Industry Veterans Named to Lead OWB and OWA

Breaking news just received from the Oregon Wine Board and Oregon Winegrowers Association!

Industry Veterans Named to Lead OWB and OWA

Steve Burns and Stacie Jacob Bring Valuable Experience in Washington and California to Re-energize Oregon Wine Marketing

Two veteran wine marketing specialists - Steve Burns and Stacie Jacob - have been named to provide interim leadership to the Oregon Wine Board and Oregon Winegrowers Association. Steve and Stacie worked together previously to develop successful marketing campaigns for the Washington Wine Commission. 

They replace Jeanette Morgan who stepped down today as executive director of OWB and OWA. 

This is a critical time for Oregon's wine industry. We need strong, innovative marketing efforts and a stable, reliable advocacy program to ensure the Oregon wine industry throughout the entire state continues to prosper.  We have turned to Steve and Stacie, who have a proven track record, to re-energize our marketing efforts by building strategic branding campaigns and staff to take Oregon wines from all regions of the state to a higher level. 

I wanted to share with you what Steve told Oregon Wine Board members: "Stacie and I are excited to work in Oregon. Our experiences in the world of regional wine marketing, strategic planning and trade association management should allow us to provide the leadership Oregon needs to chart a proactive, results-oriented, sustainable path to the future."

Steve was executive director of the Washington Wine Commission and Washington Wine Institute from 1996 until 2005 and is credited with putting its wine marketing operation and legislative agendas on solid footing. He owns O'donnell lane LLC, based in Sonoma County, California, which specializes in strategic planning, wine region marketing and tourism promotion. 

Stacie is in the process of leaving the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance in California after a 7-year stint as its executive director. She worked to create the Paso Robles brand that is recognixed nationally. Jacob is forming her own lifestyle marketing firm, SolTerra Strategies, which will focus on clients in the food, wine and tourism sectors that are "rooted in a sense of place."

Steve and Stacie will be involved in a national search for a permanent OWB executive director. 

Sam Tannahill, Chairman OWB