Our Board
Kate Russell
Kate Russell is the founder and co-owner of Hopkinsville Brewing Company. She currently serves as the operations manager and one of the company’s two brewers.
She has won notable awards that have had a positive impact in Hopkinsville and beyond.
Kate is a fermentation science instructor at Madisonville Community College and serves on the program’s advisory board, as well as the boards for both the Hopkinsville-Christian County Public Library and the Minority Economic Development Initiative. She is an active member of the Pink Boots Society and currently serves as the Kentucky chapter’s collaboration brew day coordinator.
Kate is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She earned her bachelor’s in psychology from Cornell University and her master’s degree from Auburn University’s Brewing Science and Operations program.
Outside of work, Kate is the single baseball/volleyball mom of two amazing teenagers, Bobby and Maeby.
President | Hopkinsville, KY
Doug Laramie
Doug has been the co-owner of Henderson Brewing Company for almost seven years and has been the 270 Representative for the Board since the role’s inception four years ago. He is passionate about the brewing industry in the Commonwealth and devotes most of his time away from being a husband, father, and pharmacist to being the best brewer and industry ambassador he can be.
Vice President | Henderson, KY
Treasurer | Louisville, KYDale Shinkle
Owner/Operator at 3rd Turn Brewing, with two brewery locations: Jeffersontown (Jefferson Co) and Crestwood (Oldham Co). Primary responsibilities at 3rd Turn are as CSG (Chief Spreadsheet Guy)/ Brewcountant for the business, plus coordinating with any regulators, accountants, banks or anyone likely to wear a suit. Dale is a CPA with over 20 years experience in the corporate world and equally long with brewing. In his spare time, Dale enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, or visiting other breweries.
Johnathan Shrader
Raised in Louisville, I earned a biomedical engineering degree from Purdue before discovering a passion for craft beer while living in Chicago. After studying brewing technology in Chicago and Munich and gaining production experience at breweries in South Florida, my wife and I returned home to launch Noble Funk Brewing. We also revitalized Kentucky Kombucha during the pandemic, and today we're committed to producing high-quality, innovative beverages for Kentucky.
Secretary | Louisville, KY
Kyle Wiley
Kyle has been part of West Sixth Brewing since May 2021, where he has worked his way into his current role through his passion for craft beer and dedication to the industry. Originally from Frankfort, Kentucky, Kyle has called Lexington home since attending the University of Kentucky, where he earned his degree in Marketing. He is passionate about Kentucky’s craft beer community and is committed to helping it continue to grow and succeed. Outside of work, Kyle enjoys spending time with his three dogs, including Brewtus, West Sixth’s well-known brewery dog.
859 South Representative | Lexington, KY
606 Representative | Russell, KYJustin Matthews
Justin Matthews is the co-owner and head brewer of Eridanus Brewing in Russell, Kentucky but he will jokingly tell you that he is also the payroll and receivables accountant, human resources representative, and supply chain analyst. He holds a BA in accounting, as well as an MBA and Masters in Industrial Employee Relations from Marshall University, all of which have served him well with the business side of brewery ownership. Particularly when it comes to spreadsheets, forecasting, or analyzing trends and in his day job as a senior economics researcher at Marshall University. He is also enrolled in Madisonville Community and Technical College’s Fermentation Science program, having earned certificates in packaging, cellaring, brewing assistance, and brewhouse operations. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his family, Dodgers baseball, and live music, particularly metal or as his wife and Eridanus co-owner Kristen lovingly refers to as “screamy bullshit”.
Andy Reynolds
CompanyAndy, CEO & Head Brewer of Alexandria Brewing Company, started out making hard cider in 2007 while he was deployed in Iraq serving as a Combat Engineer in the United States Army. He was introduced to “real beer” when he was able to spend some time in the Bavarian region of Germany as a soldier in 2005. After he got home from Iraq, a friend of his introduced him to home brewing. Andy was hooked on the process of brewing, which often helped soothe the troubled mind he brought back. After reading every book he could get his hands on related to brewing, Andy applied to Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago, IL. There, he received a degree in Advanced Brewing Theory, priming him with the knowhow to get Alexandria Brewing Company up and running.
859 North Representative | Alexandria, KY
Alex Vogt
Alex has been part of the Kentucky beer industry since 2013. He is an owner at Awry Brewing, and simply oozes charisma and charm. While sometimes described as “rough around the edges,” he approaches challenges with an open mind and a problem-solving demeanor.
502 Representative | Louisville, KY
270/364 Representative | Owensboro, KYWill Gomez
Will grew up in Buffalo,NY and moved to Kentucky back in 2019. He started homebrewing in 2018 and quickly fell in love with the science, history, and artistic aspects of brewing. He worked for a short time at O.Z. Tyler (now Green River Distilling Co.) in the bottling department and later joined The Brew Bridge crew shortly after its opening in 2020. In 2022, he received The MJF Sir Geoff Palmer Award for Brewing and with that he was able to complete the WBA Concise Course in Brewing from the Siebel Institute of Technology. He is also a proud dad of a sassy toddler.
David Miller
David is the owner and brewer of Chinkapin Brewing, which he founded three years ago. He has enjoyed growing a small business while creating craft beer and providing memorable experiences for his patrons. Before opening the brewery, David spent more than 30 years in engineering and manufacturing, serving in both operations and engineering leadership roles. His extensive industry experience helped guide his successful transition to business owner and brewer.
Board Member at Large (Affiliate Relations & Retention) | Georgetown, KY
Andrew Bishop
Andrew is in his 12th year with Ethereal and started walking the halls of Frankfort within two months of opening. He has been actively involved with the guild’s legislative agenda in every major bill we’ve passed.
Board Member at Large (Legislative & Regulatory Affairs) | Lexington, KY
Jessy Harding - Executive Director (non-board member)
Katie Molck - Marketing Director (non-board member)
Jessy and Katie, a dynamic duo shaping the craft beer landscape for a combined 25 years.
Jessy, a powerhouse in events, marketing, operations, and leadership, has been the driving force behind seamless and engaging experiences, from conceptualization to execution. Her strategic approach ensures not just successful events but also a cohesive company culture that resonates with both staff and consumers.
On the other side of the spectrum is Katie, a zealot in marketing, brand development, ideation, and design. With a knack for translating concepts into ideas and stories, Katie has played a pivotal role in crafting unique brand identities that resonate with the diverse craft beer audience.
Together, Jessy and Katie form a formidable team, seamlessly blending operational excellence with creative prowess to propel craft beer to new heights.