Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas Announces Seasoned Assembly of New Additions to Board of Directors

New Appointees to Provide External Perspective and Support Organization’s Mission

Napa, CA (January 20, 2022) – The Board of Directors for the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas is excited to announce four new members to join the Board of Directors. The new members include Thomas W. Dortch, Jr., Chairman, 100 Black Men and CEO, TWD Consulting, Douglass Miller, Faculty at Cornell University, Nolan School of Hotel Administration, Adrienne Segundo, Co-founder of the National Credentialing Institute, Chairman/COO of Limitless Solutions, and Melanie L. Steinbach, Chief People Officer at Cameo. With these new external additions to the Board of Directors, the Court of Master Sommeliers hopes to bring a renewed vision and leadership to the organization as it enters its next chapter.

“We are thrilled to be welcoming a ‘dream team’ of individuals from all different backgrounds to the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas Board of Directors,” says Julie Cohen Theobald, Executive Director of CMS-A. “After a thorough vetting process of leaders across the nation, we are confident these volunteer directors will continue to build the expertise, capability, and diversity of our Board. Having external and objective perspective is so important in bringing the Court of Master Sommeliers, America into a new era.”

Open Letter from the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas to Survivors of Sexual Misconduct, Harassment or Abuse

We acknowledge that we will never fully understand the pain, trauma, and negative impact that the actions of select members of our organization caused you; we also acknowledge that our organization did not have the proper safeguards in place to ensure a safe and equitable learning environment. For this, we are deeply, deeply sorry. Our commitment to you is that no other person will have to experience what you went through in our organization.

Over the last year, it has been our mission to change the structure and culture of the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas. We understand that our organization still has much work to do on this front, and we will continue to show our commitment to change through positive and progressive actions.

Thank you for your bravery in sharing your stories.

If you feel that you need support, CMS-A is offering dedicated, individualized support facilitated by RALIANCE, an organization with more than 300 cumulative years of relevant expertise, rooted in the experiences of survivors. RALIANCE is connected to a national network of experts, dedicated to supporting survivors. To receive support from one of these experts, please contact Tori at tvandelinde@raliance.org.

Yours In Service,

Emily Wines, MS
Chair, Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas

Kathryn Morgan, MS
Vice Chair, Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas

Christopher Bates, MS           Joshua Nadel, MS
Robert Bigelow, MS              Sabato Sagaria, MS
Brahm Callahan, MS            Mia Van de Water, MS
Keith Goldston, MS              David Yoshida, MS
Michael Meagher, MS

Ethics Reporting Line & Digital Suggestion Box

Digital Suggestion Box:

www.lighthouse-services.com/mastersommeliers.sb-mastersommeliers.asp

Members and students may choose to send comments, programming suggestions, and non-ethics related issues to the CMS-A Digital Suggestion Box via this link.  We hope this will be a convenient way to engage and provide feedback in a safe and comfortable way. Your input is invaluable, and we look forward to connecting with you through this new outlet.

Identification is not required to submit a suggestion but if you would like CMS-A to follow up with you directly please list your name and email address.

Ethics Reporting Line:

www.lighthouse-service.com/mastersommeliers

We have established a confidential and anonymous Ethics Reporting Line through Lighthouse Service, Inc. The purpose is to report fraud, unlawful, unethical and other types of improper behavior. The Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas is committed to developing effective lines of communication for our members and constituents.

• Website: www.lighthouse-services.com/mastersommeliers
• Anonymous Reporting App: Keyword: mastersommeliers
  • Detailed instructions here
• Toll-Free Telephone:
• English speaking USA and Canada: 833-373-0329
• Spanish speaking USA and Canada: 800-216-1288
• Spanish speaking Mexico: 01-800-681-5340
• French speaking Canada: 855-725-0002
• Contact us if you need a toll-free # for North American callers speaking languages other than English, Spanish or French
• E-mail: reports@lighthouse-services.com (must include company name with report)
• Fax: (215) 689-3885 (must include company name with report)

CMS-A Diversity Committee Scholarships

In tandem with our ongoing pledge to provide a more inclusive, accessible, and flexible wine education for students, and in solidarity with an industry that has been hit hard by the pandemic, the CMS-A Diversity Committee is awarding an initial 100 scholarships to US and International students over the next twelve months for the online Introductory Sommelier Course and Exam. This scholarship will be available for future programs to BIPOC, individuals identifying as women, LGBTQ+, and those in financial need. The Q2-2022 round of scholarship applications opens March 1, 2022 at 9:00 AM PST and closes May 31, 2022 at 11:59 PM PST. For additional information and to submit an application please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7XTSD6B.