Ane Diaz is the VP of her family's businesses, including Dibros Design and Construction and Big Trees Nursery. The Diaz family, with roots in the Canary Islands and Venezuela, has been active in Florida since 1984, emphasizing sustainable land development and green construction, earning awards like the National Home Builder’s Gold “Smart Growth Award.” Since 2019, Ane and her husband have grown nine agave varieties on their Santa Barbara nursery, partnering with Shelter Distilling to produce award-winning California Agave Spirits.

Edgar Cervantes, originally from the Highlands of Jalisco, has been part of a family with over 25 years of experience in growing agave. He is currently expanding agave cultivation in California, with plans to cultivate 60 acres by summer, and is also building an agave distillery in San Joaquin County. Edgar takes his position on the board in hopes of helping strengthen the industry, supporting growers and producers, and ensuring a thriving future for California agave spirits.

Gian Nelson is a Mexican American entrepreneur with over a decade in wine and spirits. Gian and his partners founded Jano Spirits in 2021 to become the first California Agave Spirits company and help push the new spirits category forward. Jano’s award winning spirit has blazed a new trail for California Agave and for those who are looking to get involved. Gian believes in integrity and community by which he represents in his day to day in this blossoming council.

Jim Beecher has been growing agave for two years in Five Points, California, where he currently cultivates 60 acres. He plans to continue planting approximately 75–80 acres per year. Jim is proud to be part of a region with deep agricultural roots, as his wife’s family has been farming in Five Points since 1929. Together, they are excited to be at the forefront of the emerging California distilled agave spirits industry.

John Oswald is a CPA and agave grower in Temecula, CA, committed to financial integrity and strategic fund management. With 10 acres of agave, he aims to bring a unique agave experience and spirits to wine country. John is passionate about supporting growers and distillers and is dedicated to working on behalf of members to ensure that funds are used effectively and efficiently to support agave research, marketing, and industry programs.

Laurie and her husband Adam are growing over 30 varieties of agave on their farm in Glen Ellen, CA. Their farm is in the Moon Mountain AVA, a tiny and mountainous win-producing appellation known for its rocky, volcanic soil, Pacific Ocean breezes, and extraordinary cabernet sauvignon. Laurie and Adam's goal is to produce estate-grown agave spirits of the quality, structure, and nuance equal to the wines made in their area. Laurie currently works as a grant writer and consultant. Prior to that, she founded and ran a craft beer import and distribution company in Hong Kong and was a founding member and Secretary of the Craft Beer Association of Hong Kong.

Leo is a mechanical engineer with an MBA and 28 years of experience in R&D, process development, and technical program management across medical devices, consumer electronics, and products. He led innovations like the first U.S. carotid stent, Oakley’s surface-contoured lens, and Sony’s first HDTV, earning multiple patents. Known as “The Closer,” Leo excels in driving complex projects to success, improving processes, and eliminating inefficiencies. Together with his wife, Sharla, he has farmed agave for 13 years, using R&D to enhance farming and processing for agave spirits and supporting Joshua Tree Distillery.

Roxanne, after over a decade of producing distilled spirits, joined the Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits team as the new U.S. West Coast Technical Sales Manager, helping others optimize their fermentation processes. From a personal standpoint, they are Chiricahua Apache, and their people have a long history of cultivating and utilizing agave as a food and fiber source, as well as for fermented beverages. Roxanne has a deep interest in the preservation, biodiversity, and sustainable ecology of agave. They are excited to see people recognize the many uses of agave, understand the beauty of these plants, and watch innovations in agave use in spirits and beyond.

Sean Venus was a pioneer in distilling agave in the United States, pushing the boundaries of craft spirits production. His journey began 20 years earlier with a passion for brewing, which evolved into distilling whiskey, gin, and blue agave spirits in Santa Cruz. When he founded Venus Spirits in 2014, he set out to create small-batch spirits with a focus on quality and innovation. In 2021, he took a groundbreaking step by producing spirits from California-grown agave, showcasing the potential of locally cultivated agave and reinforcing Venus Spirits’ dedication to novelty and sustainability.

Stuart Woolf is the Executive Chairman of Woolf Farming & Processing, a family-owned business focused on producing and processing agricultural commodities across six California counties. He co-founded Harris Woolf California Almonds and Los Gatos Tomato Products, specializing in almonds and tomato paste, respectively. Woolf holds a bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Boston College. He has chaired the California League of Food Processors, the Almond Board, and the UC Agriculture Commission. Currently, he leads the Western Growers Association and California Agave Council. Stuart and Lisa, married in 1984, have five children.