The member breweries of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association elected seven representatives to their 11 member board of directors. Jason Moore of Crooked Handle Brewing Company was chosen by membership to succeed Alan Szuter of Wolf’s Ridge Brewing as president of the association’s board. Moore, whose brewery has locations in Springboro and Piqua, was first elected to the board in 2022 and subsequently elected vice president in 2024.
Moore is the Ohio Craft Brewers Association’s sixth president since its founding in 2007, following Szuter, Collin Castore of Seventh Son Brewing, Chris Alltmont of Fat Head’s Brewery, Eric Bean of Columbus Brewing Company and John Najeway of Thirsty Dog Brewing. Szuter is term-limited after serving on the board for six years, the last four as president.
Upon assuming the president’s seat on the board on Aug. 1, Moore takes over Szuter’s duties as a public advocate for the Ohio craft brewing industry, in addition to leading the board’s work behind the scenes.
Sitting treasurer Adam Benner of Land-Grant Brewing in Columbus was elevated by membership to vice president for the remainder of his final term on the board. Secretary Melissa Dallas of Upside Brewing in Sylvania was re-elected to another two-year term in the position. David Lentz, co-owner of Cartridge Brewing in Maineville, was elected treasurer for his first term of board service.
Carmone Macfarlane of The Phoenix Brewing Company in Mansfield reclaimed her board seat for a third and final term. Janae Chaney of Rhinegeist and Kelly Montgomery of Third Eye Brewing were both elected to their first terms on the board, representing the Cincinnati area for the state association.
Aspasia Lyras-Bernacki of Penguin City Brewing Company in Youngstown stepped down from the board earlier this year. The association’s executive committee appointed Ann Zofchak of Red Wagon Brewing/Four Paws Brewing in Columbia Station to serve the remainder of Lyras-Bernacki’s term.
In addition to Szuter, Bobby Slattery of Fifty West Brewing Company in Cincinnati also completed his third and final two-year term of board service in July.
“Alan Szuter’s steady and thoughtful leadership has been invaluable to our industry over these past four years,” said Mary MacDonald, executive director of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association. “As our breweries adjust to the challenges of a mature market, having leadership that represents the diversity of brewery businesses will help our organization serve them all, large or small, urban or rural, long established or just starting up.”
Even with changes in board leadership, the association’s top priority continues to be the push for reform of the Ohio Alcoholic Beverages Franchise Act, a law that traps small and independent breweries in lifetime contracts with beer wholesalers. When that law was passed in 1974, beer wholesalers needed protection from the power and influence of a handful of massive brewing conglomerates. Small breweries did not exist in 1974, but more than 430 are currently operating in Ohio. Meanwhile, wholesalers have consolidated through mergers and acquisitions to become large, powerful companies. Franchise law makes these small, independent breweries subject to the same virtually unbreakable contracts as their huge competitors, creating an imbalance of power between small breweries and the wholesalers they rely on to grow their businesses.
Two bills have been introduced in the Ohio General Assembly this year – Senate Bill 23 and House Bill 194 – which would exempt small and independent breweries from franchise law. The Ohio Craft Brewers Association and its leadership continue to support these bills and urge legislators to pass this common-sense modernization of state law in order to benefit small businesses, local communities and beer consumers.
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