter medicine industry. She also served as senior vice president at Dezenhall Resources, a nationally recognized crisis management firm, developing and executing plans for Fortune 500 companies.

Skor graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wellesley College. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband and two children.