Voting has begun for the five seats open on the board of directors of the Brewers Association (BA), the non-profit trade group that represents the country’s small and independent brewers.
Of the five open seats, three belong to the board’s packaging class and one each belong to the pub brewer class and the taproom brewer class. Elected board members’ terms begin in February 2021.
Member breweries are permitted one vote per company and must only vote in their designated class. The voting period for all classes ends October 20.
Classes of membership are outlined in the BA’s bylaws:
- Packaging brewers are defined as breweries that sell at least 75% of their products outside their breweries;
- Pub breweries are defined as those that sell more than 25% of their products on their own premises and operate significant food services;
- Taproom breweries, which received designation as a separate class in 2018, are defined as those that sell more than 25% of their products on their own premises but do not operate food services.
Running for the one pub brewer class seat are:
- Marcus Baskerville, Weathered Souls Brewing Co., San Antonio, Texas;
- Tim Brady (incumbent), Whetstone Station Restaurant & Brewery, Brattleboro, Vermont;
- Jason Lavery, Lavery Brewing Co., Erie, Pennsylvania;
- Chris Squires, Ten55 Brewing Co., Tucson, Arizona
- Julie Verratti (incumbent), Denizens Brewing Co., Silver Spring and Riverdale Park, Maryland.
Candidates for the one taproom brewer class seat are:
- Dave Bergen, Joyride Brewing Company, Edgewater, Colorado;
- Jose Beteta, Raíces Brewing Co., Denver, Colorado;
- Betty Bollas, Fibonacci Brewing Co., Cincinnati, Ohio;
- Kurtis Cummings, Switchyard Brewing Co., Bloomington, Indiana;
- Chris Cuzme, Fifth Hammer Brewing Co., Long Island City, New York;
- Pearce Fleming, Commonhouse Aleworks, North Charleston, South Carolina;
- Charles Frizzell, Broken Strings Brewery, Orlando, Florida;
- Larry Horwitz (incumbent, at-large representative), Ten20 Craft Brewery, Louisville, Kentucky;
- Drew Pool, Wren House Brewing Co., Phoenix, Arizona.
Twelve candidates are running for the three available packaging brewer seats:
- Bret Kollmann Baker, Urban Artifact Brewing Co., Cincinnati, Ohio;
- Jamie Bartholomaus, Foothills Brewing Co., Winston-Salem, North Carolina;
- Bill Butcher, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, Virginia;
- Colby Cox, Roadhouse Brewing Co., Jackson Hole, Wyoming;
- Rachael Engel, Bosk Brew Works, Woodinville, Washington;
- Audra Gaiziunas, Dssolvr, Asheville, North Carolina;
- Mike Harting, 3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg, Florida;
- Chris Herron, Creature Comforts Brewing Co., Athens, Georgia;
- Dan Kleban (incumbent, current chairman), Maine Beer Company, Freeport, Maine;
- Virginia Morrison, Second Chance Beer Co., San Diego, California;
- Tom Wilmoth, Zipline Brewing, Lincoln, Nebraska;
- Ken Wilson, Lumberyard Brewing, Flagstaff, Arizona.
In total, the current board consists of seven packaging brewer representatives, five pub brewer representatives, six at-large representatives, two representatives from the American Homebrewers Association and one taproom brewer representative. The 2021 board will include seven packaging brewer representatives, four pub brewer representatives, two taproom brewery representatives and two AHA representatives. According to the bylaws, the board must contain at least three but no more than 21 members.
At-large directors serve two-year terms and may not serve more than four consecutive years, according to the bylaws. Only current board members nominate at-large representatives to be voted on by fellow board members. Associate members — those who belong to the BA as non-independent craft brewers, distributors, retailers, allied trades, educational institutions or individuals — can be nominated to serve as at-large directors, but cannot vote in general board elections.
Packaging class board members whose terms are expiring in February 2021 include Kleban, the current chair who is running for re-election to a packaging brewer class seat; Brooklyn Brewery co-founder Steve Hindy, a past chair who is not seeking re-election; and Odell Brewing co-founder Wynne Odell, who is also not seeking re-election.
Designated directors, those belonging to one of the three brewer classes or the AHA, are limited to three consecutive three-year terms. After serving nine years, they must wait one year before running for re-election.
The board of directors formally meets four times per year; if any member misses three meetings, they are removed from office.