The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), the world’s largest coffee trade association, elected two new members to represent the association’s interest on the World Barista Championship (WBC) Board of Directors.
Andrew Hetzel, founder of Cafemakers, and Murky Coffee president Nicholas Cho are each slated to serve a two-year term on the internationally-recognized barista competition’s board.
The pair joins current SCAA members, Cindy Chang, director of development at Counter Culture and Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea Inc. Chief Executive Officer and Founder Doug Zell on the WBC Board of Directors. The four individuals are tasked with continuing the interest and growth of the WBC on a global scale while building a stronger educational and social platform for the worldwide barista community.
By joining the WBC board, Cho, who is also an SCAA director, holds the unique distinction of concurrently serving on two prominent specialty coffee boards. He began his career in specialty coffee in 2002 when he opened the now-popular murky coffee in Arlington, Va. Cho is also an accomplished barista having won the SCAA’s Southeast Regional Barista Competition in 2006.
“SCAA is pleased to select Andrew Hetzel and Nicholas Cho to represent our association on the WBC Board of Directors,” said SCAA Executive Director Ric Rhinehart. “We are confident Andrew and Nicholas will provide SCAA with a strong presence within the internationally-recognized specialty coffee organization while also contributing to the WBC’s continuing growth and success.”
The WBC is a nonprofit organization governed by a board representing SCAA and the SCAE members. The organization’s stated goals are:
- To promote the growth, excellence and recognition in the barista profession.
- To grow the barista’s knowledge of and expertise in the preparation and serving of specialty, espresso coffee through competitions.
- To promote the knowledge and consumption of specialty coffee to the consumer through the Barista.
- To become globally recognized as the premier world barista event in the coffee calendar.