David Oelrich, Chief Individuals of Officer; Skip King, Director of Culinary; Valerie Elkins, Director of Memberships; and Kelsey Kramer, Director of Training, will drive strategic development for the corporate and wine trade
AUSTIN, TX (June 1, 2022) – William Chris Wine Firm (WCWC), mum or dad firm of main producers of 100% Texas-grown wines within the Lone Star State together with William Chris Vineyards, Misplaced Draw Cellars, Skeleton Key, and Grower Challenge manufacturers, introduced the appointment of key new hires together with David Oelrich as Chief Individuals Officer (CPO), Skip King as Director of Culinary, Valerie Elkins as Director of Memberships, and the promotion of Kelsey Kramer to Director of Training, efficient instantly.
“These are a number of the most fun occasions within the historical past of WCWC. This latest spherical of hires and promotions is a testomony to the true success of the corporate,” stated Co-Founder and COO of WCWC, Andrew Sides. “Greater than accolades, elevated gross sales, and broadened markets, the extent of expertise and inside growth that we’ve acquired and achieved has me most excited concerning the future.”
Bringing over 14 years of expertise within the human assets subject to WCWC, David Oelrich has been appointed as the corporate’s first ever Chief Individuals Officer to steer, assess, mentor, and help workforce members to domesticate a motivating working tradition and develop the infrastructure to take care of the expansion and success of the corporate. Beforehand, Oelrich held the position of Senior Director of Human Assets at Molecular Templates, a quickly rising biotech startup in Austin, Texas.
Becoming a member of the WCWC workforce as the brand new Director of Culinary, Houston-native Skip King brings over 25 years of hands-on restaurant and hospitality expertise to his position of sustaining the day-to-day meals & wine pairing experiences in any respect areas, with plans to develop and improve the seasonal choices. Inside his position, King may also spearhead the event of William Chris Vineyards’ on-site backyard to complement the culinary program and wine dinners, together with creating new relationships with native farmers to supply produce and high-quality protein. Over the previous two and a half many years, King labored his method from line prepare dinner to sous chef to holding government chef roles at eating places, together with, notably, Oceanaire Seafood Room in Houston, Texas. Over the previous six years, King has immersed himself within the wine trade; he held the position as wine director at Morton’s of Chicago and, most just lately, assistant winemaker and government chef at French Connection Wines.
“The wine trade is ever evolving and one thing that can at all times be a bit unpredictable, however our give attention to constructing and creating groups all engaged on the imaginative and prescient and values of the corporate has helped us construct an unflappable tradition,” added Sides. “Probably the most rewarding factor about being part of this enterprise has been witnessing the affect on people coming collectively for frequent targets and being enriched by the job they’re doing. It’s a extremely particular factor.”
Valerie Elkins joins the workforce as Director of Memberships and might be accountable for driving member engagement, in addition to creating alternatives to additional customise the membership expertise and construct applications to raised meet wine membership members’ wants. Elkins, who brings 22 years of expertise, will oversee a brand new wine membership ambassador program which is able to assist guarantee members get important worth from being a part of the WCWC wine golf equipment. Beforehand, Elkins led mid-size organizations in expertise growth and course of administration throughout the monetary companies sector. Most just lately, she spent practically three years working in wine tasting room administration the place she developed a ardour for selling and defending the integrity of Texas Wine.
“It’s thrilling to be part of a corporation that may be a true chief within the innovation and development of the Texas wine trade,” says Elkins. “I’ve a fantastic ardour for the distinctive high quality of wine being produced by our winemaking workforce and I sit up for working with our workforce to make sure our buyer experiences and membership applications are world-class.”
Lastly, WCWC is proud to announce the promotion of Kelsey Kramer from Content material Advertising Supervisor to Director of Training. Since becoming a member of William Chris Vineyards in 2020, Kramer superior from Tasting Room Ambassador, the place she designed 5 immersive wine experiences and developed the non-public digital tasting program throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, to Content material Advertising Supervisor. Kramer brings 13 years of expertise within the hospitality trade and 7 years of expertise in wine schooling and coaching. In her new position, Kramer’s duties will embrace figuring out, creating, and sustaining all academic initiatives for workers, trade, commerce, and company with the aim of accelerating the requirements of information about WCWC, the Texas wine trade, and their context throughout the huge world of wine. As well as, Kramer might be tasked with sustaining the WCWC manufacturers’ technical database of its wine collections, vineyards, and vintages, and supply every day academic entry for workers members.
