Kentucky Distillers’ Affiliation Promotes Employees Members to Additional Advance the Commonwealth’s Signature Bourbon and Spirits Trade
The Kentucky Distillers’ Affiliation employees, from entrance left: Sara Barnes, Eric Gregory and Annie Franklin. Within the again row from left: Allison Delande, Marielle McElmurray, Adam Johnson, Mandy Ryan, Colleen Thomas and Jack Mazurak.
FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky Distillers’ Affiliation right this moment introduced a number of employees promotions to additional place the historic non-profit commerce group because the main voice for Bourbon, America’s solely native spirit and a thriving financial engine for the Bluegrass State.
“With extra members than ever earlier than, the KDA continues to increase and place its employees to guide our signature trade into the longer term, handle core points and challenges, and enhance worth to our distilleries and companions,” KDA President Eric Gregory mentioned.
“We’re lucky and grateful to have a visionary Board of Administrators and rising membership that works collectively and invests within the affiliation because the trade prospers,” Gregory mentioned. “That spirit of camaraderie and collaboration is on the hallmark of every little thing we do.”
Employees adjustments embrace:
– Adam Johnson, 47, is the KDA’s first-ever Vice President of State Relations. He has led the KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Path® experiences since 2012. In his new function, Johnson will domesticate and strengthen the KDA’s relationships with different state distilling guilds and nationwide teams like DISCUS, the American Craft Spirits Affiliation, and related organizations.
– Colleen Thomas, 47, is the KDA’s first-ever Vice President of Operations. She has been with the KDA since 2016 in a wide range of roles, most just lately as Senior Director of Advertising and marketing and Member Providers. Thomas will now oversee KDA member companies and help, accountability and sustainability packages, analysis, workforce growth, advertising, and the Kentucky Bourbon Path® tourism program.
– Mandy Ryan, 33, will oversee KDA’s tourism initiatives because the Director of the Kentucky Bourbon Path® experiences. She joined the KDA full-time in 2013 as Govt Assistant and has spent the final two years main promotional efforts as Director of Advertising and marketing, efficiently rising the group’s on-line presence and constructing the brand new Kentucky Bourbon marketing campaign.
– Marielle McElmurray, 29, has been named Operations Supervisor and Govt Assistant. She joined the KDA as Particular Initiatives Supervisor in 2021. She’s going to proceed to help KDA employees in a number of areas, together with governmental affairs, analysis and agricultural coverage, whereas coordinating each day KDA operations at its headquarters in Frankfort. McElmurry is also Assistant Secretary-Treasurer to the KDA Board of Administrators.
Different KDA employees embrace Sara Barnes, Director of Trade Accountability & Sustainability; Jack Mazurak, Director of Governmental & Regulatory Affairs; Annie Franklin, Director of Member Providers; and Allison Delande, Director of Particular Initiatives.
Based in 1880, the KDA is the voice for Bourbon and spirits points. Its various membership produces the overwhelming majority of the world’s Bourbon, from legendary, world manufacturers to rising micro distilleries which can be constructing the following technology of America’s solely native spirit.
Bourbon is considered one of Kentucky’s most treasured industries, a booming $9 billion financial and tourism engine sustaining greater than 22,500 jobs with an annual payroll topping $1.23 billion every year, over $285 million in native and state taxes and $1.8 billion in federal alcohol taxes.
A key export, the enduring trade is presently in the course of a $5.2 billion constructing growth, from modern new tourism experiences to expanded manufacturing services, bottling facilities and growing older warehouses, all to fulfill the rising world thirst for Kentucky Bourbon.
Bourbon manufacturing has skyrocketed greater than 435% for the reason that flip of the century.
Kentucky now boasts greater than 10.3 million barrels of Bourbon growing older in warehouses throughout the Bluegrass, essentially the most in its revered distilling historical past. Distillers crammed greater than 2.4 million barrels in 2020 alone, the third 12 months in a row that manufacturing topped the 2 million mark.
Attendance on the KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Path® and Kentucky Bourbon Path Craft Tour® experiences proceed their speedy rebound from COVID and closures, up 160% in whole attendance from final 12 months and simply down barely from the pre-pandemic report in 2019.
Go to www.kybourbon.com and www.kybourbontrail.com to be taught extra.
The Kentucky Distillers’ Affiliation is a 501(c)(6) non-profit commerce affiliation that passionately unites, promotes, protects and elevates the Commonwealth’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits trade. The KDA maintains an open membership coverage, champions a powerful dedication to the accountable and reasonable consumption of spirits, and fights to curb underage consuming and drunk driving.
KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL®, KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL CRAFT TOUR®,, KENTUCKY BOURBON AFFAIR™, KBT®,, BOURBON TRAIL™, KENTUCKY BOURBON HALL OF FAME®,, ORDER OF THE WRIT®,, KENTUCKY BOURBON TALES®,, KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL WELCOME CENTER®,, URBAN BOURBON TRAIL® and THE PROOF IS HERE®are logos/service marks of the Kentucky Distillers’ Affiliation.
Please get pleasure from Bourbon like a real Kentuckian – Responsibly.
