Board of Directors
WineAmerica is structured as a non-profit trade association (501 c 6). Its policies and administration are governed by a 27-member board of directors elected by the full winery membership. The Board maintains a number of committees to address continuing interests, including International, Technical, Agriculture, Environment, Legislative, Membership, Nominations, Long Term Planning and Executive. Two meetings of the Board are held each year: the Annual Meeting, with a legislative issues focus, held each spring in Washington, D.C. and the Annual Leadership Planning Retreat, held in different wine producing regions throughout the country each fall.

Board members are elected by the winery membership to three-year terms, staggered so that one-third of the Board is up for election in any given year. Three quarters of the Board of Directors are elected to represent nine regions which are devised to reflect as best as possible an equal number of wineries. Each region has two seats, except for California which, by virtue of the size of its industry, has four seats. In addition to the regional positions, seven Board members are elected at-large.

Northeast
Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont

Tom Sharko
Alba Vineyard, NJ

Kip Kumler
Turtle Creek Winery, MA

New York

Trent Preszler
Bedell Cellars

Jim Trezise
New York Wine & Grape Foundation

Southeast
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

Rachel Martin
Boxwood Winery, VA

Rob Ramsey
Stonehaus Winery, TN

Great Lakes
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin

David Braganini
St. Julian Wine Company, MI

Kathleen Oliver
Oliver Winery, IN

Midwest
Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas

Thomas J. Held
Stone Hill Winery, MO

Eldon Nygaard
Valiant Vineyards, SD

Rocky Mountain
Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah

Ron Bitner
Bitner Vineyards, ID

Naomi Shepherd Smith
Grande River Vineyards, CO

Washington

Marty Clubb
L'Ecole No. 41 Winery

Kari Leitch
Chateau St. Michelle

Oregon

Steve Thomson
King Estate Winery

Alison Sokol Blosser
Sokol Blosser Winery

California

Caroline Shaw
Jackson Family Wines

James Finkle
Constellation Brands

Richard Smith
Paraiso Vineyards

Vacant

At-Large

Doug Caskey
(State Associations Council Chairman)
Colorado Wine Industry Development Board, CO

Jim Ballard (Chairman)
James Arthur Vineyards, NE

Dennis Cakebread
Cakebread Cellars, CA

Douglas Moorhead
Presque Isle Wine Cellars, PA

Edward O’Keefe, III (Vice Chairman)
Chateau Grand Traverse, MI

Cord Switzer
Fredericksburg, Winery, TX

Jim Anderson
Missouri Grape and Wine Program, MO

Lew Parker
Willowcroft Farm Vineyards, VA (Treasurer)

Jerry Douglas
The Biltmore Company, NC