2017 Barista Guild Executive Council Elections Now Open
The Barista Guild of America is proud to announce the slate of candidates, as recommended by the Nominating Committee, for the 2017 Executive Council Elections!
For the four open positions, the Committee has nominated Matthew Scott of Lemonjello's Coffee (Incumbent), Liz Dean of Irving Farm Coffee Roasters, Brent Hall of Caravela Coffee, and Kathie Hilberg of Spyhouse Coffee Roasters to fill these seats.
Elections for the BGA Executive Council are now open. If you are a BGA Member, please vote by submitting your ballot here.
Elections will run from March 2 – 31, 2017.
The nomination period is over, however if you would still like to be considered in this election cycle, you may become a write-in candidate. Email membership@sca.coffee with your intent and the SCA will further instruct you on this process.
Slate of Candidates
Matthew Scott (Incumbent) | Lemonjello's Coffee - Holland, MI
Matthew Scott opened Lemonjello’s Coffee in Holland, MI in 2003. He has been a USCC barista competitor since 2012 and placed second in his region in 2015. He is an SCA Credentialed Lead Instructor and Espresso Subject Matter Expert. He is currently serving on the Barista Guild’s Executive Council as the Events Committee Chair and as the Barista Guild’s liaison to SCAA’s Sustainability Council.
Liz Dean | Irving Farm Coffee Roasters - New York, NY
Liz has been working in the coffee industry for six years. Her first coffee job was at a Seattle's Best in Borders above Penn Station before becoming a barista at Irving Farm's Gramercy location. She was offered a position as the manager of Irving Farm's then-new Upper West Side location - one of their highest volume shops - before stepping up as Director of Retail in 2016 where she now oversees operations and staffing for the seven cafes in Manhattan and one in the Hudson Valley, most of which also have full food menus. Liz is passionate about making sure her cafes are welcoming, inclusive community spaces and neighborhood focal points for staff and customers alike. She considers supporting and advocating for her staff to be one of the most important parts of her job.
Brent Hall | Caravela Coffee - Apex, NC
Brent has been working in coffee since he was 16. He grew up in North Carolina and has only been able to leave the state he loves so much for 8 months...during which period he met his now wife. He now lives at the peak of good living in Apex, NC with his wife, two kids, two dogs, and two cats. Brent has roasted, bought, sold, trained, developed and even dabbled in trading in the coffee industry, and wants to see the newer generations of coffee professionals grow and have a place in which they can grow. Brent loves coffee and the community that gathers around it – coffee has fueled a lifetime of experiences and has always been a point of focus.
Kathie Hilberg | Spyhouse Coffee Roasters - Minneapolis, MN
Kathie has have been working in specialty coffee for 6 years. Starting out at a roasting company in Bend, Oregon, she fell quickly in love with everything about coffee – the focus on quality, sharing knowledge with customers, tasting way too much espresso and the barista community. Being a member of the Barista Guild for almost the same amount of time, Kathie has been able to make connections and friendships far and wide. She has now been at Spyhouse Coffee roasters for almost 4 years, and it is because of these relationships that I have been able to thrive in my position. Meeting other coffee professionals has challenged her and helped her grow in her own career, and she wants to be a part of facilitating these connections throughout our entire coffee community.