Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

Effective on January 2, 2013, Vertex Energy, Inc.'s (the "Company's"), Board of Directors appointed Timothy C. Harvey as a Director of the Company to fill the vacancy left by the untimely death of the Company's former Director, Ingram Lee, in April 2012. Mr. Harvey's biographical information is presented below:

Timothy C. Harvey, Age 55

Mr. Harvey served as a Vice President of Oil Trading at Westport Petroleum, Inc. ("Westport"), which operates in the petroleum trading, blending and transportation industries, from November 1987 to June 2012, during which time he specialized in Black Oil trading. From May 1986 to October 1987, Mr. Harvey served in an oil trading position with Shell International, providing services in throughput trading and sourcing. From May 1984 to May 1986, Mr. Harvey served as a supply trading analyst with Shell Oil Company. From June 1980 to May 1984, Mr. Harvey served as a logistics analyst with Shell Chemical Company. Mr. Harvey obtained his Bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in Business Marketing and Transportation in 1980.

The Board of Directors has not yet made the determination of the committees of the Board of Directors on which Mr. Harvey will serve.

We believe that Mr. Harvey's 20+ years of experience in oil trading and sourcing provides him unique and specialized knowledge which qualifies him to serve on the Company's Board of Directors.

The Company has previously and continues (from time to time) to sell feedstock to Westport.

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