Oregon Brew Crew
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About OBC
2023 Oregon Brew Crew Board Members
| PRESIDENT (Officer) |
 Jim Thompson (jim@obc.beer) - Jim has been an OBC member since 2013. He has submitted over 200 entries competitions around the country and won 80 or so medals. He recently downgraded from a 1 barrel outdoor system to a 14 gallon Brewzilla with two glycol-chilled Fermzillas. Jim is a Certified BJCP Judge, and has been fortunate to brew his recipes or collaborations at Widmer Brothers, Ecliptic Brewing, Level Beer, Breakside, Modern Times and Fortnight Brewing in Cary, NC.Jim first joined the OBC Board as Competition Chair in 2016, going on to serve as President in 2017 and 2018. Jim was elected President again in 2023. Aside from homebrewing, Jim is a licensed private pilot with degrees in Audio Engineering and Culinary Arts, neither of which does he use. Jim is a serial entrepreneur and a disruptive technology evangelist. |
| VICE PRESIDENT (Officer) |
 Jeff Orr (jeff@obc.beer) - Jeff is a nice guy who knows lots of stuff and can fix anything. If you need help with a recipe, equipment, or want to learn about brewery automation and electric brewing, shoot him a note. |
| TREASURER (Officer) |
 Michele Lish (michele.lish@obc.beer) - I joined OBC in Nov 2013, just in time to attend my first OBC meeting, which was an election meeting and a vote on the budget. I have only missed a few meetings in the years I've been a member, and pride myself in being a very active volunteer: I brought food to meetings, have been on several committees, volunteered many times for events either to pour beer or staff the OBC booth, designed and generated the OBC challenge coins, and participated in some level for many competitions (bottle sorting, staff member, steward and even judged). I joined the AHA and attended Homebrew Con in Minneapolis in 2017 and not only attended the 2018 event in Portland, but was also on the OBC committee, and I did bottle sorting and was a steward for the beer competition. I attended every PNWHBC. Attending the training session was my reason for going, but I do admit I had a great time sampling some beer, visiting display booths and visiting some great brew pubs. I don't brew that often, but love brewing with other people because I always learn a lot. I've participated in Big Brew Day events and Learn to Brew events several times. In 2019, I decided that it was time to be on the OBC board because I felt I had exposure to so many aspects of our club that I would be a productive member of the board. I hope to continue as a board member for a few years, and ran for Events Chair. What a rewarding experince that was. I then used my skills and experience gained from another nonprofit to run for Treasurer in 2020, which I have continued doing through the 2023 board. I enjoy so many aspects of the club and will continue to contribute to this group I have come to love. |
| SECRETARY (Officer) |
 Dan Koperski (Dan.Koperski@obc.beer) - Greetings fellow brewers, judges, and friends! I look forward to serving this year as your Secretary and Communications Chair. I've been an OBC member for almost 10 years and have been home brewing on-and-off since 1993. I brew using a partial-mash method, 10 gallon batches on my stovetop. Most of my home-brewed ales tend to be more hoppy than not and stronger ABV than they should be. I've been lucky enough to participate in judging and stewarding with some of the local competitions and find that it's helped me improve my outlook on beer styles and approaches to recipes and I will be supporting this years competitions in submitting and judging or stewarding as much as possible to help us represent the OBC! |
| COMPETITION CHAIR |
 Scott Nieradka (scott.nieradka@obc.beer) - I am Scott Nieradka, and your new Competition Chair. I have been a OBC member for around 7 years, and have been homebrewing seriously for around 8 years. I’m a BJCP National Judge, and will be co-teaching the BJCP training class again this year. I have an interest in brewing science, water chemistry, and mashing, and an interest in European lager styles. Originally from NJ, I've been living in various places in the Pacific Northwest since 2003; I’m an installation artist working in higher ed in art and technology; I earned my MFA in Printmaking from the University of Oregon. My other hobbies include analog electronics for musicians, gardening, and having long involved conversations with my cats. |
| EVENTS CHAIR |
 Nico Casarez (nico@obc.beer) - Born in South Texas, I have lived in Oregon since he was 2 years old and have wholeheartedly embraced its cultural identity of being a mecca of independence, majestic natural landscapes, and high quality craft beer. After attending an "out" meeting at Swift Cider in January 2022, I was nspired to join Oregon Brew Crew to not just simply drink craft beer but to have the opportunity to work with a knowledgeable group of people to both learn / deepen my passion for it. During my time in OBC, I've volunteered as a steward and a judge in competitions as well as supported the club through assisting at events as well as pouring at local brew fests. Community involvement has been a big piece of my background and in the past I've served as an elected City Councilor, as a member of the Support Team of my local fire district, and numerous local budget / policymaking committees. When not working in my day to day job at a local VA medical clinic, I enjoy exploring the Pacific Northwest with my partner Meghan to hike, check out historical landmarks, and tour local craft "mom n' pop" breweries. I feel incredibly blessed to be apart of this wonderful organization and hope to utilize my leadership skills to further support education / growth within OBC. Whether its to discuss event ideas, homebrewing, or to grab a pint, please don't hesitate to reach out as I am here to serve you. Salud! |
| BURGERMEISTER |
 Alex Parise (alex.parise@obc.beer) - Hello friends, I am this year's Burgermeister, and formerly the OBC Education Chair for 3 years. I've been homebrewing on and off for twenty-some years; I started homebrewing with my father, and have been brewing seriously for about five years. I've lived in Portland for seven years, and have also lived in Denver and New Jersey. I am a Certified judge in the BJCP program, and am co-teaching the OBC's BJCP study class for the second time this year. In my brew shed, I focus on European lager and commercially extinct styles, and am very interested in yeast and grain genomics, probably as a result of my otherwise-unused biochem degree. When I'm not brewing or judging beer, you can either find me working as a programming team director at a downtown startup, or volunteering on wilderness riparian restoration projects - after all, clean, pure water is CRITICAL for beer brewing. I look forward to having a taste, ten-minute judging session, or pint with you. Prost! |
