The Brewers Association (BA) is pleased to announce the addition of three new members to the Sustainability subcommittee. Carol Cochran, Serena Dietrich and Zac Harris joined the group at the beginning of 2017, and bring their own unique perspectives and experiences to sustainability efforts in craft brewing.

Carol Cochran founded Horse & Dragon Brewing Company with her husband Tim in 2014, in Fort Collins, Colo. Carol is dedicated to ensuring that Horse & Dragon is a responsible member of both the brewing community and the local community where they live and play. She also has degrees in human biology and secondary education. Carol adds, “I am hoping to bring the valuable insight and information that the Sustainability subcommittee provides to other small brewers who are also experiencing the craziness of trying to wear 10 hats at once!”

Serena Dietrich is sustainability project manager at Deschutes Brewery, where she is responsible for educating Deschutes co-owners on environmental and social topics, while advocating sustainability projects in the brewery and within the community. She is also an active board member of the State of Oregon Sustainability Board and a member of Move Bend Steering Committee. Serena has a B.S. in meteorology from St. Cloud State University, Minn. and completed her MBA in sustainable business at Marylhurst University, Portland, Ore.

Serena is excited to join the subcommittee because she “loves that craft breweries have a strong devotion to the industry, environment, and local community. To be part of something bigger, and help shape the industry by minimizing impact for future generations is truly an exciting experience.”

Zac Harris joined the Sustainability subcommittee because it is his “passion and mission to help this amazing industry through the implementation of sustainable efforts that will have both an economic and social benefit to our businesses and the communities where we are fortunate to brew.”

Zac’s career in craft beer began when he was chosen to lead the sustainable design and building efforts of Alamo Beer Co., in San Antonio, Texas. Zac has a construction science degree from Texas A&M University and is LEED AP certified. Today, Zac is acting sales and marketing director for Alamo Beer Co., as well as founder of One Pint for the Planet, whose mission is to spread the word on how to protect the environment through the universal language of beer.

The Sustainability subcommittee contributes to the BA’s purpose by helping current members and future generations to brew the highest quality beers in a manner that strengthens the value of our businesses, increases the resiliency of the natural environment and agricultural systems that provide brewing ingredients, and enhances the lives of our workforce and the communities we call home. To this purpose, the subcommittee has produced a number of sustainability guidance manuals and launched the sustainability benchmarking tools to enable craft brewers to continuously improve their processes and operations.