The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) announced the formation of the Spirits United Advocacy Team (SUAT) to expand the growing platform further and increase engagement and impact on policy issues at the federal and state levels.
The inaugural team comprises thought leaders from the spirits industry with diverse professional backgrounds. It includes
- Chrissy Beaudette, General Manager at Sassenach Spirits
- Michael Bender, President of Wholesale at Ole Smoky
- Elizabeth Conway, Director of Brand and External Communications at Brown-Forman
- Brian Facquet, Founder and CEO at Do Good Spirits
- Katharine Jerkens, Chief Business Officer at Uncle Nearest
- Philip McDaniel, CEO and Co-Founder at St. Augustine Distillery
“The group has seen tremendous growth in its first three years, and now we are looking to bring our grassroots community to the next level,” said Chris Swonger, president & CEO of DISCUS and Responsibility.org. “The Spirits United Advocacy Team comprises influential thought leaders and change-makers who understand the importance of grassroots engagement in advocating for the industry and our consumers. Their expertise will help propel it forward. We are excited to build upon our successes through our grassroots efforts and are grateful to the advocacy team for being strong ambassadors.”
Spirits United was created in 2019 with more than 60,000 spirits advocates engaging with lawmakers on issues important to the industry. Spirits United and its more than 25 partner members continue to underscore a strong commitment to responsibility.
The inaugural team will serve for one year.
