National Coffee Association Seeking Under-40 Pros for Next Generation Council

The National Coffee Association was the coffee industry’s first professional association upon its founding in 1911. Today, several coffee “waves” later, the New York-based group is hoping to tap into a fountain of youthful talent with the formation of the Next Generation Council, composed of under-40 coffee professionals.

“The Next Generation Council’s mission is to identify, recruit, and engage the next generation of leaders in the US coffee industry,” the group wrote in a recent announcement. “It will encourage the under-40 coffee community to participate in the National Coffee Association (NCA) by increasing activity and input into events, providing ongoing education, and promoting leadership and development amongst its constituents. Doing so will provide the National Coffee Association with a steady stream of new voices and future leaders across the spectrum of the industry.”

Working with the NCA Board of Directors, the council is composed of eight positions: four officers (chair, past chair, vice chair) and five council members. The group is currently accepting applications for three non-officer positions on the council. Those positions require candidates to be from NCA member companies. Applications are due Feb. 9.

The group has also released a short survey designed to guide the council’s efforts, including the recently created council newsletter.

(Editor’s note: This story has been updated since the original publication to reflect updates to the existing council membership.)