SCAA Leadership Summit Wrap Up

by Heather Perry

The BGA Executive Council just wrapped up a long weekend participating in many firsts. It all started on Thursday when the BGA held the first testing session for BGA Credentialed Examiners. With 20 participants, including SCAA Board Members, we started the day by reviewing the practical test that participants hoping to become Level 1 Certified Baristas will have to pass. We then moved on to the hands-on portion where EC members Scott Lucey and Phoung Tran posed as "good" and "not-so-good" baristas hoping to pass. After everyone had taken the exam, Phoung and Scott regrouped and calibrated. By the end of the day, the BGA had 20 Credentialed Examiners who can now offer the BGA Level 1 Certification Test. If you are interested in becoming a BGA Level 1 Certified Barista, contact an examiner in your area and schedule your testing time today!

The next two days were devoted to what used to be the September Conference Committee Meetings. This year the SCAA restructured the committees, guilds, and councils and this annual weekend meeting will now be known as the Leadership Summit. Traditionally the BGA Executive Council would use this weekend to review what worked over the past year and map out plans for the year to come. This year, however, we decided we would participate in the first ever Instructor Development Program that has been designed by SCAA Board Member and Chair of the Professional Development Committee, Ellie Matuzsak, and her team. This program is structured to help better prepare instructors to teach and lead SCAA labs and lectures. Not only did the two days cover how to teach and work with adult learners, but a day was spent reviewing, updating, and creating SCAA labs. The work that was put in to this effort was unbelievable, and the labs offered at Anaheim will be better than ever. The BGA also achieved writing the layout of three more classes for BGA Certification: "GRIND, DOSE, TAMP 201", "Bar Efficiency and Workflow", and "Manual Brewing Methods." By the time Exposition makes its way to Anaheim, the BGA will be offering all Level 2 certification classes.

During these two days the EC did get a chance to sneak away and discuss official BGA business, such as more updates to our website, getting the word out about member benefits, creating a great USBC Café, and of course, a great barista camp coming next October.

The final day of the weekend was for the SCAA Board meetings. Traditionally, the BGA EC would be on their way home - but for the time ever, the Chairs and Vice Chairs of Committees and Guilds were invited to observe and represent themselves. Scott and I attended the full day meeting and proudly announced that membership is up over 100% over last year. We were also happy to report that Certification is moving along and that the plans for a BGA Camp are in full swing and we hope to secure a location by the end of October. The invite from the Board to the Chairs was not a one-time thing, the Chair and Vice Chair will be invited to two board meetings a year, really giving us a chance to make sure we are represented and that the board understands our needs to help us better grow.

All in all, it was an extremely successful weekend. We hope that you continue to see the effects of all the hard work continually put in by your elected board. If you are interested in running for a Chapter Representative spot, or perhaps joining the BGA Executive Council, we will be doing a call for nominees in the next few months - so keep an eye out for the nomination form in your inbox.