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About American Cider Association
The American Cider Association is an organization of cider and perry producers in the United States. Our mission is to grow a diverse and successful U.S. cider industry by providing valuable information, resources and services to our members and by advocating on their behalf.
Staff
Michelle McGrath
CEO
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Michelle joined the American Cider Association as CEO in July of 2016. Her rich history includes non-profit management, membership development, supporting farmers and value-added producers, grassroots lobbying, teaching and more. Michelle grew up on a Christmas tree farm in the Sierra Nevada Foothills near the famous Apple Hill marketing cooperative. Today she lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and their two young sons. Michelle has a master's degree in Ecology from University of California, San Diego and a certificate in sustainable business from Pinchot University. She was recognized by Wine Enthusiast Magazine as one of 40 tastemakers under 40 in 2018 and as a SevenFifty Daily Innovator in 2019.
Miranda Bradeen
Membership & Engagement Coordinator
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Miranda Bradeen has a long history in the beverage and hospitality industry and a passion for helping people feel seen and heard. A sommelier by trade, Miranda spent most of her career working with wine, however after walking the Camino de Santiago del Norte through Spain in 2021 she fell in love with all things cider. Eager to be a catalyst for growth within the industry, Miranda spends much of her time finding ways to learn about cider's history, culture, growing regions and farming practices, cultivars, production methods, and people surrounding all of the above. Currently she resides in Spokane WA with her husband, Scott, son Henry, and daughter, Dromi.
Jennie Dorsey
Education Operations Manager
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Jennie Dorsey is a founding member of Pomme Boots Society for women in the Cider Industry and has held numerous positions since she first entered the Cider Industry over a decade ago. Jennie actually began her journey in the coffee industry where she was a nationally ranked competition barista and trainer specializing in sensory analysis with a focus on food pairings. The skills honed in competition led her on the path of beverage discovery, where she fell in love with cider and its unmatched pairing possibilities. Jennie is a working member of the Cider Certification team, and she was given the distinguished award of Cider Server of the Year in 2018 by the ACA. She is passionate about food and beverage of all kinds, cinema, and vintage lifestyle, and she can always be spotted by her brightly colored hair.
Ellen Husch
Administrative Support & Trade Show Manager
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Ellen has been with the American Cider Association since 2014. She provides administrative services as well as planning CiderCon® and the annual Trade Show. Prior to this, she worked in radio promotions and television news. Ellen is a mom of five daughters and is proud to call Colorado her home, where she enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking, reading and of course, cider!
Olivia Pener
Scholarship Coordinator
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Olivia Pener’s passion for food and drink, and the way they bring people together, was ignited as a small child whose large family always gathered over meals in the kitchen. That flame was stoked by her experiences growing up in her family’s restaurant and being surrounded by multicultural foodways in St. Louis, MO. Now, after almost 20 years in the service industry and the nonprofit world, she brings her fervor for people and palates to the American Cider Association as their “Cider is for Everyone” Scholarship Coordinator. A recipient of the scholarship herself, Olivia was welcomed into the world of cider with open arms. She is excited to contribute to the growth and evolution of the cider industry as a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and dynamic environment for all. She lives in Mid-Missouri with her two cats, Felix and Nermal, and her Chihuahua mix, Swiper.
Woodley Smith
Communications & Volunteer Manager
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Woodley fell in love with agriculture growing up on the family farm in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington State. Since 2005, Woodley and her family have been making small-scale hard cider on their farm and recently expanded their orchard to include more distinctive cider varieties to make available to local cidermakers. She started working for the American Cider Association in the summer of 2017 as the Volunteer Coordinator for CiderCon® and her role expanded to include managing communications in 2020. She is thrilled to be involved with an organization that not only draws on her professional skills, but engages her personal interests as well. She has a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Food Systems and speaks fluent Spanish.
Kyle White
Accounts Payable & Operations Support
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Kyle has been working with the American Cider Association since 2017. She owns a consulting business that provides administrative, financial, and internal communications support. She has over 18 years of nonprofit experience, working in a variety of roles, and currently maintains a portfolio of clients where she does everything from bookkeeping to financial, project, operational and HR management.