Josh Sejat has been in the Alcohol and Beverage industry for 10 years. Starting in the craft beer space with Ellison Brewing & Spirits and then Oskar Blues from Cellarman, to Head Brewer to Quality Lead. He moved back to Michigan to lead Blake’s Hard Ciders Quality & Innovation program as their Director building out the quality program of 3 locations and leading product development of Blake’s, AVID & Austin East Cider. Currently, Josh is consulting for entrepreneurs with UK based Adult Beverage Innovation Firm Alkemista. Developing new alcoholic and non-alcoholic adult beverages and offering technical expertise and quality management.

Hailing from Saginaw, Michigan, Jeffrey C. Cottrell is the Registrar at the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History. Other interests include volunteering his time as President and Curator of the Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame and as a board member for the International Sports Heritage Association. He has been involved with the back end of GLINTCAP for over a decade. Jeff likes to spend time playing his bass, traveling to Michigan cideries, getting to know the cidery owners/makers and the products they produce. He loves to help those producers press apples into the cider used to ply their craft. His home orchard boasts eight apple trees (MM111) which inspire his contributions to noncommercial competitions. CCP Level 1 was achieved in 2023 and Certified Pommelier at GLINTCAP 2025. Jeffrey and Haley have been married for almost two decades and they have two children.

Danielle Miller launched and manages the cider club at Tandem Ciders, where she has also been a dedicated member of the Tasting Room team since 2015. Working in northern Michigan’s apple country has fueled her passion for cider, deepening her appreciation for the fruit and cidermaking process. Danielle began writing tasting notes for each cider club release, an effort that sharpened her sensory skills and how to write about cider, and inspired her growing interest in cider education. She also started a monthly tasting group for industry professionals, offering a space for sensory training and shared learning. She regularly judges cider competitions and works closely with Tandem’s production team to help shape new offerings for the cider club.

When Bird Peterson took a bar back position at Left Foot Charley in 2017, all she was looking for was a day job with a fun atmosphere. The cider bug was in the air, but like some fermentations, her interest took its time and developed complexity. After a few years of part-time dabbling and helping at harvest, she is now a full time cellar hand.

She balances work at Left Foot Charley with her own artistic pursuits. She lives in a no stoplight town south of Traverse City with her husband and their two dogs.

Beckett Vigh is a cider retail specialist and amateur home cidermaker. His passion for cider began in childhood, pressing apples with his grandparents, and further developed when he entered the beverage industry at Siciliano’s Specialty Beverage and Supply (formerly Siciliano’s Market). There, he began to specialize in ciders and now curates the store’s cider selection. He is also the go-to advisor at the store for home cidermakers.

Andrew Schultz is the owner and operator of Texas Corners Brewing Company and Lawton Ridge Winery in Michigan. He grew up on his family’s third generation fruit farm in SW Michigan which fueled his passion for all things apple (and other fruits!) The family farm is also the source of apples for the family’s cidery. He has a degree in Agribusiness Management from Michigan State University where he expanded his lifelong passion for food and beverages. His family opened their cidery and farm-to-table concept pub in 2015 which he now operates alongside his wife.

Tim Godfrey is the owner of Godfrey Beverage Solutions based in Michigan. He became a Certified Pommelier™ to demonstrate his knowledge of all styles of cider, the science of making and serving cider, as well as his ability to objectively evaluate ciders; all of which help him better serve the larger cider community and continue to help the cider industry grow and flourish across the United States.

Sean Niemisto is a cider fanatic. While cutting his teeth in the beverage industry as a production brewer, he quickly fell in love with the northern Michigan cider scene. He is now the cidermaker for Townline Ciderworks, where he crafts blossom to glass ciders with estate grown fruit. In his free time, he enjoys fruit foraging with his wife, Gill, and trusty pup, Arlo. Sean has completed a program through the Cider and Perry Academy, is a member of the Northwest Michigan Cidermakers Guild, a regular judge for the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition (GLINTCAP), and is forklift certified.