2026 Speakers
Session Managers
Heather Bradshaw
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Heather is the Communications Director at the Washington State Wine Commission, where she manages strategic communications, industry outreach and media relations. Heather has been in the wine industry for 10 years, with previous experience at the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance and Jackson Family Wines. She began her career as a journalist, working at TV stations in Yakima and Seattle. A UW grad and native of Vancouver, Washington, Heather now lives in Snohomish with her husband and two very busy small children.
Gwen Hoheisel
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For 20 years, Gwen Hoheisel has been a regional extension specialist with Washington State University focusing on perennial fruit crops and more specifically sustainable pest management, blueberry horticulture, and application technologies. She has degrees in zoology from the University of Maryland and entomology from Pennsylvania State University focusing on IPM and insect diversity.
Michelle Moyer
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Dr. Michelle Moyer is a professor and Statewide Viticulture Extension Specialist for Washington State University. Her extension and research programs focus on proactive approaches to grape growing and decision support for individuals at all stages of grape production, with an emphasis on integrated vineyard management.
Reid Wilson
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An unconventional farmer and ex pro soccer player, Reid brings a different point of view to the vineyards. Starting as an Irrigator at To Kalon vineyard in Oakville California, Reid quickly fell in love with the wonderment of viticulture! Later, Reid joined a vineyard management company in Southern Oregon and slowly began to understand through practice that a change in farming principles and a deep knowledge of native ecosystems can heal land and the people that work it. Now In eastern Washington, Reid spends time creating native planting projects with a Biodynamic focus that intermingles with Hedges 35-year-old vines. Reid harnesses communities of thoughtful loving people that can propel his quest to help others create sustainable vineyards and with great excitement, converting conventional land back to shrub-steppe! His Journey has just begun and he wants to take as many people as possible with him!
Speakers
Jeff Berg
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Jeff possesses extensive knowledge of the adult beverage industry, acquired through his experience as a retailer, distributor, category manager and supplier. His expertise encompasses buying and selling in the on and off-premise channels, from local accounts to national accounts
Casey Cobble
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Casey Cobble leads the white and sparkling winemaking programs at Four Feathers Wine Services after spending 2 years working on the red programs. Before joining Four Feathers, Casey spent four years as a winemaker at Goose Ridge Winery, crafting premium wines for the Goose Ridge, g3, and Cascadian Outfitters brands. Her winemaking journey began in 2010 at Betz Family Winery in Woodinville, after completing the Wine Technology program at South Seattle College. What started as a harvest internship turned into a full-time role, where Casey split her time between the cellar and customer service—learning that great wine is as much about people as it is about grapes. In 2014, she joined Robert Ramsay Cellars, a boutique Rhône-focused winery, where she handled everything from grape sampling to bottling (and everything in between). Casey is also passionate about building community in the Washington wine industry. She helped found the Alliance of Women in Washington Wine, a non-profit organization supporting and promoting women across all facets of the trade. Born and raised in eastern Washington, Casey now calls Richland home, where she lives with her family. When she's not in the cellar, you can usually find her camping, gardening, cooking, or behind a camera lens—ideally with a good glass of sparkling wine in hand.
Speaking at:
WWIF Sparkling Sabbatical
Jim Harberston
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Jim Harbertson is a Professor in the Viticulture and Enology Department at Washington State University’s Wine Science Center. He received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and doctorate in agricultural chemistry from the University of California at Davis. Jim’s research focuses on the phenolic compounds found in grapes and wine and their biochemical and chemical changes during grape ripening, winemaking and aging. Currently his research also explores the impacts of late season frosts on wine composition and the impacts of grape ripening and alcohol on wine flavor. Jim serves as an associate editor for the Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research and the MDPI journal Beverages. Jim teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on wine production, sensory and wine chemistry, helping shape the next generation of winemakers.
Katie Maltais
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Katie Maltais is an award-winning nonprofit leader and strategist with more than 15 years of executive experience. In 2025, she was appointed as the Executive Director of the Auction of Washington Wines, where she leads the organization's efforts to champion Washington's wine industry and expand its philanthropic impact.
