DISTILLED SPIRITS COUNCIL ANNOUNCES NEW SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM
WASHINGTON, DC – Chris Swonger, President and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), today announced the association’s new Senior Leadership Team.
DISCUS Senior Leadership Team:
- Courtney Armour, Chief Legal Officer, DISCUS & Responsibility.org
- Kendra Carroll, Chief People Officer, DISCUS & Responsibility.org
- Joe Donadoni, Chief Member Services & Business Development
- Sarah Fitzmaurice,Chief of Staff
- Lisa Hawkins, Chief Communications & Public Affairs
- Christine LoCascio, Chief, Policy & Strategy
- Denzel McGuire, Chief, Federal & State Government Relations
“DISCUS’ new Senior Leadership Team is energized and focused on our ambitious 5-year strategic plan,” said Chris Swonger, DISCUS President and CEO.
“Together, we will work to advance critical initiatives aimed at building upon the industry’s growth and success, including promoting consumer convenience through equitable treatment of spirits products in the marketplace, making the industry more inclusive and diverse, and harnessing our collective commitment to responsibility. We have the right team in place and DISCUS is well positioned to deliver on these strategic goals.”
Background on the Senior Leadership Team:
Courtney Armour, Chief Legal Officer
Courtney rejoined DISCUS in 2019 to serve as the top legal counselor and corporate secretary for DISCUS and Responsibility.org. Courtney previously practiced antitrust law at Wilson Sonsini in New York and Washington D.C., representing clients in complex litigation and government investigations both domestically and abroad. Prior to receiving her juris doctor degree, cum laude, from Northwestern School of Law, Armour served as DISCUS’ state government relations manager.
Kendra Carroll, Chief People Officer
Kendra joined DISCUS & Responsibility.org in 2021 after 9 years at Smiths Group, where she served as Vice President, Organization Development at the Smiths’ London headquarters. Kendra has over 20 years of progressive human resources leadership experience. Kendra oversees all aspects of human resources at DISCUS and implements strategies to develop and promote best practices in human resources management, operations, organizational development, culture & engagement, talent management and talent acquisition.
Joe Donadoni, Chief Member Services & Business Development
Since joining DISCUS in 2019 as Vice President of Member Relations, Joe has significantly grown the association’s craft distiller membership and launched the successful DISCUS Partner Program, which now includes 59 companies. Prior to joining DISCUS, Joe was Director of Business Development for AdvaMed, the largest medtech trade association in the U.S. where he was responsible for member recruitment and retention, and business and revenue growth.
Sarah Fitzmaurice, Chief of Staff
Sarah joined DISCUS & Responsibility.org in 2019 focusing on membership and growing alternative revenue sources. Sarah has led the development and management of the DISCUS Annual Conference, DISCUS Academy and DISCUS Foundation. She has direct oversight of operations, finance, and events & education. Previously, Sarah spent eight years managing operations, budget, Smiths Political Action Committee (Smiths PAC) and grassroots for the Government Relations Office at Smiths Group.
Lisa Hawkins, Chief Communications & Public Affairs
Lisa leads the association’s overall communications including public affairs, media relations, social media, issue management and message development. Previously, Lisa served as DISCUS Senior Vice President for Public Affairs and for more than 26 years has advanced the mission of the association through strategic public affairs support for key federal, state and international initiatives.
Christine LoCascio, Chief, Policy & Strategy
Christine develops and implements the Council’s policy and strategic objectives. She has held various leadership positions, including overseeing the successful advocacy efforts securing the removal of retaliatory tariffs, Congressional passage of the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act and various trade agreements. Christine leads DISCUS’s sustainability efforts and manages the international, economic analysis, and science teams, as well as the USDA partnership to promote U.S. distilled spirits exports.
Denzel McGuire, Chief, Federal & State Government Relations
Denzel joined DISCUS this year and will lead the overall strategic direction of DISCUS’ legislative and regulatory agenda. A Capitol Hill veteran, Denzel has more than 20 years’ experience in government relations, grassroots, and coalition building. She’s held top positions for Senate Republicans; served as an associate director at the Office of Management and Budget; and also worked at the Grocery Manufacturers of America as the executive vice president for government affairs.
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The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States is the leading voice and advocate for distilled spirits in the U.S., advocating on legislative, regulatory and public affairs issues impacting the distilled spirits sector at the local, state, federal and international levels. DISCUS members are committed to responsibility and encourage adults who drink to do so in moderation