Washington, D.C. (January 8, 2025) —In its ongoing effort to evolve and expand its service to the craft spirits community, the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Emily Pennington as Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately.
In this newly created position, Pennington will work closely with CEO Margie A.S. Lehrman to address the key issues facing the craft distilling industry, including the organization’s continued push for modern market access and work defending its community of independent craft distillers in today’s challenging alcohol landscape. As the architect behind the development of industry publication Wine & Spirits Daily and industry education platform Park Street University, Pennington will guide ACSA’s mission critical operations on membership, industry outreach, and sustainability to further the organization’s growth. While at Park Street, she was instrumental in executing the Craft Spirits Data Project, the collaborative study between ACSA and Park Street, which annually reports on the economics of the craft spirits industry.
Pennington has been in the alcohol industry for nearly 15 years, specializing in content strategy and organization management. She has demonstrated capabilities in driving operational excellence and strategic implementation, along with extensive experience working to provide guidance and solutions to thousands of small distillers around the world.
Margie A.S. Lehrman, CEO, ACSA, added, “I am thrilled to welcome Emily into this newly-created leadership position. I have had the privilege of knowing her since I joined ACSA a decade ago, both during her tenure as a seasoned drinks industry journalist and in her previous role launching and leading the deep education offerings at Park Street, and I cannot wait to support her as she leverages the same passion and work ethic to carry ACSA into a new era.”
“Together and with Emily’s support, ACSA will remain focused on critical issues to ensure our small business manufacturers, who are intricately connected to their local hospitality and agricultural communities, will keep pace with modern society, with support that a national trade group can offer. That will also include a renewed interest in creating best-in-class membership offerings to continue to set the organization apart from other industry groups.”
Emily Pennington added, “It is a tremendous honor to join Margie, the Board of Directors, ACSA’s advocacy partners, and the organization’s staff to work together to make a meaningful impact on the current and future community of craft distillers. I am ready to tackle the challenges facing our community in 2025 alongside the extremely dedicated staff at ACSA.”
Emily will join ACSA’s executive leadership team, working collaboratively with CEO Margie A.S. Lehrman, its committees and volunteer leadership, and the ACSA team including Anna Klainbaum, Director of Membership and Marketing; Stephanie Sadri, Director of Meetings and Events; Jeff Cioletti, Editor in Chief of CRAFT SPIRITS magazine; Kirstin Brooks, Manager of ACSA Education; Jon Page, Senior Editor; and Albab Melaku, Executive Assistant.
ABOUT ACSA
The American Craft Spirits Association is the only national registered nonprofit trade association representing the U.S. craft spirits industry. Its mission is to elevate and advocate for the community of craft spirits producers, and membership in ACSA is open to anyone.
ACSA is governed by a Board of Directors elected by the eligible voting members of the Association. Voting members must be independent licensed distillers (DSPs) annually removing fewer than 750,000 proof gallons from bond (the amount on which a Federal Excise Tax is paid.) For information about ACSA, call 202-669-3661.