Speaking at:
Town Hall with Lunch
Josh McDonald
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Josh has used his college education and relied on some key mentors to benefit the state's hospitality and wine industries for more than two decades. He graduated in 2002 from the University of Puget Sound with a degree in politics and government and earned an executive MBA from the University of Washington's famed Foster School of Business in 2023. Prior to his work for the wine industry, Josh spent seven years representing the Washington Hospitality Association on government affairs. In 2015, Josh took on the role of executive director of the Washington Wine Institute, the statewide trade association for the Washington State wine industry. He is the voice of Washington wine at the state and federal government levels as well as one of our industry's experts on wine-related state laws and rules. In 2025 Josh was awarded the Auction of Washington Wines 2025 Wine Industry Champion. Josh lives in Tacoma with his wife Chelsea Levy and his two boys Liam and Eli.
Speaking at:
Town Hall with Lunch
Kristina Kelley
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Kristina Kelley is the Executive Director of the Washington State Wine Commission, where she leads a team dedicated to driving the growth and awareness of Washington wine through marketing, communications, and viticulture and enology research. Her work supports Washington’s position as the nation’s second-largest wine-producing region.
Kristina brings a career-long commitment to the wine industry, with extensive experience spanning sales, marketing, public relations, and communications. She spent more than 25 years in leadership roles at E. & J. Gallo Winery and began her career in wine sales with Brown-Forman, giving her a strong commercial foundation. Beyond her corporate career, Kristina and her husband owned a vineyard in Oregon’s Dundee Hills for more than 18 years, giving her direct experience as a grape grower.
A Certified Specialist of Wine, Kristina has served on the Board of Women of the Vine & Spirits and currently serves on the Board of The Auction of Washington Wines. She lives in Port Ludlow, Washington, with her husband and their Weimaraner, Finn.
Speaking at:
Town Hall with Lunch
Kelsey Kelmel
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Kelsey hails from West Richland and serves as the Benton Conservation District's Heritage Garden Program Coordinator. She is actively involved in the Columbia Basin Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society and also works for a nearby native plant nursery where she grows native species. Kelsey loves to connect folks to the local shrub-steppe flora and is currently in the midst of converting her brother's lawn into a native + drought tolerant garden. She's also an avid gardener, loves making compost and thinks everyone should have a worm bin! ;)
Liz Thach
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Dr. Liz Thach, MW is the President of Wine Market Council, a non-profit firm that provides research on U.S. wine consumer purchasing habits, attitudes, and trends. She also works as a Professor, Wine Writer and Consultant based in Napa and Sonoma, California. She is an award-winning author and educator, specializing in wine business strategy, marketing, leadership/executive development, and wine lifestyle.
Liz is considered to be one of the nation's leading wine experts and has visited most of the major wine regions of the world and 80 countries. She teaches wine classes at Stanford Continuing Education, Burgundy School of Business, and Sonoma State University, and has published over 300 articles and 9 books, including Call of the Vine, Best Practices in Global Wine Tourism, and Wine Marketing & Sales. She frequently publishes in Forbes, Wine Business Monthly, Wine Spectator, and The Somm Journal, amongst others. In addition, she serves as a wine judge and on several non-profit boards.
A fifth-generation Californian, Liz finished her Ph.D. at Texas A&M and now lives on Sonoma Mountain. Liz obtained the distinction of Master of Wine (MW) in May of 2011, becoming the first female MW from California
Speaking at:
State of the Industry
Thomas Sexton
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Dr. Thomas Sexton has a background in plant biology, but previously worked as a farm hand on small family farms. At the Benton Conservation District, he works to support on-farm conservation projects of all kinds.
Ingrid Zaragoza
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Ingrid is the bilingual licensing and recertification specialist for the licensing and recertification program at WSDA. In her current role she assists with exam development, recertification course review, and C&T implementation in both Spanish and English.