Kelly Woodcock, Amber Pollock, and Jeff Kanof Elected President, Vice President, & Secretary/Treasurer, Board of Directors, Along with New Board Appointments
WASHINGTON, DC (April 17, 2024) – The American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA) today announces the election of Kelly Woodcock of Westward Whiskey (OR) as the President of the Board of Directors. She has served as a member of the organization’s Board of Directors since 2022, and as Vice President since 2023. Amber Pollock of Backwards Distilling Co. (WY) has also been elected as the organization’s Vice President, and Jeff Kanof of Copperworks Distilling Co. (WA) as Secretary/Treasurer. Pollock and Kanof have served on the board since 2018. Together, Woodcock, Pollock and Kanof and the current and newly-appointed Board of Directors will work with CEO Margie A.S. Lehrman to address the key issues facing the craft distilling industry, including the organization’s continued push for modern market access. ACSA is also proud to announce the results of its national election for Board of Directors members, adding five new members.
“It is a tremendous honor to be leading the ACSA Board of Directors as president, and it is a responsibility that I do not take lightly,” said Kelly Woodcock, Partner & Vice President at Westward Whiskey and President, ACSA. “As we usher in ACSA’s second decade as a leading industry trade association, I look forward to serving our growing craft spirits community and building on the organization’s remarkable accomplishments thus far. We’ve certainly got our work cut out for us, but I’m excited to be working alongside such an esteemed group of fellow Board members to make great things happen for our vibrant industry.”
Margie A.S. Lehrman, CEO, ACSA, added, “While industry growth continues to climb, albeit slowly, we are also seeing distillery closures and struggles to remain financially secure and profitable. ACSA remains focused on critical issues to ensure our small business manufacturers, who are intricately connected to their local hospitality and agricultural communities, will keep pace with modern society. That includes our efforts to diversify the spirits industry through efforts in the STEPUP Foundation, which executes an immersive internship program to change the face of the drinks industry, reflecting the variety of the consumers who enjoy our innovate products. Our 2024 Board of Directors is proof that our industry continues to advance in the right direction.”
Following these elections, the ACSA Board of Directors will also be appointing leadership to its governing committees. Those committees include Membership, Ethics, Convention, Education, Elections, Safety, ACSA PAC, Mentorship, Judging, Government Affairs, State Guilds, Technology, Finance, Market Access and Development. The new 2024 Board of Directors will be installed on April 25.
The 2024 Board of Directors, representing the craft spirits industry nationwide, is comprised of the following individuals:
EAST
Jordan Cotton, Cotton & Reed (DC)
Greg Eidam, Sugarlands Distilling Co. (TN) *newly elected
Becky Harris, Catoctin Creek Distilling Co. (VA)
Adam Polonski, Lost Lantern Whiskey (VT) *newly elected
Colin Spoelman, Kings County Distillery (NY)
Jaime Windon, Windon Distilling Co. (MD)
CENTRAL & MOUNTAIN
Tom Bard, The Bard Distillery (KY) *newly elected
Amber Pollock, Backwards Distilling Co. (WY)
Phil Steger, Brother Justus Whiskey Co. (MN) *newly elected
Olivia Stewart, Oxbow Rum Distillery (LA) *newly elected
Mark A. Vierthaler, Whiskey Del Bac (AZ)
Thomas Williams, Delta Dirt Distillery (AR)
PACIFIC
Lucy Farber, St. George Spirits (CA)
Jeff Kanof, Copperworks Distilling Co. (WA)
Kelly Woodcock, Westward Whiskey (OR)
EX OFFICIO
Thomas Jensen, New Liberty Distillery (PA)
The national digital election was administered over the past month with the help of the Election’s Chair, Renee Bemis, Driftless Glen Distillery (WI) and Jeff Wuslich, Cardinal Spirits (IN).
About ACSA
The American Craft Spirits Association is the only national registered nonprofit trade association representing the U.S. craft spirits industry. Its mission is to elevate and advocate for the community of craft spirits producers, and membership in ACSA is open to anyone.
ACSA is governed by a Board of Directors elected by the eligible voting members of the Association. Voting members must be independent licensed distillers (DSPs) annually removing fewer than 750,000 proof gallons from bond (the amount on which a Federal Excise Tax is paid.) For information about ACSA, call 202-669-3661.