Three state guilds are kicking off 2025 with new leaders.
The Brewers Guild of New Jersey (BGNJ) has appointed Brie Devlin as its new executive director, and Kaci Collins as marketing director, the organization announced on January 31.
Devlin will be tasked with building the guild’s membership, awareness and advocacy efforts, in addition to tackling government affairs and legislative issues. For more than a year, she’s helped the guild with its organizational and marketing efforts.
Collins, with a resume of contract marketing and social media management, will be tasked with “strengthening the voice of the guild” and promoting the state’s breweries, offerings and brewing culture in the state.
The Garden State claimed 171 craft breweries in 2023, ranking it 41st in breweries per capita. Those breweries produced 205,801 barrels (ranking 26th) and generated $1.762 billion in economic impact (ranking 16th), according to the Brewers Association (BA).
BGNJ was named Brewbound’s Beer Champion of the Year in 2024 after advocating for the repeal of harsh taproom restrictions.
The Wisconsin Brewers Guild has appointed beer writer and industry consultant Amanda Bruns as its next executive director.
Bruns wrote on LinkedIn: “I cannot begin to say what this opportunity means to me. I am honored that my amazing board believes in me for this role and I’m looking forward to supporting Wisconsin craft.”
Ale Advised, the consulting firm Bruns launched in September 2023, will continue operating in a way that avoids “conflicts of interest” as discussed with the guild, she told Brewbound.
Wisconsin was home to 266 breweries in 2023, ranking 14th for the number of breweries that year with 6 breweries per capita, per BA data. The state’s craft breweries collectively produced 771,252 barrels of beer (ranking 10th), with $2.397 billion in economic impact (ranking 9th).
Last month, Matt Altobell joined the Tennessee Craft Brewers Guild as its executive director, following the departure of former director Sharon Cheek, who joined the guild as its first employee in 2019.
“Matt is a sound leader with great nonprofit experience, who can help us continue to grow as craft breweries in the state of Tennessee,” guild board member and owner of East Nashville Beer Works Anthony Davis said in a press release.
Altobell joins the guild from the Quest Center, a non-profit organization that offers music education and enrichment programs for children in Middle Tennessee, the Nashville Post reported. Prior to that, he led the Jackson Downtown Development Corporation in Jackson, Tennessee.
With 152 craft breweries and 2.9 breweries per capita, Tennessee ranks 22nd and 36th, respectively, according to the BA. The state’s breweries produced 196,516 barrels of beer in 2023 (ranking 28th) and generated $1.356 billion in economic impact (ranking 21st).