Jes Pendergrass Recognized with Kentucky Distillers’ Association Esprit de Corps Award for Board Leadership
On the heels of a year filled with unprecedented changes for the spirits distilling industry, Heaven Hill General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer Jes Pendergrass passed the gavel two weeks ago.
Only the third woman ever to chair the Kentucky Distillers’ Association Board of Directors, her term saw Kentucky distillers leading the nation in direct-to-consumer shipping of distilled spirits; industry-wide support of diversity, equity and inclusion; and widespread collaboration to address challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This was a very tough year to be chair of any organization,” said KDA President Eric Gregory. “But, Jes handled it with incredible diligence, intelligence and vision.”
A Voice for the Industry
Founded in 1880 and reformed in 1936 after prohibition, the KDA sets industry standards that support product consistency, compliance and safety and industry growth for distillers across the state. The organization also works to provide a unified voice in both state and national affairs.
A Heritage member of the KDA since the 1980s, Heaven Hill brings both industry leadership in setting policies, goals and industry priorities and a unique perspective as a family-owned distilled spirits company. In 2020, Heaven Hill led the way on staff restructuring and promotions, board and committee streamlining, revising the priorities of the strategic plan, expanding membership opportunities to associate members in supporting industries and overhauling the bylaws to begin a foundation of how the KDA will continue to operate with over 40 member companies.
“Our involvement in KDA is important because it allows us to build strong relationships across the industry and influence state and federal policies in a way that supports our business,” Jes said. “As Heaven Hill continues to grow and expand, it’s important that we speak up and take the lead for Kentucky’s signature industry.”
Leading the Cause for Social Justice
As Jes reflects on her year at the helm of the KDA Board, her work to help create the KDA’s first-ever Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiative is an effort in which she takes great pride. This work is close to Jes’s heart and reflective of the time she has spent leading non-profits in local communities over the past decade.
“We put together an advisory panel comprised of members of the KDA and people outside the industry, and I will continue to co-chair that panel in 2021” she said. From that collaboration came new and unique perspectives and a series of recommendations for the KDA Board to consider focused on education, workforce pipeline, supplier diversity, inclusivity in branding and other topics.
The KDA Board also launched the KDA Scholars Program and established The Lifting Spirits Foundation as the official non-profit arm of the association to support the scholarship program for many years to come. These diversity scholarships provide funding for numerous students of diverse backgrounds to attend distilling and fermenting programs at Kentucky State University, the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville. The scholarships will continue to expand into additional schools in the future and will be supported by an intensive internship program to be developed in collaboration with KDA members.
Direct-to-Consumer Shipping
Under Jes’s leadership, the KDA also successfully championed passage of groundbreaking direct-to-consumer shipping legislation during a short session of the Kentucky Legislature. “There are only a handful of states that currently allow shipping to consumers for distilled spirits. You can ship wine into more than 40 states,” said Jes. “But for distilled spirits, you can only ship to a handful of states.”
House Bill 415, which became law in April, is important for the distilled spirits industry now that spirits – and especially Kentucky Bourbon – are in high demand. Consumers are demanding easier ways to access these products by shipping and delivery.
The legislation also gives distilleries another outlet for sales at a time when visitors centers along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail are closed due to COVID-19 precautions and availability in bars and on store shelves may be limited. The ability to ship is particularly helpful to the sustainability of Kentucky’s smaller craft distillers with more limited distribution channels.
COVID-19 Response
Another accomplishment that is a source of pride for Jes was the KDA’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We were able to address COVID-19 by sharing best practices across KDA member facilities, and we worked together to keep our operations open, while keeping employees and guests safe,” said Jes.
The industry also worked together to shift some of its production to hand sanitizer early on in the pandemic to fill an immediate need for first responders, hospitals, doctor’s offices, and essential businesses.
Esprit de Corps Award
To honor Jes’s countless hours of service and personal sacrifice in guiding the KDA through unprecedented and uncertain times, the KDA awarded her the prestigious Esprit de Corps Award at the end of her term. The Esprit de Corps award was newly created in 2020 to recognize industry leaders who personify the KDA’s legendary spirit of camaraderie and integrity, and she was one of two recipients.
“Every time there was a different challenge that came up, Jes was very engaged as chairwoman,” said Eric. “This was one of those years where the association and the industry needed a strong chair to keep us in line and guide us, and Jes was that leader.”
Please join us in congratulating Jes for these accomplishments and thanking her for her outstanding leadership and representation of Heaven Hill throughout this year.
