Welcome the Newest Members of the Coffee Technicians Guild Leadership Council
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The results are in! The 2020 Coffee Technicians Guild slate selection process has come to an end. CTG members have confirmed the slate of six professionals put forward by the CTG Elections Committee and presented to members on November 5.
Please welcome the newest members of the CTG Leadership Council:
Kurt Benedict, President/Technician at Last Man
Rachel Dickinson, After Sales Technical Support at La Marzocco
Ann Halsne, General Manager/Co-owner at Sproparts
Scott Manley, Technical Support Supervisor at La Marzocco
Anthony Ragler, Regional Developer at Black & White Coffee
Melissa Vaiden, Service Technician at Counter Culture Coffee
As communicated via email to CTG members on November 24, the 2020 CTG Leadership Council election was uncontested, with an equal number of candidates and open seats, so there was no need to proceed with the usual voting process. Members were asked to confirm or reject the slate and provide comments by December 7. 100% of CTG members who responded voted to confirm the slate. Thank you very much for taking part in this process.
The CTG Leadership Council consists of 12 volunteer members who serve a 2-year term, supported by the SCA staff. Kurt, Rachel, Ann, Scott, Anthony, and Melissa will serve two-year terms from February 2021 to January 2023. Scroll down to learn more about each of them and visit our Instagram to leave them a comment on our latest post.
MeeT the Newest Members of the CTG Leadership Council, In Their Own Words
Kurt Benedict
President/Technician at Last Man
I have been in the service industry since I was 17 years old and I am now 38. I have spent years in shops, on the phone, in customers’ locations commercial/residential and I can say I will never give it up. To me there is something about knowing I repaired an item of importance to my customers.
I have service experience in production equipment, home appliances, automotive, photo mini-labs, aircraft displays and COFFEE. For the last 8 years of my service career, I have been working in the specialty coffee trade. 3 years ago I decided to start my own service group. To me it was the best choice I ever made.
Rachel Dickinson
After Sales Technical Support at La Marzocco
Fourteen years ago I cut my teeth in specialty coffee as one of less than three female technicians in a field of roughly 200 overall. Coming up through the "coffee ranks'' beginning as a barista has always kept me grounded. Pun intended. My love of teching was born in the photo finishing industry leading to circuit boards which culminated in my current fascination with coffee equipment. Beginning life as an art student I had a side job doing component level repair. I found love at the intersection of art and technology and there my purpose was formed.
Joining the team at La Marzocco four years ago has allowed me to deepen my coffee equipment knowledge to the point of being able to develop curriculum and begin to mentor other women in the field. My latest project "Lets Fix It"(women-led coffee training open to all) intended to address gender bias within the coffee world by empowering people with knowledge. At least ten female participants went on to pursue a career in coffee tech. I love being in a position to create an environment where diversity equity and inclusion can be realized.
Ann Halsne
General Manager/Co-owner at Sproparts
My name is Ann Halsne and I am a longtime resident of Seattle, Washington. Growing up in Iowa was amazing, but the mountains and beauty of the PNW called to me. After coaching college sports programs in the Midwest, I began my 2nd career in coffee at ESI in Ballard as an accountant. Once I was established in the ESI family, I moved into Bench Test Management and Logistics. I took the opportunity to help grow Synesso in the role of Salesperson and Customer Service for many years. Currently, I am the co-owner and GM of Sproparts, the exclusive distributor of Nuova Ricambi SRL. Working hard and playing hard is my gig.
Scott Manley
Technical Support Supervisor at La Marzocco
My name is Scott Manley, I work in after sales support for La Marzocco USA as the technical support supervisor and water quality specialist. I have been in the coffee industry since 1991, starting out as a barista. I have since owned an espresso repair business, Cascade Espresso Repair, 16 years at Starbucks Coffee, 5 years with Ecowater systems, and finally La Marzocco. During that time I have held roles in equipment repair, water filtration, construction management, and technical training.
Anthony Ragler
Regional Developer at Black & White Coffee
Residing in Zebulon, NC by way of Brooklyn, NY, I am a 7th year coffee professional who combines my craft with current culture and my upbringing to cultivate unique and individual experiences for those I encounter. From starting as a barista, to working as a wholesale manager, roaster, and equipment technician, my experience allows me to adapt and connect to many different perspectives and people within and outside the supply chain. I am a 2019 Glittercat Barista Bootcamp Cohort member, a 2020 United States Barista Championship finalist, a 2020 Re:Co Symposium Fellow and currently work as the Regional Developer for Black & White Coffee Roasters in Wake Forest, NC.
Melissa Vaiden
Service Technician at Counter Culture Coffee
Hello! My name is Melissa! I work at Counter Culture Coffee as a Service Technician in the NYC region. I first got started in tech when working at Boxcar Coffee in CO as a barista and immediately fell in love with it. I always worked on cars with my dad growing up so working with wrenches and tools always has a special place in my heart. I’ve been a tech for about 2 years here in NY and although this is not an easy profession, it has been very rewarding and empowering in many ways.
We want to send a final thank you to to the 2020 Nominating Committee for the hours of work they have contributed to this process:
Hylan Joseph
Maria Cleaveland
Simon Green
Sharla Holladay
Kaleb Leach
Myriam Perez
And we send a very warm thank you to the CTG LC members whose terms will come to an end this cycle:
Jason Jones, Past Chair
Jim Bliss
Cat Foley
Sharla Holladay
David Miller
Erika Mondadori
THE 2020 ELECTION TIMELINE IS AS FOLLOWS:
Nominations Close: September 22, 2020
Petition Period Opens: November 5, 2020
Petition Period Closes: November 16, 2020
Results Announced: December 16, 2020 (this post)
AM I ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN CTG ELECTIONS?
CTG elections are your opportunity to make your voice heard by voting for the volunteer committee who will be leading the CTG globally. Only CTG members with a current valid SCA membership are eligible to vote. Members must have a valid SCA membership by September 1 every year in order to be eligible to participate in this process. Both Individual Technician Members and Company Individual Members (individuals whose membership is connected to their company membership) designated as Individual Technicians may participate in this election.
Not sure if you're eligible to vote? Check your membership status in the SCA Member Portal here or get in touch with our Member Services Team by filling out this form.
WHAT’S THE PURPOSE OF THE CTG ELECTIONS?
Each year the leadership of the CTG finds itself with a few Leadership Council members nearing the end of their term. Our process is to nominate new potential leaders and hold an election where our membership votes. You may think you are not qualified or don’t have anything to offer to the CTG. That's exactly how some of us felt too— until someone asked us— and then suddenly we realized we had ideas and passions that can offer something to this guild. Each member of the guild has an intrinsic value that they can offer that we can learn from and use this information to make a better, stronger guild. Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination and participated in the interview process.
A Leadership Council member’s role and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Serve a term of two (2) years as a Leadership Council Member. All LC members also serve a committee role, which will be decided as a group after elections, options are membership, events, and education/content.
Connecting with our technician community and working to build CTG membership value through local events, our Slack channel, CTG Summit events, and/or coordinating regional Gearhead Events.
Communicating with the Leadership Council through monthly conference calls and 2 in-person meetings per year.
Attend the Specialty Coffee Expo and/or World of Coffee event, and serve as a representative of the CTG Leadership Council.