Darrin Daniel Named Executive Director of ACE/Cup of Excellence

The Cup of Excellence logo, revised in 2016.

The Alliance for Coffee Excellence, the nonprofit organization that runs the Cup of Excellence competition and auction program, has announced the appointment of longtime green coffee expert Darrin Daniel as executive director.

Daniel will take over the position from CoE co-founder Susie Spindler, who came out of retirement to lead the organization on an interim basis early last year following the resignation of Debbie Hill.

A longtime CoE judge, Daniel has spent years in green coffee sourcing and quality control with Allegro Coffee, while leading green buying for Stumptown Coffee Roasters in 2012-13.

“I am thrilled to be leading the famous program Cup of Excellence and all that it brings to the specialty coffee spectrum,” Daniel said in an emailed statement. “Since my first experience as an international judge in Honduras in 2005, Cup of Excellence has had a special place in my heart and coffee career. I am overjoyed to be able to lead and guide this wonderful organization’s future as we move towards expanding the original vision began in 1999. I look forward to reaching out to each and every member in order to learn more about your needs. I am excited to continue the legacy, advocate for growing our country partners, steer and evolve the program and, most importantly, serve the farmers to which none of this would be possible.”

Daniels’ appointment comes as ACE is leading its membership drive for 2017, offering multiple membership tiers allowing access to CoE samples and auctions, ACE-led training discounts and access to ACE’s state-of-the-art training lab in Portland, Ore.