Lee Blank, who has more than 30 years of experience in the agricultural supply chain, has been named CEO of Ames-based Summit Carbon Solutions. Blank’s hiring to lead the company was announced on July 21. He will assume day-to-day leadership of the company, working with its sponsor Summit Agricultural Group. Summit Carbon Solutions was formed in 2020 with the goal of working with bioethanol plants across the Midwest to build a pipeline to capture and sequester more than 10 million tons of carbon dioxide. In Iowa, the pipeline would span 30 counties. Most recently, Blank served as CEO of Advance Trading Inc., an advisory and risk management firm that serves agricultural customers. Before that, he was CEO of GFG Ag Services LLC, an integrated agricultural retailer. Bruce Rastetter, CEO of Summit Agricultural Group, said Blank’s background will help the company as it builds “momentum towards executing a transformational project for the agriculture and biofuels industries.” Blank said he is excited to join Summit Carbon Solutions “at this critical stage.” “Throughout my career there has never been a more urgent need, nor a more difficult challenge, than decarbonization.” Summit Carbon Solutions has received pushback about their plan with some property owners in South Dakota filing lawsuits to stop the project, and the Sierra Club asking the Iowa Utilities Board to order the company to stop soliciting unwilling property owners.