Program Speakers
License to Steal in conjunction with the Eastern Winery Exposition
Mary-Kate Baldalmenti - Boundary Breaks Vineyard
Sales and Marketing Manager
Mary-Kate is the sales, marketing, and wine club manager for Boundary Breaks Vineyard on the east side of Seneca Lake. As a native of the area, born and raised just 5 miles from the winery she has been fully immersed in the rural culture and collaborative community of the region.
With a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and International Business from St. John’s University she has brought a versatile perspective to practical use in marketing campaigns and wholesale efforts for the brand.
With the mindset that “high tides raise all ships,” she also positions with the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, Finger Lakes Wine Alliance, the NYS Department of Ag and Markets associated with the NYWGF, and the Finger Lakes chapter of Women for Winesense in an endeavor to showcase the cross-collaborative network within the regional wine industry.
Kimberly Noelle Charles, DipWSET - Charles Communications Associates, San Francisco
President and Founder
Kimberly Charles’ name is synonymous with wine marketing at its best level. Over her 40-year career she has, through her creative marketing strategies, versatility, and natural story-telling gifts, helped brands attain a level of distinction and draw in the marketplace. Her firm, Charles Communications Associates celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023 and specializes in strategic branding and corporate social responsibility with a focus on women in leadership. Kimberly holds a Diploma in Wine Spirits from the WSET. A passionate supporter of good causes, she serves on the board of the Glancy Wine Education Foundation, most recently the San Francisco chapter of Les Dames Escoffier, and formerly the board of Dress for Success San Francisco and the Society of Wine Educators. She is an omnivore of history and culture and passionate about yoga. Follow her firm on Instagram @AlltheSwirl
Tony Debevc - Debonné Vineyards
President
“Chalet Debonné Vineyards” was established during the third generation of the Debevc family’s viticulture history. Anton Debevc, a 1914 immigrant from the Slovenian State of Yugoslavia, purchased a general fruit farm in Madison, Ohio in 1916. Anton’s son, Tony Sr., helped expand the vineyard in the late 1960’s.
In 1971, Tony Sr. and his son, Tony, began their journey as commercial winemakers, establishing world-class standards in the Lake Erie and Grand River Valley regions. Chalet Debonné Vineyards was founded as a winery in 1972, with the construction of a winemaking facility and a charming Chalet.
Tony oversees the general operation of the business and Tony Sr. remained as vineyard manager emeritus until he passed away in 2010. Tony and the vineyard and cellar crews manage 175-plus acres of vines and produce over 85,000 gallons of wine each year, including a variety of nationally recognized award-winning wines. Debonne Vineyards is best known for Riesling and Ice Wine but also produces excellent Cabernet Franc and Chambourcin red wines, and Chardonnay and Pinot Gris white wines.
The Debevc family was the first winery to be named by Vineyard & Winery Management magazine as “Wine Family of the Year” and wines from their premium line “Debonné Vineyards” garner awards every year in national and international competitions from California to New York.
Sarah Eighmey - Anthony Road Winery
Business Manager
Ann and John Martini moved to Yates County in 1973 to grow grapes and raise their family on 100 acres overlooking Seneca Lake. Ann managed the vineyard and raised the children while John worked for Cornell University at the Agricultural Experiment Station. The grapes from their vineyards were first sold to the Taylor Wine Company and eventually to wineries across New York state. In 1990, Ann and John opened Anthony Road Wine Company made from their 1989 crop. Their children, Peter, Sarah, Maeve, and Elizabeth have been involved in the vineyard and winery throughout their growing years and are now full-time employees/co-owners of Anthony Road Wine Company. The joy of growing grapes and producing fine wines still motivates and excites the Martini family…more than a quarter century after the first vines took root.
Bill Holden - Buccia Vineyards
Owner and Winemaker
Bill grew up in Ohio Wine Country on a cattle farm in Northeast Ohio. After a 35-year career in Manufacturing, Human Resources, and IT, Bill returned to Ohio to purchase Buccia Vineyard Winery and Bed and Breakfast where he is the Owner and Winemaker. Buccia produces a broad range of wine styles from 13 acres of both vinifera and French-American hybrids on their estate vineyards.
Michael Kaiser - WineAmerica
Executive Vice President and Director of Government Affairs
Michael is the main voice of WineAmerica on Capitol Hill, taking WineAmerica’s message to Members of Congress and their staff.
Michael is also the main point of contact between the organization and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and handles general regulatory concerns for WineAmerica members. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Free the Grapes. Michael is a regular fixture at industry trade shows and conferences throughout the country. He has been quoted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Associated Press, USA Today, Wine Business, and Wine Spectator.
