Slate of Nominees for the CAPS 2018 Board of Director Elections

Slate of Nominees for the CAPS 2018 Board of Director Elections

The Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers - Ontario Chapter
2018 Annual General Meeting – March 5th, 2018

As per CAPS By-Laws, the following is the slate of nominees for the 2018 CAPS Board of Directors that will be presented to the CAPS membership at the CAPS Annual General Meeting and their credentials. There are 3 positions available for the Board. Only 2018 ‘members in good standing’ holding the Sommelier membership category (certified Sommelier and non-certified and working professionally in the role of sommelier in the food and beverage alcohol industry), may vote. The list of nominees and brief summaries of credentials, derived from the nomination forms submitted are provided below to assist members in making an informed decision.

RSVP for the AGM here: CAPS Ontario 2018 AGM

In addition to the new appointments, we ask for your support to ratify Elsa Macdonald who was appointed to the Board in 2017 and her appointment must be ratified.

2018 Members unable to attend the AGM:

Those members eligible to vote and who cannot attend the meeting due to work obligations or travel restrictions will sent a Link with an Online Voting ballot. Online voting closes at 4:50 on Monday March 5, 2018.

 

Please be advised that we will be using the same electronic voting system at the AGM so bring your phones, tablets, computers. There will be computers there for people who are without.

Thank you for your support of CAPS,

Michelle Paris
Chair, Vice President/CAPS Nominations
CAPS Board of Directors

vicepresident.on@sommelierscanada.com

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Nominees are listed in alphabetical order:

Lynn Abernethy

Professional/Work Experience

Official judge 2017 All Canadian Wine Championships
Teaching Assistant: Fine Vintage Ltd. (Toronto), George Brown College, Durham College Centre for Food
Research and writing product information sheets for use by on-site tasting teams

Why do you wish to have your name stand for election to the CAPS Board of Directors?

• I wish to contribute to the professional growth of my community of wine professionals
• I want to advocate for my home wine region of Prince Edward County
• I want to contribute my administrative, planning, event and public relations strengths to the board while learning new skills from this amazing and knowledgeable board

Identify three key areas the Board of Directors and the Association should focus on for this coming year?

  1. I will contribute my organizational and planning skills with the CAPS community
  2. I can contribute many years of public relations experience
  3. I’m energetic and passionate

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Alexandra Evans

Professional/Work Experience

Sommelier/Maitre d’/Waitress – Scaramouche Dining Room
Boba Restaurant – General Manager/Sommelier
Celestin Restaurant – General Manager Sommelier
Le Paradis Bistro – Waitress/Sommelier

Why do you wish to have your name stand for election to the CAPS Board of Directors?

Having been involved in now six competitions with CAPS, I feel that we keep getting better and better every year. In 2004, CAPS hosted our first competition at the Royal York hotel.

April Kilpatrick from Ruth Chris restaurant won that year. I was one of only a dozen people in that hotel room sitting in the back row mesmerized, as April answered a handful of questions and opened the mandatory bottle of Champagne. Fast forward to the Canadian competition held at Montecito in 2015. Standing room only. The room was electric. The wine world in the city was abuzz for weeks afterwards. People couldn’t believe that competitors had to make a cocktail behind a bar in front of 200 people!

The Sommelier talent pool in Toronto is deeper and larger than ever. The Technical Committee prides itself on making the competitions fair yet not easy, inventive yet conventional, fun yet intense.

There’s a great sense of pride when a new champion emerges at the end of the day. Nerves tattered and torn, they’ve put themselves out on a limb, in front of their peers to be judged.

With a great Technical Committee team beside me, like a great wine, we keep getting better with age!

Identify three key areas the Board of Directors and the Association should focus on for this coming year?

  1. Competitions – improving all communications with all committees and sub committees. More structure, ideas to make the day (s) more organized
  2. Website – more information for members i.e job openings, recipes, Sommelier of the Month, tastings in the city, discounts wine magazines etc.
  3. Promoting and growing the CAPS brand in the city.

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Gillian Minaker (Tinsley)

Professional/Work Experience

Assistant Brand Manager - Lakeview Wine Co.
Instructor at the Canadian Wine & Food Institute, Niagara College
Marketing Coordinator for the California Wine Institute

Why do you wish to have your name stand for election to the CAPS Board of Directors?

I am passionate about wine and wine education, and would welcome the opportunity to assist future CAPS graduates and Sommeliers in their educational and professional endeavours. I wish to play an active role in the local Sommelier community, and contribute my experience, energy and enthusiasm to our local industry. Having strong relationships in the wine/restaurant industry both in Toronto and Niagara will make me an effective member of the Board in the capacity as Stage Coordinator. My strong organizational skills will ensure the students are receiving the support they need to complete their Certification.

Identify three key areas the Board of Directors and the Association should focus on for this coming year?

Key areas of focus could include continuing to grow industry partnerships to create strong relationships with restaurants and trade organization and expand initiatives to continue to unite Sommeliers across Canada to build the Canadian Somm community on the international stage.

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Miho Yamamoto

Professional/Work Experience

Sommelier and Reservations Agent, 360 Restaurant CN Tower
Sommelier Trainee, e11even Restaurant
Administrative Assistant, WineAlign

Why do you wish to have your name stand for election to the CAPS Board of Directors?

I am passionate about wine education and very proud to be a CAPS member. I’d like to provide mentorship for sommelier students, increase visibility and awareness of CAPS in the hospitality community and restaurant
industry. I’d also like to contribute to the continuing growth of CAPS locally, nationally and globally.

Identify three key areas the Board of Directors and the Association should focus on for this coming year?

  1. Membership recruitment–increase visibility of CAPS
  2. Mentor sommelier students and participate in stage placements
  3. Improving/increasing community education, tastings and events

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Vote at the AGM – March 5th, 2018

CAPS members in good standing ONLY. Please register here so that we know to expect you!

Register

(If you are currently not a registered CAPS member you can join or renew on this website or through the Eventbrite RSVP Link)