BeverageDynamics.com, April 22, 2022 – The American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA) this week announced the re-election of Becky Harris of Catoctin Creek Distilling Co. (VA) as the President of the Board of Directors. She has served as a member of the organization’s Board of Directors since 2019, and as President since 2020.
Gina Holman, of J. Carver Distillery (MN) and Jessica Lemmon of Cart/Horse Distilling (PA) have also been elected as the organization’s Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer, respectively.
Together, Harris, Holman, Lemmon and the current and newly appointed Board of Directors will work with CEO Margie A.S. Lehrman to address issues facing the craft distilling industry, including the organization’s continued push for direct-to-consumer shipping (DTC). These ACSA elections mark a first in drinks industry history, as an 100% women-identifying-led board will steer a national trade association, the organization says. Additionally, women now comprise 40% of the elected Board of Directors. ACSA also announced the results of their national election for Board of Director members, adding three new members with another two returning.
“I am honored to be selected again by my fellow board members, a group of incredible leaders within our craft distilling community, as president, and I am excited to continue the incredible momentum behind our industry on the heels of our Federal Excise Tax (FET) victory and the slow, but changing direct shipping ecosystem,” says Harris.
Adds Lehrman, “As a woman in drinks, particularly at a trade association level, today marks an important milestone as we announce the election of our first-ever women-led Board. Though ACSA remains focused on critical industry issues such as parity, tax reform, trade, and direct shipping, we continue to pour our hearts and efforts into the STEPUP Foundation, the 501(c)3 non-profit immersive internship program we helped create late last year. Through STEPUP, our work is narrowly focused on an important mission: to change the face of the drinks industry, one intern at a time. While we still have so much work to do — particularly within the communities that have been most marginalized historically — we are beginning to see a shift in drinks.”
