Location: Anheuser-Busch Tour Center - Lager Room
Time: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Corporate Sponsor: AB-InBev
Meeting was called to order by President Kristopher Scholl at 4:45 PM.
Motion was approved to accept the minutes from the fall technical meeting as distributed by Darren Goodlin, Seconded by Rob Naylor.
Highlights from the business meeting were are follows:
2026 Board Elections
New officer slate sworn in:
- President: Kristopher Scholl AB-InBev (re-elected)
- Vice President: Mark Yocum - Anheuser-Busch
- Treasurer: Nick Erickson - Power Motion (Continuing)
- Secretary: Nick Mills - Anheuser-Busch
- BOG Representative: Bob Griesedieck - Griesedieck Brothers Brewing (Continuing)
Committee Reports
Technical/Programming Committee
- Building out full year of programming
- Seeking member input on speaker topics and areas of interest
- Contact Mark Jaeggi with suggestions
Scholarship Committee
- $850 scholarships still available for MBAA courses
- Application process simplified - takes 30 seconds via online form
- No membership requirement to apply (can join same day)
- Available for both traditional courses (Brewing and Malting) and short courses (including Lean Six Sigma for brewers)
- District has $40,000 in scholarship funds available with low application rates
Membership Committee
- Currently seeking more active involvement
- One new member joined at this meeting
National MBAA Updates - (Steve Bradt - National 1st VP)
Management Company Transition
- MBAA completed transition from Scientific Societies to AMR management company effective January 1, 2026
- After 25 years with previous management company, organization determined it was time for change to support growth needs
- New executive director Kelly Braniff is exclusively dedicated to MBAA
- Members should expect some temporary challenges during transition period (login changes, registration updates)
- AMR brings larger team with specialized expertise and is expected to reduce conference costs significantly
Membership Challenges
- National membership continues to decline
- New management company bringing marketing strategies to reverse trend and re-engage past members
- Focus on positioning MBAA as resource for brewers at all career stages, not just senior professionals
Strategic Goals Through 2028
- Grow membership back to 4,000+ members
- Position MBAA as "community of choice" for brewing production professionals at all career levels
- Strengthen district-level engagement and participation
- Improve job board to become free, premier workforce resource for industry
- Make annual conference "can't miss" event
Financial Position
- Organization in strong financial position with 2.5+ years operating expenses in reserves
- Considering reinvesting surplus funds back into membership benefits and district support
- Target reserves: 2 years operating expenses
2026 Education Programs
- Three full courses planned: Packaging, Maintenance, and Brewing and Malting Science
- Lorraine Cutlett's yeast book published and ready for distribution
Annual Conference
- Location: Virginia Beach Convention Center, October 22-24, 2026
- Expected cost reduction compared to previous years
- Final pricing not yet confirmed
New Communications Initiative
- President Brian Faivre launching monthly town hall meetings
- First town hall: Thursday, January 29th
- Opportunity for members to interact directly with national president
- Complement to existing Communicator newsletter
Upcoming District Events
2026 Meeting Schedule
- March 12 – Shop Talk
- April 9 or 13 (TBD)– Annual Spring Meeting
- May 21 – Shop Talk
- Sept 17 – Shop Talk
- Oct 22 – Annual Fall Meeting
- Nov 9 – Shop Talk
- December - Holiday Party
Univ of Arkansas NAB Conference
- First week of February (5th-6th) https://cbi.uada.edu/nablab-2026/
- Location: Fayetteville
- Day 1: Industry focus on non-alcoholic beer technology and innovation
- Day 2: MBAA District Great Plains meeting
- Saturday: Frost Fest Beer festival
- Notable speaker lineup including Dr. Scott LaFontaine
- 5-hour drive from St. Louis
Action Items
- [ ] Members: Apply for available scholarships
- [ ] Members: Submit speaker topic ideas to Mark
- [ ] Members: Register for town hall meeting on January 29th
- [ ] Members: Use promo code to refer new members (20% discount per referral)
- [ ] District leadership: Consider sponsoring bus or van for Arkansas district meeting
- [ ] District: Post Arkansas meeting information on district website
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Kristopher Scholl - President - District St. Louis Master Brewers
Global VP - Brewing & Quality
ABInBev
Saint Louis MO
(541) 213-9107
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