As the Senior Vice President of Legal and Governmental Affairs at Gulf Distributing Holdings LLC, Rebecca oversees the legal, regulatory, and legislative matters for the family’s wholesale beverage distribution company with operations in six states. She has more than 14 years of experience as an executive and in-house attorney in the beverage industry, and holds a JD from American University and a certification in mediation.

Genesis Smith joined Pepin Distributing Company in 2019 and is responsible for
overseeing the HR department which handles payroll, recruiting, and benefits for the organization. In her legal capacity, Genesis manages the organization’s contracts, insurance program, trade practice compliance, and political engagement strategy.

Prior to joining Pepin, Genesis was an Associate Trust Officer at Raymond James Trust, N.A. where she spent her early career dedicated to the administration of special needs trusts. Genesis is a graduate of the University of South Florida (2011) with a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies, and in 2016, Genesis received her Juris Doctorate from Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida.

Karen Kovtun is a Managing Director and has 25 years of beverage industry experience.  Her expertise is in financial advisory services regarding the valuation, purchase, or sale of beverage businesses and intangible assets.

During her 19 years with Ippolito Christon & Co., Karen has managed numerous M&A transactions and projects involving owner succession, tax valuations, debt and equity financing, litigation support, and brand transfers.  Ippolito Christon has performed over 750 engagements nationwide for closely held beer, wine, and spirits distributors and soft drink companies and has been financial advisor in over 200 transactions.

Prior to joining Ippolito Christon, Karen was a senior analyst at Anheuser-Busch in the Wholesaler System Development group.  Her responsibilities at the company also included investment analysis in the Treasury Department and supporting senior management in Investor Relations.

Previously, she held positions as a Senior Financial Analyst at the May Department Stores and as a Sales Engineer for Rockwell Automation.

Karen earned a BS in Engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA in Finance from Washington University in St. Louis.

Laurie Knight leads the association’s lobbying team, directs the association’s federal advocacy efforts and plays a key role in advancing the association’s member-focused agenda on behalf of America’s 3,000 independent beer distributors.

Prior to joining NBWA in 2013, Knight served as the senior vice president, government affairs for the Association of American Railroads. She also spent more than five years as the executive vice president of government affairs for the National Association of Broadcasters.

Before gaining significant experience in the communications and transportation industries, Knight served as Washington representative and director of government affairs at NBWA from 1999 through 2005.

As a veteran association executive, Knight has a proven track record in advancing advocacy agendas, building coalitions and navigating complicated policy challenges.

Knight also has served on Capitol Hill, having worked as legislative director for then Representative Jim Turner (TX). She also practiced law in Texas and is licensed in Texas and California.

Knight is a graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law and Southern Methodist University.

As a business strategist, author, speaker, commercial real estate advisor and broker, Jessica Miller is on a mission to rethink commercial real estate processes, redefine and realign how commercial real estate brokers are compensated and reimagine what is possible for clients. As the founder and CEO of Rock Spring Real Estate Solutions, Jessica works with organizations to restructure their commercial real estate portfolios, optimize inclusive workforces, and overcome workplace challenges by developing solutions with immediate impact.

Jessica has a 20+ year track record of negotiating over 500 transactions (10 million SF of commercial real estate leases and sales) that minimize costs, aligning workplaces with organizational priorities, and enhancing the employee experience for her clients.

Jessica is nationally recognized for her advocacy work teaching, training, and inspiring women to negotiate more effectively for equitable pay and the recognition they deserve. Her mission is to empower women to get what they want in “Life” through effective communication and strategic influencing. She mentors young women to shatter the glass ceiling and shrink the gender wage gap for the next generation of working women. She hosts seminars on “How to Get What You Want in Business and Life” for women’s organizations and nonprofits.

Jessica received her Master’s in Real Estate and Development from Johns Hopkins University and graduated magna cum laude with a Finance degree through the honors program at Virginia Tech. She received her Masters of Corporate Real Estate designation through CoreNet Global and achieved the honor of receiving her SIOR designation.

Jessica has appeared as a guest on numerous national and regional television and radio programs including MSNBC’s Economy Watch, ABC’s Money Talk, CNN, NPR’s Morning Edition, PBS and Bloomberg News.

Nadia Bilchik, President of Greater Impact Communication, is an internationally renowned television personality, communication and professional development training expert, author and keynote speaker.

Her uniquely dynamic, entertaining and substantive approach to communication skills training comes from her extensive experience in delivering keynote addresses to a broad range of audiences both in the USA and around the world, conducting professional development workshops and coaching business professionals, as well as interviewing high-profile figures, celebrities and corporate leaders from global organizations.

Nadia is the author of several books including her most recent, Own Your Space, A Woman’s Guide to Polish, Poise and Empowerment, as well as Small Changes: Big Impact, Maximizing Your Presence and Leveraging the Power of Your Personal Brand, The Little Book of Big Networking Ideas, and Life after College.

