On June 30^th the terms of five members of the Washington State Wine Commission board expire.

The Commission board is composed of 12 voting members and one non-voting member who serve there-year terms:

• Five voting members shall be growers
• Five voting members shall be wine producers
• One voting member shall represent the director of the state department of agriculture
• One voting member shall be a wine distributor
• One non-voting member is a producer of non-vinifera fruit wine

In addition:

Of the grower members:

at least one shall not have over 50 acres in productions

one shall have over 100 acres in production

two may be persons who produce and sell their own wine

Of the producers:

at least one shall not produce more than 25 thousand gallons annually

at least one shall be producing over 1 million gallons annually

at least two shall be producing wine from their own grapes

One member shall be a wine producer from Western WA and two from Eastern WA.

Positions expiring on June 30^th are currently occupied by:

Position 2—Tom Dugan (producer): must be a wine producer of any size

Position 4—John Ware (producer): have no requirements on size but must be someone who can produce wine from own grapes and must be located in Eastern WA

Position 5—Becca DeKleine (producer): must be a wine producer of any size

Position 7—Dick Boushey (grower): may be of any acreage size and location

Position 9—Kade Casciato (grower): may be of any size acreage size and location

Of the grower positions, only one of the two ultimately appointed may produce and sell their own wine.

The ideal Candidate will:

Meet RCW 15.88.030(4) requirements here: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=15.88

Support the mission of the Wine Commission

Willing and eagerly fulfill duties and responsibilities of a Commissioner (see below)

Meet or exceed key qualifications (see below)

Commissioner Duties and Responsibilities:

• Active involvement in commissioner board meetings and committee meetings through regular attendance and engagement in discussions. Serve on at least one committee (Marketing, Communications, Finance, Research) and participate in Commission events, activities and programs.
• Lead with intention, inclusiveness and equity.
• Represent and speak for the broad, diverse Washington wine industry, not for one’s own business nor any particular subset of the industry.
• Have a clear understanding of the mission of the organization and be able to articulate its purpose and structure to the industry and general public.
• Serve as an Ambassador for the Commission, educating the broader constituency about the Commission’s strategic direction and programming.
• Be available to serve on committees and participate in Commission events, activities and programs.
• Be knowledgeable about state agency governance rules and regulations, i.e., Open Public Meetings Act, State Ethics laws, wine and grape assessment process, etc.
• Have a desire and openness to learn and adapt to new ways of thinking as the wine industry grows.

Mandatory Qualifications [RCW 15.88.030(4)]:

Each member of the Commission must be a citizen and resident of the state and over the age of twenty-one years. Each member must be engaged in that phase of the growing or wine producing industry that he or she is appointed to represent, and during his or her term of office must derive a substantial portion of income from, or have a substantial investment in the growing of vinifera grapes or the production of wine from vinifera grapes as an owner, lessee, partner, or a stockholder owning at least 10% of the voting stock in a corporation engaged in the growing of vinifera grapes or wine production from vinifera grapes; or the manager or executive officer of such a corporation. These qualifications apply throughout each member's term of office.

 

Additional Qualifications:

• In-depth knowledge of viticulture and/or enology and/or the wine business at large. Global perspective of the wine business desired.
• A high level of integrity.
• A collegial and collaborative approach to decision making and problem solving.
• Strong leadership and management skills.
• Strong communication skills.
• Solid understanding of, and a strong belief in the importance of V&E research.
• A strong grasp of marketing principles and tactics.
• Strong understanding of the various wine marketing channels, including trade, media, distribution, and the consumer.
• Extensive contacts and relationships throughout the industry and in the broader community (both within Washington and beyond).
• A strong record of participation or involvement in industry activities

About the Wine Commission 

The Washington State Wine Commission was created by the Washington State Legislature in 1987 to promote the growth of the wine industry for the benefit of all of the state’s citizens. Its mission is to raise awareness and demand for Washington State wine through marketing and education, while supporting viticulture and enology research to drive industry growth. The Commission was constituted under the Washington State Department of Agriculture and is governed by an appointed board of commissioners.

Procedure

If you are interested and if you qualify for a position, please submit a letter of interest and biographical information by:

Friday, May 8 for the Grower positions to Washington Winegrowers Association’s Executive Director, Sara Higgins at sara@wawinegrowers.org

Friday, May16 for the Producer positions to Washington Wine Institute’s Executive Director, Josh McDonald at josh@wwi.wine

Candidates will be interviewed by the association responsible for each open position (reflected above) and recommendations made to the Director of WSDA.

The WSDA Director shall appoint the Board members of the Washington State Wine Commission pursuant to RCW 15.88.050.  In making such appointments, the Director shall take into consideration recommendations made by the association.  The Director selects appointments of candidates that meet the qualification requirements, for a three-year term starting July 1.

Current Board of Commissioners includes:

• John Ware, Rocky Pond Winery
• Todd Newhouse, Upland Vineyards
• Lynda Eller, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
• Ryan Flanigan, Flanigan Family Vineyards
• Dick Boushey, Boushey Vineyards
• Rebecca DeKleine, Four Feathers Wine Services
• Kade Casciato, Ciel du Cheval
• JJ Williams, Kiona Vineyards
• Ryan Lumaco, Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits
• Tom Dugan, DeLille Cellars
• Taylor Monson Jackson, Goose Ridge Estate Winery
• Devyani Gupta, Valdemar Estates
• Madi Roy, Washington State Department of Ag (WSDA rep.)