Presenting the Slate of Candidates in the 2021 Coffee Technicians Guild Elections

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Dear members of the Coffee Technicians Guild around the globe, 

Today, it is our pleasure to present the slate of candidates for the 2021 CTG Leadership Council. The CTG Elections Committee has put forward the following professionals after an extensive interview process:

  • Hugo Flores

  • Maria Cleaveland

  • Panagiotis Litos

  • Hylan Joseph

The CTG Leadership Council consists of 12 volunteer members who serve a two-year term, supported by the SCA staff. There are four open seats in the 2021 election and members elected to serve on the council will serve a two-year term from February 2022, to January 2024. Scroll down to learn more about each candidate.

Thank you to the CTG Election Committee for the hours of work interviewing all of the nominees that we received. It was a lot of work and we appreciate their dedication to the Guild.

  • Madeleine Longoria Garcia

  • Gary Norwood

  • Kalen Leach

  • Scott Manley

  • Simon Green

  • Kurt Benedikt

  • Ann Halsne


What happens next in the 2021 CTG Election?

Per the CTG Bylaws, members who were not selected for the slate by the CTG Nominating Committee may petition to be added to the ballot (also known as “write-in candidates”). Members who seek to be added to the slate as petition candidates require 25 signatures from fellow CTG members to be considered. The signatures need to be collected via this online form.

Only CTG members with a current valid SCA membership are 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.

CTG members who would like to collect signatures must do so using this form. The petition period closes on November 18, 2021.

The final ballot will be announced on November 22, at which point voting will open. CTG members will receive a link via email. The results of the election will be announced on December 10. 

The 2021 election timeline is as follows:

  • Nominations Open: September 8

  • Nominations Close: October 4

  • Slate Announced: November 4

  • Petition Period Opens: November 4

  • Petition Period Closes: November 18

  • Voting Opens: November 22

  • Voting Closes: December 6

  • Results Announced: December 10

Am I eligible to vote in the 2021 CTG election?

This CTG election is 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. 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 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 two 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.


Thank you for supporting the mission of the Coffee Technicians Guild, 

Coffee Technicians Guild Leadership Council

 

Meet the Slate of Candidates

Hugo Flores

Hugo worked as a roaster manufacturer at the beginning of his career and has been a technician for several years. Nowadays he is a master roaster and an AST in the CSP and AST in the CTechP. He works in maintenance of coffee equipment’s and has been taking all the certifications in this matter.

In 2018 he became an Arabica Q Grader. +

Maria Cleaveland

Maria Cleaveland is a food and beverage professional with business development, strategic planning, finance, and operations expertise. A veteran of the early specialty coffee scene, she has served as both Director of Wholesale & Licensing and Store Support for Peet’s and the Vice-President of Sales for Equator. Notably, Cleaveland managed Starbucks’ expansion into airports across the US. Currently she serves as Regional Sales Director across the Western US and Canada for Urnex Brands. In her role, she advances sales with technical acumen while advancing gender equity in her volunteer role with International Women’s Coffee Association (IWCA). Cleaveland earned her Bachelors of Science business degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University.

Panagiotis Litos

Born and raised in Patras Greece where he still works with passion in a sector that he loves. From an early age through his studies in electronic engineering he discovered the importance of machinery equipment in every field. His professional career started in the renewable sector and specifically in the construction of wind and solar systems as a team leader of the construction team in Greece and abroad.

For nine years he was additionally in charge of conducting wind tests (measurements), constructing medium-low voltage and fiber optic networks.

 In 2014 he entered the coffee industry and the Coffee Island company.  Initially he was responsible for the maintenance and repair of the machinery and equipment of their franchise network (more than 450 coffee stores YTD). In 2016 he was upgraded to Supervisor and began to get more involved with the company’s R&D procedures. His involvement with the R&D Dpt is mostly dedicated to evaluating new or updated equipment so as to support top quality products and services. He strongly believes that innovation and excellence can only be achieved through reliable tools and highly trained team members and that is why he never ceases to develop his colleagues and evolve their way of working.

Hylan Joseph

Hylan is Past Chair of the CTG and is running for a new term as a Leadership Council Member. Hylan's knowledge and drive to move and the CTG forward has been described as an amazing attribute to the CTG, which he hopes to continue with.