Press Release

NBWA’s Legislative Conference highlights the power of building relationships & empowering women

Washington D.C. –The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) on April 15 hosted the second annual BREW (Building Relationships & Empowering Women) Leadership Forum at its Legislative Conference in Washington D.C with more than 131 women and men in attendance.

BREW attracts, connects and elevates women in beer and beverage distribution through impactful resources and events. The group is helping to build a more inclusive industry by tapping into women’s leadership capabilities to accelerate organizational, cultural and economic benefits.

The Leadership Forum featured keynote speakers U.S. Representative Erin Houchin (R-IN) and bestselling author and investor Amy Jo Martin.

“NBWA is thrilled to see the momentum for BREW spreading from our businesses to Washington D.C.,” said NBWA Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Kim McKinnish. “By combining advocacy, networking, and professional development, BREW is a force for progress across the beer and beverage distribution industry.”

As the first woman to represent Indiana’s 9th congressional district, Representative Houchin sits on three important committees: House Financial Services, Rules and Education.

Amy Jo is the founder and CEO of Renegade Global — a human innovation company. Previously, she founded one of the first ever social media agencies to help corporations, celebrities, and sports entities humanize their brands. She shared her seven step “Renegade” mentality for turning ideas into action.

“Gratitude is a strategy for manufacturing bravery,” said Martin. “Gratitude makes us present. Be where your feet are. If you are present, you’re going to be much more brave, much more open minded and likely operating at capacity.”

A panel of distributor legends discussed their trailblazing careers in the industry. Attendees heard from Matesich President and COO Sarah Matesich Schwab, Eagle Brands Sales and Double Eagle Distributing owner and CEO Sue McCollum, Crescent Crown Distributing Marketing Manager Krissey Hansen and former NBWA Chairman and Heimark Distributing President Peter Heimark.

BREW Leadership Forum attendees also took part in an upskilling activity where they broke into small groups and heard from experts in operations, human resources, sales, technology and communications. NBWA Executive Vice President, Government Affairs Laurie Knight then shared best practices for meeting with policymakers about the most pressing issues facing the beer distribution industry.

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