Jill Westra is the Senior Manager of Sustainability at The Boston Beer Company, which includes the Angry Orchard brand. Jill is an environmental scientist with a 20-year career in environmental consulting and corporate sustainability management. Based in the Kansas City metro area, she also serves as an elected board member of her local water utility and is on the governing boards of two local non-profit organizations, Missouri River Relief and Climate + Energy Project.

Devon Hevener started out his career working in the culinary industry as the general manager for 5 years where he used data to better understand trends in the area to help the business grow from a single food cart to several carts and a brick and mortar. Most recently, he has spent the last year working with the American Cider Association as a Consumer and Market Data Research Intern where he was able to learn the industry firsthand through the mentorship of industry experts and various ad-hoc projects which helped connect him to 3-Tier Beverages. One of his most significant projects was the creation of a formal database of all cider producers within the United States. Devon graduated from Portland State University with a degree in Business Technology & Analytics and currently lives in the Portland, Oregon area with his wife Hannah.

Ambrosia Borowski is the Director of Operations and Executive Beverage Director at the Northman Cider Co., where they bring a wealth of knowledge and passion for cider and craft beverages. As the co-host of The Original Designated Drinkers Podcast, they engage audiences with lively discussions on the beverage industry and its trends. In addition to their role at Northman, Ambrosia is the founder of Chicago Cider Week, an event dedicated to celebrating the vibrant cider community in the city. With a commitment to education and innovation, they strive to elevate the profile of cider and foster connections among producers and enthusiasts alike.

Kate Pinsley began her cider journey with a pint of Original Sin served in a sketchy bar in the East Village. Her next stop was the Finger Lakes with its bounty of upstate cideries. In the course of completing her master’s thesis on apple tannins at Cornell University, Kate learned cidermaking and became quite the cider nerd. Kate is now the Senior Director of Beverage at Schilling Cider in Seattle, leading the cider production and R&D teams in their mission to create quality canned cider. Kate decided to pursue her Pommelier™ certification to challenge her cider knowledge and palate, and to connect with more cidermakers and cider fans.

Jennie Dorsey is the Education Operations Director for the American Cider Association. She is also a founding member of Pomme Boots Society for women in the Cider Industry and has held numerous positions since she first entered the Cider Industry over a decade ago. Jennie actually began her journey in the coffee industry where she was a nationally ranked competition barista and trainer specializing in sensory analysis with a focus on food pairings.  The skills honed in competition led her on the path of beverage discovery, where she fell in love with cider and its unmatched pairing possibilities. Jennie is a working member of the Cider Certification team, and she was given the distinguished award of Cider Server of the Year in 2018 by the ACA. She is passionate about food and beverage of all kinds, cinema, and vintage lifestyle, and she can always be spotted by her brightly colored hair.

Elizabeth Garofalo traces her love for agriculture back to her childhood where she experienced seasons in the orchard near her home. Garofalo earned her associate’s degree in Sustainable Food and Farming from Stockbridge School of Agriculture, a bachelor’s degree in Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences at UMass and continued to a master’s degree in Plant and Soil Sciences, specializing in plant pathology with a focus on apple scab. Currently at Extension Educator at UMass Amherst, Garofalo’s work involves developing educational programs, conducting applied research, and providing insights to fruit growers statewide. Her interests lie in IPM, cider, cider apple production and sustainable agriculture, offering expertise in plant disease and insect management, pest risk forecast models, and outreach.

Chandler Tomayko is a trained chef and bartender who throughout her 21-year-long career has traveled, studied and worked in places such as Costa Rica, Abu Dhabi, Hawaii, Italy, Austria, England and Spain. Chandler has spent time in all types of establishments from dive bars to Michelin star restaurants. She constantly thinks about the kitchen and the bar in her approach to mixology. Lover of puns and avid photographer, Chandler also has ample experience in developing programs both for educational purposes and for venues. She has worked as an event planner, magazine contributor, and project consultant. When this potions professional is not focused on R&D she strives to curate experiences that add value to the careers of other hospitality individuals, keeping at the forefront personal growth, mental well-being, and curiosity.

Brent Miles-Wagner is the owner of Brown Hat Consulting, which he started in 2019 to provide an expert resource for new and expanding cider companies. He was the founding Head Cidermaker at Seattle Cider Company, where he wrote the business plan and developed their lineup of innovative and award-winning ciders. He then became Head Cidermaker at Sly Clyde Ciderworks, who engaged him to build their new cidery from the ground up. Last year he completed a Master’s in Entrepreneurship from Uppsala University in Sweden, writing his thesis on the challenges facing Swedish craft cideries.

Amanda Oborne joined Finnriver Farm & Cidery as CEO in 2024 following 15 years of food system, regenerative agriculture, and investing roles, including as VP of Food, Farms & Fisheries at the non-profit Ecotrust, Executive Director of Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN), and Managing Director of Ideaship, an innovation-focused investment fund. She helped develop a $25M food hub and historic redevelopment in Portland, Oregon, and launched an Ag of the Middle Accelerator supporting independent family farmers, ranchers and fishers in scaling up to serve regional markets. Amanda spent the first 15 years of her career in corporate direct marketing for major brands including Levi Strauss & Co. and Intuit.

Maria Pearman, CPA, CGMA, is GHJ’s Food and Beverage Practice Leader. She has more than 15 years of public accounting experience providing accounting and advisory services to clients. Maria is an expert in the beverage and alcohol industry specializing in internal accounting processes, financial reviews, budgeting, cash flow forecasting, financial strategy and succession planning. Prior to joining GHJ in 2021, Maria built a national practice focused on beverage alcohol clients. Maria sits on the Finance Committee for the Brewers Association, the nation’s largest industry organization for craft brewers. Published by the Brewers Association in 2019, Maria wrote a top-rated book, Small Brewery Finance, to help small businesses run more successful breweries. She has taught courses at the Business of Craft Beer program at the University of Vermont as well as the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States Academy. Maria has been a licensed CPA since 2010.