Downsized 16-person board welcomes new member Bill Butcher
Boulder, Colo.—The Brewers Association—the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers—announced its 2025 board of directors, with one new representative joining the 16-person board. Having realized its two-year plan to gradually downsize the board size from 21 to a more effective and nimble size while maintaining membership class representative balance, the directors gathered in Boulder, Colo., February 12-13 for the first of their regular quarterly meetings.
Leah Cheston, owner of Right Proper Brewing Co. (Washington, D.C.), started her second term as board chair. Cheston has served on the board since 2019.
New board member Bill Butcher, founder and president of Port City Brewing Co. (Alexandria, Va.), and incumbent member Leah Cheston were elected as packaging and pub brewer class representatives respectively, and will each serve a three-year term. Former packaging class representative Tomme Arthur was re-elected as a new taproom class representative and will serve a three-year term. Incumbent board members Colby Cox, founder of Pure Madness Brewery Group (Jackson, Wyo.), and Shawna Cormier of the Seattle Beer School (Seattle, Wash.) were appointed as at-large representatives. They will each serve two- and one-year terms, respectively.
Cheston thanked outgoing board members Garrett Marrero of Craft ‘Ohana (Kihei, Hawaii), Tim Brady of Whetstone Beer Co. (Brattleboro, Vt). and Holly Redding of Winchester Brew Works (Winchester, Va.) for their combined 19 years of service.
“I’m honored to start my second term as chair and excited to collaborate with these exceptional brewers, dedicating their time, expertise, and passion to supporting the craft brewing community. Their diverse perspectives, passion, and expertise will be instrumental in guiding our industry forward,” said Cheston. “The board is also looking forward to working with Bart in his new role and the new senior management team to gain fresh perspectives on our opportunities and look for growth areas for our members and the association.”
The 2025 Brewers Association Board of Directors is composed of the following members:
(*indicates new to the board in 2025)
Executive Committee
- Chair – Leah Cheston, Right Proper Brewing Co, Washington, DC
- Vice Chair – Chris Herron, Creature Comforts Brewing Co, Athens, GA
- Secretary – Melissa Romano, Lake Anne Brewhouse, Reston, VA
- Treasurer – Audra Gaiziunas, DSSOLVR, Asheville, NC
- Officer – Fred Matt, Saranac Brewery/Matt Brewing Co, Utica, NY
- Brewers Association President & CEO – Bart Watson
Packaging Brewers Representative Board Members
- Pamela Brulotte, Icicle Brewing Co, Leavenworth, WA
- *Bill Butcher, Port City Brewing Co, Alexandria, VA
- Chris Herron, Creature Comforts Brewing Co, Athens, GA
- Fred Matt, Saranac Brewery/Matt Brewing Co, Utica, NY
- Jason Perkins, Allagash Brewing Co, Portland, ME
- Mitch Steele, New Realm Brewing Co, Atlanta, GA
Pub Brewers Representative Board Members
- Leah Cheston, Right Proper Brewing Co, Washington, DC
- Jess Griego, Bosque Brewing Co, Albuquerque, NM
- Jason Lavery, Lavery Brewing Co, Erie, PA
- Kris Spaulding, Brewery Vivant, Grand Rapids, MI
Taproom Brewers Representative Board Members
- Tomme Arthur, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA
- Melissa Romano, Lake Ann Brewhouse, Reston, VA
- Nicole Smith, South Lake Brewing Co, South Lake Tahoe, CA
At-Large Board Members
- Shawna Cormier, Seattle Beer School, Burien, WA
- Colby Cox, Pure Madness Brewery Group, Jackson, WY
- Audra Gaiziunas, DSSOLVR, Asheville, NC
Committee Chairs
- Brewpubs – Jess Griego, Jason Lavery
- Diversity – Pam Brulotte, Amy Martin
- Events – Tomme Arthur
- Executive – Leah Cheston
- Finance – Audra Gaiziunas
- Governance – Melissa Romano
- Government Affairs – Jason Lavery
- Human Resources – Kris Spaulding, Angie Aebersold
- Market Development – Fred Matt
- Public Relations & Marketing – Colby Cox, Fred Matt
- Taprooms – Nicole Smith
- Technical – Jason Perkins, Mitch Steele
“Thank you to our dedicated board members and all our members who engage with their association,” said Bart Watson, president and CEO of the Brewers Association. “Their commitment to advancing the craft brewing community and their passion and expertise will help us navigate the current challenges, explore new opportunities, and shape our industry’s future and the association’s path. I look forward to working together to support and grow this incredible community.”
Media Contact: Jessie Vandenhouten (on behalf of the Brewers Association)
- 970.963.4873 ext. 1220
- brewerspr@backbone.media
About the Brewers Association
The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers, and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents 5,600-plus U.S. breweries. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers. The Brewers Association organizes events, including the World Beer Cup®, Great American Beer Festival®, Craft Brewers Conference® & BrewExpo America®, National Homebrew Competition, and American Craft Beer Week®. The BA publishes The New Brewer® and Zymurgy® magazines, and Brewers Publications® is the leading publisher of brewing literature in the U.S. Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com® and about homebrewing via the American Homebrewers Association®. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
The Brewers Association is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital/familial status. The BA complies with provisions of Executive Order 13672 and the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor.
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