Letter from the Executive Director

This month, I am pleased to announce Tina Metzer as our new Director of Events and Partnerships at USBI. Tina will lead the planning and hosting of the upcoming North American Biochar Conference, coordinate Train the Trainers events, develop and manage key partnerships, and support business development at USBI. Prior to this, Tina has been heavily involved in USBI and in the biochar industry in North America, having been a key player in organizing and hosting the last two North American Biochar Conferences and organizing the Scaling Up Biochar Project.

Beyond that, Tina is a joy to work with and she gets so much done on a daily basis — she is a critical piece of USBI. Thank you for joining USBI, Tina!

Everyone has a biochar intro story. Mine started about a decade ago when an entrepreneur walked into my office with a wild idea: transforming poultry litter into something called "biochar." At first, I thought, "Really? Poultry litter into what?" But after researching, talking to experts, like Tom Miles, Charles Hegberg, and many others, I realized biochar wasn't just a concept — it was an industry waiting to be built. And I was hooked.

Since then, I’ve remained engaged in the industry, assisting with Scaling Up Biochar and regional initiatives, co-authoring Manure de Force, partnering with MASBio at West Virginia University to bring the 2022 Biochar Conference to West Virginia, among other efforts.

My passion has always been ecosystem development, particularly in economic development and entrepreneurship. I co-founded two national nonprofits, the National Center for Resource Development and RuralRISE Tech,both driven by the need to support nonprofits, educational institutions, and communities in maximizing their impact. Now, in my role as Director of Events and Partnerships at USBI, I’m eager to bring this knowledge and experience to the biochar industry. I'm excited to guide our conference team, spearhead industry-wide initiatives, organize roundtable discussions, build strategic partnerships, and explore regional development that will help shape the future of biochar.

Under the leadership of Myles Gray, alongside his team and USBI’s dedicated board members, the organization is making significant strides. Biochar is an industry on the rise, and the momentum in the industry is undeniable. There’s never been a more exciting time to be part of this movement.

One of the highlights of the year will be the 2025 North American Biochar Conference: a must-attend event for industry leaders, and innovators.

If you’ve attended, presented, sponsored, or exhibited, you know this is more than just a conference; it’s where the future of biochar takes shape. So, mark your calendar for September 15–18, 2025. Join us, along with the Minnesota conference team as they welcome us to Minneapolis, an innovative hub recognized as a Bloomberg City for its excellence. Submit your abstracts, secure your sponsorship, and plan to attend the 2025 North American Biochar Conference.

I'd love to connect—whether it's about the conference, partnerships, industry opportunities, or simply sharing ideas, contact me tina@biochar-us.org.

Myles Gray

Executive Director

Tina Metzer

Director of Events and Partnerships