Jessica Pendergrass named Chairwoman of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association
Pendergrass makes history as the third female chair of the KDA
Pictured left to right: KDA President Eric Gregory, Heaven Hill Brands General Council Jessica Pendergrass, and Rick Robinson of Wild Turkey (2019 KDA Chairman)
In November 2018, Heaven Hill welcomed its first ever in-house legal counsel, Jessica Pendergrass. In addition to her role as General Counsel, Jessica became Heaven Hill’s representative for the Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA) Board of Directors as Vice Chairwoman. Heaven Hill has a long-standing history as a heritage member of the KDA with several employees serving on the board throughout the years. Keeping that tradition alive, we’re proud to announce that last week Jessica was officially elected the third woman ever to become Chair of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association Board of Directors. Her term will begin on January 1, 2020 and run through December 31, 2020. Andrea Wilson, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Michter’s Distillery was the first female to serve as Chairwoman of the KDA in 2009 followed by Pauline Rooney, Vice President of Distillation, Maturation, and Engineering at Diageo North America in 2015.
“This truly is a dream come true for me,” Jessica says. “When I became an attorney, my dream was to work for a Bourbon company and I work for the best Bourbon company in the world. Now I’ve been given this incredible opportunity to lead our industry’s key trade group and make a lasting impact. To be the third woman to ever have that chance is truly incredible. I can hardly put it into words.”
The KDA is an extremely important piece of the distilled spirits industry, providing a united voice in both State and National government affairs. Founded in 1880 and reformed after prohibition in 1936, the KDA sets industry standards which encourages consistency in experience for consumers across the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, facilitates industry compliance and safety by sharing best practices, increases industry growth by building networks with educational and professional partners, and facilitates comradery within the industry. As chairwoman of the board, Jessica will be the lead voice for industry members and work closely with KDA President, Eric Gregory. She will also lead executive committee meetings, advise on political agendas, and help the KDA continue to advocate on behalf of the industry and build the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
“When I talk with people from other industries, they’re shocked to hear that the Kentucky Bourbon industry has such great comradery between companies.” Jessica says. “Being friendly and amicable is a key expectation in our industry and that level of comradery is directly attributable to the industry’s growth. The KDA gives suppliers a platform and an opportunity to come together and work on issues and address challenges that benefit the greater good of the Bourbon industry as a whole.”
Since joining the KDA, Jessica has had the opportunity to work on several influential projects and had some especially memorable experiences. She says her favorite opportunity thus far was representing Heaven Hill at the first ever Order of the Writ induction ceremony. According to American Whiskey Magazine, “The Order of the Writ is a fraternal and charitable organization that embraces the spirit of Kentucky Bourbon education, responsibility, environmental stewardship, history, scholarship and an unwavering commitment to the furtherance of America’s only native spirit.” Heaven Hill President Max Shapira serves as one of the founding members of the Order of the Writ accompanied by a number of other industry leaders including KDA President Eric Gregory.
“Heaven Hill was given the opportunity to induct the first two members into The Order of the Writ earlier this year,” Jessica says. “Max was out of the country and unable to attend, so I had the opportunity to represent the company as we inducted Kentucky Congressman John Yarmuth and former Bardstown, Kentucky Mayor and author Dixie Hibbs into the organization. Chris Morris who works for Brown Forman has been trying to establish the Order of the Writ since the 1990’s, so it was an honor to be part of that very first event and see it all come to fruition.”
Heaven Hill is extremely proud to have Jessica as part of the family, representing the company and the industry in such an influential way. Help us extend a huge congratulations to Jessica as she guides the KDA into the future.
