Denizens Brewing co-founder and chief brand officer Julie Verratti will join the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as associate administrator of field operations, beginning March 1.
Verratti will step away from her role with the brewery to take on the political appointment.
“I have always been an outspoken advocate for small businesses, and I am extremely honored and excited to be able to serve our country in the Biden-Harris Administration,” Verratti said in a press release. “This is an urgent time to work tirelessly on bold and equitable solutions for the hard-working women and men who operate the millions of small businesses that are the backbone of our economy and communities.”
In her new SBA role, Verratti will oversee the administration’s 68 field offices and 10 regional offices nationwide. The SBA’s office of field operations is responsible for “the direct execution of the Agency’s products and services for America’s small businesses,” according to the release.
Those products and services include the Paycheck Protection Program, through which 81.2% of craft breweries received loans during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to national not-for-profit trade group the Brewers Association (BA).
“I am a passionate and true believer that when government is run well, we can deliver positive impacts for people,” Verratti said. “I can’t wait to hit the ground running to work on behalf of America’s small businesses, so they can do what they do best, which is grow our economy and create jobs.”
Speaking to Brewbound, Verratti said her role at Denizens will be divided between sales manager Ben Hunter and brewery co-founders Emily Bruno and Jeff Ramirez, Verratti’s wife and brother-in-law. Hunter will take on more responsibility of sales in Denizens’ home markets, while Ramirez, who has led production, will take on wholesaler management and Bruno will assume some of the marketing responsibilities and other roles previously held by Verratti.
“I’m optimistic for Denizens’ future. I am optimistic about the future of America, and I am hopeful that I’m going to be able to bring a positive impact to small businesses across the country in this new role,” Verratti said.
Verratti, who has served on the BA’s board of directors since 2018, resigned her role on the board during a meeting on Thursday. She has also served as a member of the board of directors for the Brewers Association of Maryland since 2019.
Before co-founding Denizens in 2014, Verratti worked at the SBA as a policy advisor and presidential management fellow. Her career also includes a stint as a staff member for the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, as well as time on political campaigns and at non-profit organizations.
“My background, both having worked in government before, having done advocacy before, and then also having the lived experience of being a small business owner-operator for the last seven years — and especially during this time of COVID — this is a chance for me to hopefully bring the skills that I have and experience that I have to try to help,” Verratti said. “I just want to be helpful and be of service. When you’re being asked to serve your country, how do you say no to that?”
Verratti spoke at the 2020 Brewbound Live business conference on lessons learned in advocacy. She was also named Brewbound’s 2020 Beer Champion for her advocacy for small businesses during the pandemic. In 2019, the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce named her its business advocate of the year.
Denizens operates two brewpubs in Maryland, the Silver Spring Barrel House & Beer Garden and Riverdale Park Production House & Taproom.