Prior to joining WineAmerica, Michael provided research and logistical support to two DC-based lobbying firms. He also handled compliance issues with a major political party. Michael earned his BA in American Studies and Political Science from Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ, and a MA in Political Science from American University in Washington, DC.
Garrison Kuhl - Fox Run Vineyards
Marketing Manager
Garrison, a Keuka College graduate, got his start in the wine industry in the Fox Run tasting room & café just five years ago. Garrison has worked closely with local businesses, specializing in market research and social media management, helping him gain insights and dynamics to the Finger Lakes region and the wine industry. Alongside his Marketing role here at Fox Run, Garrison currently leads the Food & Wine Experience tour every Friday in the summers and fall; while also helping with events and in the tasting room. He has a passion for the region, community, and the wine industry as a whole.
Garrison leads the marketing efforts at Fox Run, focusing on innovative ways to engage with consumers while improving the experience for all visitors. He plays a pivotal role in driving social media growth, hosting media events, collaborating with the sales team to boost promotion, and staying on top of market trends to keep Fox Run ahead in the evolving industry.
Jana Mckamey - OWA
Executive Director
Jana was promoted to Executive Director in 2020 after serving in various capacities within the organization since 2012. The breadth and complexity of the policy, legal, and business issues facing the wine industry keeps her engaged and focused on delivering positive results on behalf of wineries and growers around the state.
Jana has 20 years of international, national, and state policy experience in addition to more than a decade of non-profit management experience. Before joining OWA, Jana served as Senior Advisor to the European Union Delegation in Washington, DC, and in the lobbying practice of a DC law firm. She also brings an agricultural perspective to her role from growing up in a farming family. Jana received her M.A. from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in History and German from the University of Northern Colorado. She is a recipient of a Fulbright grant to Germany.
In her free time, you will find her biking around Portland, practicing her yoga skills, cooking and gardening, volunteering, reading, and spending time with her young family.
Liz Mercer, WISE
Coach & Content Developer
Liz Mercer grew up in Napa Valley, which instilled a deep respect for the culture and lifestyle of wine and the industry supporting it. She left the area to attend Northwood University in Michigan, where she studied Finance & Business Management. She joined the wine industry in the tasting room at Sterling Vineyards in 1999. Shortly after that, she was drawn into direct-to-consumer sales via wine clubs and e-commerce at Mumm Napa, where she led a team to rebrand the wine club, establishing it as one of the largest wine clubs in the country. I spent nearly six years with Gallo DTC leadership, including a stint on the Central Coast of California. She returned to the Napa Valley and spent time at Round Pond Estate and Bluxome Street Winery in San Francisco, then as GM of Judd’s Hill in the Napa Valley.
Liz earned her Master of Professional Studies in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America. Liz witnessed the landscape of the direct-to-consumer sales environment change drastically over the last 20+ years as the industry has matured, and is excited to be a part of developing the next generation of direct marketers.
Jim Trezise - WineAmerica
President
Jim Trezise is President of WineAmerica, the National Association of American Wineries based in Washington, DC. WineAmerica has more than 500 winery members and associations from 40 states, and focuses on national grassroots public policy advocacy to protect and enhance the business climate for the American wine industry.
Jim was on WineAmerica’s Executive Committee for more than 25 years before becoming President in 2017. He also co-created and ran the New York Wine & Grape Foundation for 32 years, as well as the International Riesling Foundation for 10 years concurrently. He serves on many industry broads, judges in major wine competitions, and has received numerous awards for his contributions to the American wine industry.
Donniella Winchell - Ohio Wine Producers Association
Executive Director
Winchell coordinates the annual Vintage Ohio Wine Festival and the License to Steal marketing conference. She is past chair of the WineAmerica State Advisory Committee and is active in Winegrape Growers of America, the Ohio Travel Association, and serves on several other state and national committees. She is a member of the Ohio Agriculture and Ohio Wines Halls of Fame, a Rotary Harris Fellow, a member of the Knights of the Vine, and the recipient of the Monteith Wine Award.
In 2020, she was named an industry influential by Wine Business Magazine and in 2021 was awarded the Rich Smith Award of Excellence in American Wine. In 2022 the Wine Industry Network named her one of the industry’s ten most inspiring people. She has contributed to several national wine publications, writes weekly wine columns for a dozen Ohio print and online publications, authors a marketing e-letter called Tuesday Tidbits, and speaks at numerous wine and tourism conferences.