What’s your current position at your brewery?

I’m the founder and CEO of Freetail Brewing Co. in San Antonio, Texas.

What’s new at Freetail and what’s next on the horizon?

We made the transition from brewpub to distributing brewery in late 2014 and we are definitely in ‘high growth’ mode right now. We’re doing our best to keep up with demand while still kind of learning the business of selling beer for distribution along the way.

How long have you served on the BA board of directors?

Since February 2014.

What’s it like to serve on the board?

It’s incredible, in a lot of ways. At first it was a bit intimidating to not only be sitting in a room with all the people I looked up to as icons, heroes, and role models, but to have substantive discussions with them on the direction of our organization and industry. While I’ve done my best to contribute, I also feel like I’ve been able to learn a ton from my fellow board members on how to be a better leader of my own company and ambassador for the industry at large. At times, serving on the board can be stressful, especially when things are hectic at our own brewery, but it is all very rewarding.

What challenges and satisfactions have you met during your board service?

The board is a composition of 19 successful industry leaders, so at times it can be a challenge to make your voice heard, but everyone is extremely respectful and open to the opinions of others. When they first start, most board members probably have the same feeling of ‘how do I fit in here?’ but it doesn’t take long to get comfortable and know that we all have a lot to contribute. In the infancy stage of our brewery, I leaned on BA resources a lot, so it is very satisfying when I hear other younger, growing brewers commenting on benefits they get from the BA knowing that I might have played a tiny role in that.

What do you like to do in your time away from the brewery and the BA board?

When I do get a chance to unplug, I use it to spend time with my wife and kids. We have a five-year-old and a one-year-old, so they are a handful in their own right!