Kenlon Johannes facts for kids
Kenlon Johannes (born March 2, 1949) is an American businessman. He used to be the Administrator and CEO of the Kansas Soybean Commission and Association. For over thirty years, he has strongly supported biodiesel, which is a type of fuel made from plants. Many people say he was the main reason why soybean oil became so important in the biodiesel industry. Because of this, he is sometimes called the "godfather of biodiesel." Johannes has also led many other soybean groups as their executive director.
Early Life and Career
Kenlon Johannes was born in Leigh, Nebraska. He went to Concordia University Nebraska and earned a degree in education. He also studied at the University of Nebraska. After college, Johannes taught grade school for about four and a half years. Then, he went back home to Nebraska to work on his family farm. There, he grew soybeans and corn and raised animals.
As a farmer, Johannes started to get involved in helping soybean farmers. He joined the Nebraska Soybean Association and then the Nebraska Soybean Checkoff Board in 1980. In 1982, he was chosen to represent Nebraska on the American Soybean Development Foundation. Later, he became the assistant treasurer there. In 1986, he became the leader for both the Wisconsin Soybean Association and the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association. He also led their checkoff boards. In 1988, he moved to Missouri to become the executive director for the Missouri Soybean Association and the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council (MSMC).
Helping Biodiesel Grow
Johannes first became interested in "soy-diesel" after reading a report from the American Soybean Association. The report talked about using soybean oil in diesel engines. In 1991, while working with the Missouri Soybean Association, he started to push for using soybean oil in things like biodiesel, as a cleaner choice instead of regular diesel fuel.
Later that year, Johannes helped make the first commercial sale of soy diesel. This fuel was used to power a 1991 Dodge truck that the Missouri Soybean Association bought. In 1992, at an event in Fargo, North Dakota, Johannes explained how to make biodiesel through a process called transesterification. He told everyone that the market for soy-diesel could grow very big, possibly reaching 150 million gallons in just three years.
Johannes also worked with the National Soy Fuels Advisory Committee (NSFAC). This group was started in 1992 by different state soybean boards. Their goal was to figure out how to create a national demand for soy diesel. Later that year, with Johannes's help, the NSFAC created the National SoyDiesel Development Board (NSDB). This new board was in charge of research and developing the market for soy diesel. In 1993, Johannes became the first executive director of the NSDB, which was later renamed the National Biodiesel Board. He was very important in setting up the rules, research, and development for biodiesel made from soybean oil and other materials.
In 1993, Johannes presented a paper in Pisa, Italy, at the International Energy Agency. He talked about how U.S. farmers were working to make biodiesel a common fuel. That same year, the NSDB, under Johannes's leadership, started funding projects to use a 20 percent biodiesel blend in ten different public transportation systems across the country, including in Los Angeles, California. Using biodiesel was expected to reduce a lot of air pollution.
In 1995, Johannes and his team presented a plan to the National Biodiesel Board. This plan helped the industry grow and set up important quality standards for making biodiesel.
Since the NSDB was created (and later changed names), soybean farmers have seen their prices go up by 15 percent just because of biodiesel. Johannes has continued to tell large companies about the environmental benefits of using soy diesel. In 2017, the National Biodiesel Board even featured Johannes in one of their videos, where he talked about how much biodiesel has grown over the years.
In 2001, Johannes became the CEO of the Kansas Soybean Association and the Administrator of the Kansas Soybean Commission. In these roles, he works to help soybean farmers find new markets for their products. He has been involved in international marketing, working with the biodiesel, animal farming, and aquaculture (fish farming) industries.
In 2016, Johannes spoke at an EPA hearing. He strongly encouraged the EPA to recognize how much carbon pollution biodiesel helps reduce. He also pointed out the good effects on the economy that came from creating the biodiesel industry. In written information to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2016, Johannes asked them to keep increasing the required amount of biodiesel used. In September 2017, Johannes traveled to Japan as part of the "Heartland Team" with the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). There, he met with people who buy U.S. pork and beef.
Awards and Honors
- 2008: Johannes was added to the Nebraska Softball Hall of Fame. He played fast-pitch softball for twenty-four years across Nebraska. His best batting average in a year was .537.
- 2009: The National Biodiesel Board gave Johannes the National Biodiesel Board Pioneer Award. This award honored his great service to the biodiesel industry.
- 2012: The Great Plains Canola Association (GPCA) added Johannes to their hall of fame. Johannes was the first executive director of the GPCA from 2007 to 2012. He was only the second person to receive this honor.
- 2019: He was added to the Nebraska Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the band 'The Web of Sound.'
- 2020: He received the 2020 American Soybean Association "Pinnacle Award." This award recognized his lifelong support for promoting the "soybean industry and products made from soy, including biodiesel."
- 2021: The National Biodiesel Board, now called Clean Fuels Alliance America, honored him by naming their Pioneer Award after him: the “Kenlon Johannes Pioneer Award.”
- 2021: Governor Pete Rickets gave him an Admiralship in the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska.
- 2022: He received the Kansas Soybean Association’s “Friend of Soy” Award.
