Jill Nathanson is currently a Product Developer on the R&D team at Boston Beer Company in Boston, MA. She executes new product development across all brands in Boston Beer’s core product portfolio, including Angry Orchard cider. She chose to pursue the Certified Pommelier™ certification to broaden her understanding of the alcoholic beverage industry and to deepen her knowledge of all things cider.

She chose to become a Certified Pommelier™ to learn more about cider and use those learnings to inform my work in beverage development

Certified Pommelier™ Jill Nathanson earned her advanced certification at CiderCon® 2026 in Providence, RI.

Rachael Picard has always been passionate about food, a curiosity that led her to earn a bachelor’s degree in Food Science from UMass Amherst in 2017. Since then, she has built her career as a product developer, working across a wide range of fermentation-based products – from bread and baked goods to alcoholic beverages.

Today, Rachael is a Product Developer at the Boston Beer Company, where she helps bring new beverages to life for brands including Angry Orchard. She thrives at the intersection of creativity and science, using both to craft products that excite and inspire drinkers.

Constantly seeking flavor inspiration, Rachael loves exploring the market, especially visiting cideries, and bringing what she discovers back into her work. At home, she continues to hone her fermentation skills through sourdough baking and other kitchen experiments.

As a natural cider enthusiast and product developer, she became a Certified Pommelier™ to deepen her technical understanding of cider, including how it’s made and the various styles.

Certified Pommelier™ Rachael Picard achieved her advanced certification at CiderCon® 2026 in Providence, RI.

Born and raised in South Jersey, Jane developed an early interest in food science, leading her to study it in college. That passion ultimately guided her into the alcohol industry, where she found a unique blend of science and creativity. Jane is currently a Product Developer at the Boston Beer Company, where she works across a diverse portfolio of products within the alcoholic beverage space, including Angry Orchard ciders. She is involved in everything from early-stage formulation to supporting scale-up for production, with a focus on creating high-quality, well-balanced products.

Jane chose to become a Certified Pommelier™ because she was motivated to deepen her understanding of cider and expand her knowledge of apples, orcharding, and fermentation. She enjoys bringing new ideas to life and continues to be inspired by the ever-evolving beverage industry.

Certified Pommelier™ Jane Ignarri earned her advanced certification at CiderCon® 2026 in Providence, RI.

Casey Simpson is the Operations Manager at Artifact Cider Project. She oversees logistics and warehousing, and supports their production crew. In addition, she is on the team that develops their small batch cellar projects. Casey says she is lucky to live in Western Massachusetts, an area with a rich cider history and that the thriving local community of cider lovers has taught her so much.

Casey chose to become a Certified Pommelier™ to support the cider community’s efforts to develop a common language for their diverse and ever-growing industry. She is excited to use the knowledge she has gained in the process of earning her certification to advocate for cider by educating others on its history, while building the future of the industry.

Tim Powers is a cider enthusiast and educator who works at the Commonwealth Wine School in Cambridge, Masschusetts.

Tim has always had a passion for cider, but the moment he heard about the American Cider Association and the Certified Pommelier™ certification he knew it was a path he had to pursue. Tim loves the flexibility of cider to shine in any occasion, whether it’s served with food, blended into a mixed drink, or enjoyed on its own. Cider is a reflection of a place, a climate, a soil, a history, and a people, and his goal is to help share the stories of these incredible ciders and cideries with the world and raise awareness of the amazing local cideries of New England through advocacy and education.