Board of Directors

Jim Woods is the founder and CEO of Woods Beer & Wine Co, a family of bars, brewpubs, and wineries around the San Francisco Bay Area.  They make creative, small-batch beer and wine inspired by nature, place, and tradition.

Woods showed an early appreciation for beer, running a clandestine homebrewing operation in his parent’s garage. He went pro in 2006, releasing the world’s first yerba mate beer he dubbed MateVeza. In 2012, Woods opened his first brick and mortar brewpub in his hometown of San Francisco on the corner of Dolores Park. 

Today the Woods empire spans San Francisco and Oakland, beer and wine, retail and wholesale. Woods distributes beer and wine made at its production headquarters on Treasure Island to its retail partners as well as its own neighborhood-focused taprooms across the San Francisco Bay Area.

Born in Northern California, Julian Shrago was an aerospace engineer for over a decade before becoming a craft brewer. Along with his business partners, Gabe Gordon & Lena Perleman, they opened Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in Long Beach in 2011. The pub was recognized in 2013 as Mid- Sized Brewpub of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival, 2014 Large Brewpub of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival, & 2016 World Champion Large Brewpub at the World Beer Cup. Beachwood has expanded its brewing operations with Beachwood Blendery, along with a production facility in Huntington Beach, CA.

At the ripe age of 18, I knew I wanted to own a brewery one day so I set my sights on getting a formal business education, double majoring in finance and entrepreneurship. My college education allowed me the opportunity to work in investment banking where I was able to begin honing my financial and business skills. After a couple of years of working in finance, I made the move to San Diego to begin learning the professional brewing trade and business. I worked at Pizza Port Carlsbad, Green Flash, Oggi’s, and The Bruery learning everything I could from the owners, managers, and brewers. While at The Bruery I became very close friends with Travis Smith and we decided to open a brewery together. We opened Societe in May 2012 and have strategically grown our business to what it is today; a San Diego only (99.9%), draft-only, self-distributed brewery with a large focus on wholesale business rather than tasting room/retail. Currently, I serve as the CEO of Societe and am tasked with upholding our brewery’s philosophy, leading management, and executing our strategy. My background from Wall St. combined with professional brewing has given me a tremendous foundation to operate this business from both practical and philosophical levels.

Ultimately, though, craft beer is my passion. It’s what fuels me (figuratively) and I want to do all that I can to help strengthen not only Societe but also California craft breweries. I am able and willing to humbly serve the CCBA and its members to continue the efforts that Tom and all of those involved past and present have worked so hard to create.

Alicia Barr is the Co-Founder, President and Chief Experience Officer of FiftyFifty Brewing Co. in Truckee CA.  She has been involved with the CSBA /CCBA since 2007, when there were about 20 brewery owners gathered around a table in the Big Room at Sierra Nevada.  She is currently a member of the BA Government Affairs Committee, and Co-Founder and Chair of the Truckee Reno Tahoe Brewers Guild.  Additionally, Alicia has participated in numerous Hill Climbs, both State and Federal, to engage with lawmakers for the best interest of the craft brewing community.

Alicia has extensive government experience, having been elected in 2012 to the Truckee Town Council, and serving as Mayor in 2015.  While serving, she was a champion of economic development and building a sustainable community, and she developed strong relations with legislators across the state.

Additionally, Alicia is currently a Board Member of the Tahoe Forest Health System Foundation.  Her previous board and leadership experience includes Chair of the CSU Chico College of Engineering Advisory Board, Treasurer of the Truckee Roundhouse non-profit, strategic consultant for the Truckee River Watershed Council, and President of the CSU Chico Alumni Association.

Alicia is passionate about craft beer, and its impact on community, both local and global.  Her unique experience and relationships would be a great asset in continuing to lobby and champion Independent Craft Beer and all that it represents.

Peter has been in the industry 22 years now and believes he would bring a diverse brewery experience perspective coupled with seven years of supply chain experience. He’s worked with the CCBA as both a member, allied trade and sponsor throughout my career and now that Urban Roots is up and running I would be able to commit to the time required to give my best to help forward the interests of the CCBA membership.

Peter has worked at Brewpubs (Sacramento Brewing Company, Urban Roots Brewing), large breweries (Sierra Nevada Brewing), production breweries (Bison Brewing) as well as a consultant launching three brands (two contract and one physical location) this diverse brewing experience would give me him the needed perspective to champion all members needs not just those that pertain to my business operations. My role as Technical Sales Director for BSG Craft brewing also put me in touch with many of the CCBA member breweries during the course of that job as well as deepened my knowledge of supply chain operations for breweries of all sizes.

Adair Paterno is the co-owner and co-founder of Sante Adairius Rustic Ales, which opened in Capitola, California in May 2012. Adair manages various aspects of the brewery’s daily business operations, including reporting and compliance, tasting room management, label and package design, and all financial and administrative matters. Prior to opening the brewery, Adair practiced governmental and real estate law in and around the greater Bay Area. A craft beer enthusiast for almost half her life, Adair feels grateful to work in an industry and with the people she admires.

Chris Cramer is a past Chair of the CCBA and has been making beer in paradise for a living since 1989 when he and his business partner, Matt Rattner, co-founded Karl Strauss Brewing Company, the first new brewery to open in the city of San Diego in more than 50 years. Since then Chris has enjoyed continuously pioneering in San Diego’s craft brewing industry, opening the city’s first distributing brewery in 1991 and over the years adding seven more brewpubs. While the brewery’s distributed beer operations have remained focused on its home market of “Karlifornia”, Karl Strauss has grown to become one of the top craft brewers in the United States and in 2016 became the only Southern California brewery to win the prestigious “Best Mid-Size Brewery” award at the Great American Beer Festival for breweries with production of 15,000 to 6 million barrels. Chris takes particular pride in having introduced many Southern Californians to their first craft beer and in the knowledge that the DNA of Karl Strauss Brewing Company runs throughout the San Diego brewing industry; he has helped numerous friends and former teammates branch-off to follow their own brewing dreams, making San Diego’s thriving craft beer scene a much more fun and interesting place to work and play.