Engineering alumna Cynthia “CJ” Warner is one of four Vanderbilt graduates who are 2023 alumni award recipients. The Vanderbilt Alumni Association Board of Directors announced its 2023 alumni award winners Sept. 13. They will be honored during Reunion and Homecoming weekend Nov. 2–5.
Warner, BE’80, is the Alumni Professional Achievement Award recipient. The award recognizes Vanderbilt alumni who have distinguished themselves through their professional accomplishments and whose contributions honor the legacy of excellence at Vanderbilt University.
She is president and CEO of Renewable Energy Group Inc., a leading provider of clean, low-carbon-intensity products and services. She is a seasoned executive with experience in traditional and renewable fuels. For more than 40 years, she has driven growth and improvements to deliver energy more safely, reliably and sustainably.
Warner has held executive positions in operations, technology development, strategy, business development, and environment, health and safety. She has led operations globally for large refiners, including Andeavor and BP, as well as scale-up and development efforts in novel renewable energy technologies.
Warner earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Vanderbilt and an MBA from Illinois Institute of Technology. She serves on the School of Engineering’s Board of Visitors and she is a member of the school’s Academy of Distinguished Alumni.
She also serves on the board of directors for Chevron and is lead independent director for Sempra Energy. Warner is a member of the Columbia University Advisory Board for the Center for Global Energy Policy and the National Petroleum Council.
The other alumni award recipients are Erin Miller, MSN’19, Early Career Professional Achievement Award; John Pregulman, BA’80, Service and Community Leadership Award; and Frank Walter, BA’78, the inaugural Vanderbilt Way Award.