MILAN – In a post on its website signed by the CEO Yannis Apostolopoulos, the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is introducing the slate of candidates for the 2024-2025 SCA Board of Directors elections. The Nominating Committee, chaired by SCA Board President Konstantinos Konstantinopoulos, has put forward the following professionals after an extensive interview process with the dozens of SCA members who responded to the call for nominations made in June 2023:
- Giovanni Fucili, Sales Director EMEA for Simonelli Group S.p.A.
- Jiyoon Han, Founder of E-Commerce and Vice President of Retail and Product for Bean and Bean Coffee Roasters
- Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, President, Owner, and Manager of JNP Coffee
- Rob Stephen, Managing Director of Covoya Specialty Coffee
The SCA Board of Directors consists of 18 volunteer members that serve a 2-year term, supported by the CEO and SCA staff. There are four open seats in the 2023 election and members elected to serve on the SCA Board will serve a two-year term from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2025.
Here are the members of the 2023 Nominating Committee who contributed to this process:
- Konstantinos Konstantinopoulos, Board President
- Pamela Chng, Board Vice President
- Garfield Kerr, Board 2nd Vice President
- Cosimo Libardo, Board Treasurer
- Christina Meinl, Emeritus Director
- Juan Luis Barrios, Emeritus Director
Each year, the Board of Directors elects a 2nd Vice President, who serves an additional term of three years to ensure presidential succession. Andrew Tolley, Director of Tolley Coffee & Tea, has been selected by the board to serve in the role of 2nd Vice President.
When asked about this position, Andrew Tolley stated; “It is an honour to have been elected to this position by the SCA Board. As a volunteer over the years I have seen first hand the impact of the work that SCA does for the community and I am both humbled and energized to be able to support in continuing this over the coming years.”
Current President of the SCA Board of Directors, Konstantinos Konstantinopoulos, added; “As President of SCA, I am honored to have Andrew be a part of the leadership of the Board. His wide experience as a barista and trainer and his involvement as a part of the Guilds brings unique perspectives that helps the Association continue to grow and make coffee be. I have no doubt that Andrew will help guide the future of the SCA.”
In 2024, per the bylaws of the SCA, current 2nd Vice President Garfield Kerr moves into the role of Vice President, and current Vice President Pamela Chng moves into the role of President of the Board.
With the election of Andrew Tolley as 2nd Vice President, the SCA Board of Directors Officers group in 2024 will be as follows:
- Pamela Chng of Bettr Group, President
- Garfield Kerr of Mokha 1450, Vice President
- Andrew Tolley of Tolley Coffee & Tea, 2nd Vice President
- Cosimo Libardo of Nomad Coffee Consulting, Treasurer
What happens next in the 2023 Election?
The next step in the 2023 SCA Board of Directors election is for nominations by petition to open on September 1. Applicants who were not selected for the slate through the nominations and interview process and wish to collect signatures for a petition candidacy may do so starting Wednesday, September 1. More information on the petition candidacy process can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions section at the bottom of the elections page on the SCA website. The deadline for nominations by petition is Thursday, September 30.
The final 2023 ballot will be announced on October 13. In the event that the number of candidates exceeds the number of open seats, SCA members will take part in a voting process from November 1-30. SCA members will receive their ballots from eBallot, the third-party company that runs the voting process, via email from elections@sca.coffee. SCA invites its members to add elections@sca.coffee to their contacts so that the ballot is not marked as spam by their email client.
SCA also asks members to help ensure the ballot is sent to the correct email address by logging in to their account at sca.coffee/member-login to verify the email address or by contacting them via the contact form at the bottom of the elections page. Prefer a paper ballot? Request it by September 30 by contacting us at sca.coffee/board/elections.
