Virent Energy Systems promotes Mary Tilton to VP of lab operations

[PRESS RELEASE]

Madison, Wis. - Virent Energy Systems, Inc., a hydrocarbon biofuels company, announced today that it has promoted Mary Tilton to Vice President, Lab Operations. This newly created position reflects the extensive ramp up of Virent's research and analytical laboratory activities.

Ms. Tilton joined Virent in 2004 and has served in increasingly responsible positions including, most recently, as Analysis Lab Manager. She has been integral to the successful growth of the Virent's research and development functions to date and her new role takes on increasing importance as the company accelerates the production scale-up and commercialization of its liquid fuel products.

“Mary is an exceptional leader and manager,” said Dr. Randy Cortright, Virent Founder and CTO. “She has consistently impressed us with her performance and the extent of her contribution since joining the company. She brings a formidable combination of technical knowledge and managerial acumen and is, quite simply, the perfect person for this new responsibility.”

“My new role at Virent effectively utilizes the team building, process development, and technical skills I have developed during my career,” said Ms. Tilton. “The challenge at Virent is to optimize its BioForming® technology for commercial production. I am excited to continue building the laboratory infrastructure that will help make this goal a reality.”

With nearly 30 years of experience, Ms. Tilton has managed research and development organizations, integrating technology into product offerings and improving development processes. Her experience includes positions at Fortune 500 companies such as General Electric and Hewlett Packard, and general and manufacturing management at Planar Systems, a leading display and display systems provider. She holds a BS in Chemistry and Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater and a MS in Chemistry from Oregon State University. About Virent Energy Systems

Virent Energy Systems is commercializing an advanced biofuel technology to power today's vehicles in place of fossil fuels. Virent's patented BioForming® process converts plant sugars into conventional hydrocarbon fuels and products, including gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. Virent's fuels have the same composition, functionality, and performance as petroleum fuels. The BioForming process delivers more net energy and offers a scalable, cost-effective alternative to traditional biofuel production routes. Headquartered in Madison, WI, Virent has 75 employees in a state of the art catalytic biorefining development facility. The technology is based on the Aqueous Phase Reforming process. To learn more, visit: www.virent.com.