Barista Guild of America Announces Slate for 2015 Executive Council Elections

The Barista Guild of America (BGA) is proud to announce the slate of candidates, as recommended by the Nominating Committee, for the 2015 Executive Council Elections! For the five open positions, the Committee has nominated Sarah Leslie of Gimme! Coffee, Matthew Scott of Lemonjello's Coffee, and incumbents Miguel Vicuna, Metropolis Coffee Lohi, Laila Ghambari of Cherry Street Coffee House, and Alexandra Littlejohn of Equator Coffees and Teas to fill these seats.

In choosing the slate of nominees for the Executive Council, the Nomination Committee considers the following:

- Previous and current service to the BGA, including but not limited to: committee membership, lead instructing, station instructing, and other BGA-related volunteering. - Geographical diversity – ensuring at least one person representing each of the three primary regions of the United States (West Coast, Central, and East Coast) is represented in the overall Executive Council. Attention is also given to balancing the geographical spread to cover where most of our members are located. - Ability to meet the commitments of the Executive Council as outlined in the BGA Bylaws.

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@scaa.org with your intent and the SCAA will further instruct you on this process.

Elections will open for voting on January 26, 2015. Voting will close on February 27, 2015. 

Candidate Profiles

Sarah Leslie, Gimme! Coffee

Sarah Leslie is the Director of Education at Gimme! Coffee, where she develops and executes training programs. She holds the Barista Level 1 and 2 Certificates and is also a credentialed Barista Certificate Examiner. Sarah has been teaching people to make coffee since 2010. Her coffee career began in 2006 in NYC, and since then she taken on many roles in companies around the city. She is serving her second year on the BGA Certificate Committee and has attended four Barista Camps in the past two years. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys tossing the frisbee around with her husband and their dog Pickles.

Matthew Scott, Lemonjello's Coffee

Matthew Scott opened Lemonjello’s Coffee in Holland, MI in 2003. He runs it and still works the bar every day. He also manages a blog at CoffeeFoxhole.com. Matthew has been a USCC barista competitor since 2012 and just placed second in the 2015 North Central regionals. He is an SCAA Credentialed Lead Instructor and Espresso Subject Matter Expert. He is currently serving on the Barista Guild’s Events Committee and as the Barista Guild’s sustainability liason to SCAA's Sustainability Council.

Laila Ghambari, Cherry Street Coffee House

Laila Ghambari is director of coffee at Cherry Street Coffee House, a family-owned business where she works alongside her father. Cherry Street Coffee House has been open to the city of Seattle for over 20 years, with 10 unique locations. Laila is an Executive Council member of the Barista Guild of America and is the reigning United States Barista Champion.

Miguel Vicuna, Metropolis Coffee Lohi

Miguel is General Manager and Director of Coffee Education for Metropolis Coffee in Denver, Colorado and has been in coffee for over 10 years. He currently serves on the Executive Council of the Barista Guild of America and is Chair of the Certificate Committee. He is also a Head Judge for the U.S. Barista Championship and a World Barista Championship Sensory Judge. He enjoys hikes up North beyond The Wall with his direworlf.

Alexandra Littlejohn, Equator Coffees and Teas

Alexandra handles specialty sales for Equator Coffees and Teas, based in San Rafael, CA. From her Southern California home, she travels around the country connecting with baristas and promoting Barista Guild activities and benefits whenever she can! Alex is a Level 2 Certified Barista, SCAA Credentialed Lead Instructor, Espresso Subject Matter Expert, and has recently joined the team of specialized instructors; which will allow her to teach internationally. She currently serves on the Executive Council and as the vice chair of the Barista Guild's membership committee.