Nadia has anchored and hosted feature programs for CNN International, CNN Airport Network and MNet Television (South Africa) and reported for CNN Weekends. In addition to her speaking and training business at Greater Impact, Nadia is Editorial Producer for CNN’s Weekend Morning program.

As a sought after moderator and interviewer, she has hosted many events such as Ted Turner’s The Captain Planet Foundation and opened the SOS Children’s Village in Cape Town, South Africa with President Nelson Mandela.

Nadia received a Licentiate in Speech and Drama from Trinity College, London, and Bachelor of Arts degree majors in Drama and English from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Clarissa Peterson is an Executive Coach, Author, Speaker, and Human Resources Executive.   She began her career in the beer industry, working at Washington, DC based Anheuser-Busch distributor Superior Beverages.

Clarissa has experience in all areas of HR, with special interests in leadership & team development, executive coaching, board development, cultural transformation, and mindfulness.

During her career trajectory, Ms. Peterson has served in several executive leadership positions including Senior Vice President – People at The Obama Foundation; Chief Human Resources Officer of Sophos, a global cybersecurity company; Chief Human Resources & Ethics Officer of Abt Global, a professional services firm and Chief People Officer for DLA Piper, one of the world’s largest law firms.

Currently, Clarissa is President of Ohana HR, where she works with leaders and their teams in a variety of for-profit and non-profit industries.  She co-authored the books Maximizing Your HR Efforts (Thomson Reuters /Aspatore, 2009) and the e-books The Rise of HR: The Wisdom of 72 Thought Leaders (2015) and Alchemizing HR – Your Formula for the New Era (2024).

Clarissa is a graduate of the University of Maryland University College and holds several Human Resources, Ethics and Leadership certifications.

Aimy Steadman is a Co-Founder and COO at Future/Proof, creators of BeatBox Beverages – the Original Party Punch. BeatBox Beverages is a top RTD cocktail brand in the US and the fastest growing alcohol beverage brand in the industry.

Aimy and her co-founders were named EY Entrepreneur of the Year Gulf South in 2024. BeatBox was named one of America’s Hottest Brands by Ad Age in 2024.

As President of The Bardstown Bourbon Company, Marino works to scale business as the organization expands business both domestically and abroad for Bardstown Bourbon Co., Green River Distilling Co. and all affiliated brands.

Marino brings extensive credentials to Bardstown Bourbon Co. with more than 30 years of experience in beverage alcohol both domestically and internationally.

Prior to joining Bardstown, Marino was the President of the Emerging Growth division for Molson Coors, where he led the company into non-alcohol beverages with the introduction of ZOA energy drink and the Coors Whiskey Company, while also overseeing their Latin American, craft beer and company-owned distribution businesses.

Erica Garvey is a dynamic marketing leader with a passion for building powerhouse brands through innovative trade, experiential, and customer marketing strategies.

As Vice President of Trade Strategy at Stateside Brands, she plays a pivotal role in accelerating Surfside’s market growth both nationally and locally by delivering impactful consumer engagements that set the brand apart. Before joining Stateside Brands, Erica held leadership roles at Constellation Brands, where she spearheaded high-impact marketing initiatives for Corona, Modelo, and Pacifico.

With deep expertise in the beverage alcohol industry, Erica has led award-winning campaigns that seamlessly blend strategic vision with flawless execution. She bridges the gap between brand strategy and sales, leveraging strong distributor relationships to ensure initiatives not only reach the market but thrive within it. Erica’s entrepreneurial mindset, relentless drive, and deep commitment to cultivating strong relationships continue to influence Surfside’s growth, making her a force in the evolving beverage landscape.

As a third generation President of G&M, Adam Vitale didn’t walk blindly into his role or take it for granted. Before stepping into shoes once filled by his father and grandfather, Adam embarked on a career in hospitality and tourism consulting with a branch of PKF Consulting in Alexandria, Virginia. Adam then joined Republic-National Distributing Company of Washington, D.C.

Adam attended Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California obtaining his MBA with an emphasis in Marketing in December 2007.

The family business called him home, and in January 2008 Adam became the General Sales Manager at G&M Distributors, Inc. in Galesburg. In July 2010, Adam took on the role of General Manager, and in September of that same year, Adam was elected the President of the Board of Directors.

Locally, Adam serves as a member of the Knox College Board of Trustees. He is also involved in various other philanthropic activities. Adam serves as the immediate past chair of the Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois (Springfield, IL) and serves on the Audit Committee of the National Beer Wholesalers Association (Alexandria, VA). In 2017, Adam joined the Anheuser-Busch Wholesaler Advisory Panel where he leads the Sales Excellence Team for the North American Zone. Adam is also a member of YPO (Young Presidents Organization). He is the vice-president and treasurer of the G.L. Vitale Family Foundation.

When Adam is not working or volunteering, he loves to sip on an ice-cold lager beer. Always particular for wine being served at the right temperature, he loves a glass of Pinot Noir. And, it’s not unusual to find him seeking out the latest botanical gin to mix with something interesting…or just creating the perfect French 75.