Shea Hearsum Cusick Named New Maine Brewers Guild Executive Director
The Maine Brewers Guild has tapped Shea Hearsum Cusick as its new executive director, effective May 1.
Cusick joined the guild from Scarborough, Maine-based Nonesuch River Brewing, where she served as sales manager for nearly four years. In addition to her role at Nonesuch, Cusick also served on the guild’s legislative affairs committee, according to a guild Facebook post.
“The mission of the Maine Brewers’ Guild is to promote and protect Maine craft beer,” guild president Colleen Croteau said in the post. “We know that Shea will take this mission to heart and lead our organization with enthusiasm, passion and a commitment to craft.”
Cusick succeeds Sean Sullivan, who was the guild’s director from September 2013 until late March. Sullivan stepped down to pursue a master’s degree in computer science, he told MaineBiz.
“I love beer, but it’s the talented and passionate individuals (you!) who have worked together to create this community that is recognized for its cooperation, inclusivity and ‘help your neighbor’ ethos that has made me so proud to represent you all in the media, before the government and at events,” Sullivan wrote to guild members in a letter obtained by MaineBiz. “You all have introduced people all over Maine and beyond to quality, local beer and built a brand that attracts people from around the world to visit our state and to drink the beer you make.”
Maine is home to 154 craft breweries, which produced a combined 376,702 barrels of beer in 2021, according to the Brewers Association (BA). With 14.2 breweries per capita and 10.7 gallons brewed per legal-drinking-age adult, Maine ranks second nationwide.
Rhode Island Brewers Guild Taps Nils Weldy as Executive Director
The Rhode Island Brewers Guild (RIBG) has named Nils Weldy its first full-time executive director.
“Having admired Rhode Island’s emerging brewery scene for years, I am grateful for the opportunity to champion its contributions to the economy, communities and the quality of life here,” Weldy said in a press release. “I believe the Rhode Island Brewers Guild is a tremendous vehicle to bring attention and affection to its craft beverage producers. Getting to know the talented brewery owners here, and their beers of course, will be crucial to advancing Rhode Island’s brewery industry for the benefit of all Rhode Islanders.”
Weldy, a Rhode Island native, served as the first executive director of the Charlotte Independent Brewers Alliance (CIBA) until November 2022. In that role, he expanded the organization’s memberships from 12 to 44 breweries and recruited nearly 20 associate members from the craft beer industry, according to the release.
In Rhode Island, Weldy succeeds Gary Richardson, who served as the guild’s first part-time executive director for five years.
“We are forever grateful for the years of dedication that Gary Richardson provided as the leader of our guild,” guild president and Ragged Island Brewing owner Matt Gray said in the release. “His service to our industry has helped elevate every brewery in our state.”
The Ocean State is home to 38 craft breweries – a number the guild expects to reach 40 this year – which produced a combined 85,154 barrels in 2021, according to the BA.
“Supporting those breweries in their marketing, technical and legislative needs will require full-time attention,” the guild wrote in the release.
Rhode Island ranked 49th nationwide in economic impact, with the state’s craft beer industry generating $233 million in 2021, according to the BA.
Nicole Nugent Hired as Managing Director of Armory Group
Nicole Nugent has departed Ashland Hard Seltzer maker Wings & Arrow, where she was chief financial officer, to serve as managing director at Armory Group LLC.
“We are pleased to welcome Nicole to the Armory team. Her depth of experience in advising middle-market companies on mergers and acquisitions, growth equity and minority equity capital raises, debt offerings, restructurings and valuations will be of great value to our clients,” Armory Group co-founder Eben Perison said in a press release. “Nicole’s addition is an exciting opportunity to expand Armory’s West Coast practice and add to our national presence while also expanding our consumer sector expertise.”
Prior to joining Wings & Arrow, Nugent was managing director of Cascadia Capital, where she specialized in mergers and acquisitions and equity funding in the food and beverage industries.
Watch Nugent’s presentation on the state of beverage-alcohol mergers and acquisitions during the 2019 Brewbound Live business conference here.
Ben E. Keith Appoints Flint Prewitt as Next Beverage Division President
Dallas-based wholesaler Ben E. Keith has named VP of sales Flint Prewitt as the successor to beverage division president Kevin Bartholomew when he retires at the end of 2023.
“The appointment of Flint Prewitt demonstrates the deep bench of talent within our company developed under Kevin Bartholomew’s leadership,” CEO John Hallam said in a press release. “Flint’s vast industry knowledge and experience positions him well as he takes on this role, and continues the steady growth of our beverage division business.”
Prewitt joined the company in 1990 and has led several of its branches across Texas. Bartholomew has served as beverage division president since 2000, after beginning his tenure at Ben E. Kieth in 1984.
Ben E. Keith, an Anheuser-Busch (A-B) InBev-aligned distributor, is the third largest independent beer wholesaler in the country. In addition to A-B products, its portfolio includes craft brands (Alaskan, Brooklyn, Left Hand, Toppling Goliath, among others), hard seltzers and flavored malt beverages (White Claw, Buzz Tea), wine and spirits.