LONG BEACH, Calif. U.S.A. (April 2, 2008) —The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), the world’s largest coffee trade association, elected two new members to represent the association’s interest on the World Barista Championship (WBC) Board of Directors.

Andrew Hetzel, founder of Cafemakers, LLC and murky coffee president, Nicholas Cho are each slated to serve a two-year term on the internationally recognized barista competition’s board.

The pair joins current SCAA members, Cindy Chang, director of development at Counter Culture and Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea Inc. Chief Executive Officer and Founder Doug Zell on the WBC Board of Directors. The four individuals are tasked with continuing the interest and growth of the WBC on a global scale while building a stronger educational and social platform for the worldwide barista community.

In addition to starting coffee consultancy firm Cafemakers, LLC in 2001, Hetzel is the only Coffee Quality Institute-licensed Q Grader in the state of Hawaii. He is also an SCAA- certified cupping judge and has been an arbitrator of the United States Barista Championship since 2003 and the WBC since 2005.

By joining the WBC board, Cho, who is also an SCAA director, holds the unique distinction of concurrently serving on two prominent specialty coffee boards. He began his career in specialty coffee in 2002 when he opened the now-popular murky coffee in Arlington, Va. Cho is also an accomplished barista having won the SCAA’s Southeast Regional Barista Competition in 2006.

“SCAA is pleased to select Andrew Hetzel and Nicholas Cho to represent our association on the WBC Board of Directors,” said SCAA Executive Director Ric Rhinehart. “We are confident Andrew and Nicholas will provide SCAA with a strong presence within the internationally-recognized specialty coffee organization while also contributing to the WBC’s continuing growth and success.”

The WBC is a nonprofit organization governed by a board representing SCAA and the SCAE members. The organization’s stated goals are:

• To promote the growth, excellence and recognition in the barista profession.
• To grow the barista’s knowledge of and expertise in the preparation and serving of specialty, espresso coffee through competitions.
• To promote the knowledge and consumption of specialty coffee to the consumer through the Barista.
• To become globally recognized as the premier world barista event in the coffee calendar.

About the SCAA

Celebrating 26 years of success, SCAA is the world’s largest coffee trade association. SCAA members are located in more than 40 countries and represent every segment of the specialty coffee industry, from coffee growers to coffee roasters and retailers. The SCAA’s mission is to be the recognized authority on specialty coffee, providing a common forum for the development and promotion of coffee excellence and sustainability. The SCAA’s dedication to excellence in coffee is realized through the setting of quality standards for the industry; conducting research on coffee, equipment and perfection of craft; and providing education, training, resources and business services for members. The SCAA’s annual conference is held in a different U.S. city each year and is the coffee industry’s largest gathering and exhibition.

About the WBC

The World Barista Championship was created initially by the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe. The first WBC took place in Monte Carlo in October 2000. The Specialty Coffee Association of America quickly joined and the WBC is now a joint venture among the two sister organizations. The WBC Corporation is headquartered in the United Kingdom with a shared ownership between the SCAE and SCAA. The organization’s 2008 event will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, June 19-22.

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