“As an individual who learns greatest by means of educating others, I’m thrilled on the alternative to achieve as a lot from this new place at William Chris as I’ll from the workforce that I’ve had the pleasure of working with every day for 2 years,” says Kramer. “It’s by means of encouragement and creativity that I hope to contribute to the rising energy of the Texas wine trade by facilitating the passing of information from individual to individual.”
In October 2020, William Chris Vineyards co-founder Chris Brundrett and Misplaced Draw Cellars proprietor Andrew Sides merged their corporations to create WCWC, which is the mum or dad firm of the William Chris Vineyards (est. 2008), Misplaced Draw Cellars (est. 2012), Skeleton Key (est. 2015), and Grower Challenge (est. 2015) manufacturers, and is the main producer of 100% Texas-grown wines within the Lone Star State.
For extra info on William Chris Vineyards, please go to williamchriswines.com and comply with on Fb and Instagram @WilliamChrisVineyards. For extra info on Misplaced Draw Cellars, please go to lostdrawcellars.com and comply with on Fb and Instagram @LostDrawCellars.
ABOUT WILLIAM CHRIS VINEYARDS
William Chris Vineyards was based within the Texas Hill Nation in 2008 by Chris Brundrett and Invoice Blackmon. Deciding on a pioneer farm settlement within the historic city of Hye, Texas, they started the undertaking to revive the 1905 Deike farmhouse, which turned the unique William Chris Tasting Room. Over the past decade, William Chris has expanded their property vineyards and partnered with family-owned farms throughout the state to supply solely the very best high quality fruit in Texas. In October 2020, Brundrett, who was just lately included in Wine Fanatic’s 2020 40 Beneath 40 record, teamed up with fellow winegrower and Misplaced Draw Cellars proprietor Andrew Sides to merge their corporations and create William Chris Wine Firm (WCWC), which is the mum or dad firm of the William Chris Vineyards (est. 2008), Misplaced Draw Cellars (est. 2012), Skeleton Key (est. 2015), and Grower Challenge (est. 2015) manufacturers, and is the main producer of 100% Texas-grown wines within the Lone Star State. WCWC prides itself on expressing the real style of Texas terroir by means of its wines whereas delivering a one-of-a-kind, world-class expertise. They make the most of a hands-off winemaking strategy, permitting the traits of the fruit, the winery or AVA, and the classic to shine within the completed product. William Chris Vineyards is happy to share a bit of their world and can’t wait to share it with you. For extra info, please go to williamchriswines.com and comply with on Fb and Instagram @WilliamChrisVineyards.
ABOUT LOST DRAW CELLARS
Based in 2012 by Andrew Sides, Troy Ottmers, and Andy Timmons, Misplaced Draw Cellars is a family-owned enterprise with deep Texas roots. As a proud producer of 100% Texas-grown wines, Misplaced Draw obtained its begin producing wines from the extremely acclaimed Misplaced Draw Vineyards within the Texas Excessive Plains. The tasting room and vineyard reside within the coronary heart of Fredericksburg, Texas, in a historic constructing that has been within the Ottmers household for 4 generations and was as soon as a Gulf Distribution enterprise. The workforce is dedicated to producing high quality wines that spotlight the distinctive terroir of Texas. Misplaced Draw prides itself on working with grapes that thrive within the semi-arid local weather of the area and works to constantly enhance the rising course of in a sustainable method. Along with the vineyards they handle themselves, the workforce companions with a number of the greatest vineyards within the state as a method of supporting Texas farmers. Study extra about Misplaced Draw Cellars and plan a go to at lostdrawcellars.com. Comply with them on Instagram (@lostdrawcellars) or Fb (Misplaced Draw Cellars).
