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The entire 2005–2006 ASBC Board of Directors met October 6–7 in St. Paul to continue the journey started by our predecessors some 71 years ago—of whom only John Grigsby remains active. Despite being early in the season, the weather was very chilly and wet, providing few distractions as we focused on the opportunities ahead. In a nutshell, I feel our meeting could be summarized as “strategy in action.” Relative to my first exposure to the ASBC Board in the early 1990s, there has been a profound shift away from largely administrative reviews of individual reports to a much more strategic focus. This shift is, in large part, a response to the same pressures facing our industry, namely how to give added value to our customers (i.e., brewing industry employees and employers) in an extremely competitive environment with little industry growth.

In response to this, the past few ASBC Boards of Directors clearly outlined four strategies based on “mega-issues” to provide a tactical focus to ensure that the ASBC continues to be a vibrant, exciting, and value-added organization. As a refresher, these are

• Provide greater value to our membership,
• Expand member participant base and scope,
• Increase ASBC volunteerism, and
• Plan for long-term financial health.

I am delighted to report that significant and tangible progress is being made on all fronts. In terms of expanding membership and scope, several initiatives are in place. The most advanced effort is the continued collaboration between the ASBC and the Fermented Food and Beverages Division of the IFT. Building on the success of the March 2005 joint meeting, plans are in place to hold another joint symposium in 2006 on scientific topics of mutual interest to both organizations. Additionally, representatives of each of these organizations (with Rebecca Newman representing the ASBC) are exploring the development of an agreement between the two organizations to establish this forum as a yearly event. Although the date, location, and program topics for the 2006 meeting are still in the final stages of completion, I encourage all ASBC members—especially those on the West Coast—to consider attending this one-of-a-kind symposium. On the other end of the spectrum, namely the world of packaging science, early lines of communication between the ASBC and the technical arm of the International Society of Beverage Technology (ISBT) have been established to explore possible collaborations between our societies, particularly as they pertain to packaging-related test methods. Historically, the participation of industry packaging professionals with the ASBC has been an on-and-off-again relationship. Since process and gauge control are just as important in brewing as in packaging processes, vis-à-vis product quality, potential future collaborations with the ISBT may enable enhanced participation in the ASBC for this critical part of the supply chain. While it is too soon to say where these discussions may go, I hope it gives you a sense of the tactical efforts being made in support of the defined strategies.

In terms of addressing the long-term financial health of the ASBC, there is much to report! The strategy laid down several years back to increase revenue through new publications is now blooming and bearing fruit, with firm dates now established for the release of Charles Bamforth’s Principles of Malting and Brewing Science (year-end 2005), Pete Gale’s Brewing Chemistry and Technology in the Americas (final review scheduled for late 2005 or early 2006), and Takashi Inuoe’s landmark publication Diacetyl: Key Technology for Production of Fermented Foods and Beverages. Having had a chance to review the content of all three publications, I can assure the membership that all three are rock solid in content, relevance, significance, and value. I hope you will also come to these same conclusions. On a parallel front to improve our financial health, look for the publication of new Extract Tables later this year. Also planned for 2006 is a compendium of the 277 papers published in the ASBC between 1977 and 2005 on yeast (gee, imagine that!). Financial sponsorship and support for this publication by industry vendors providing yeast-related products (e.g. suppliers of yeast cultures, propagation systems, etc….) will be sought by myself on behalf of the Board. If successful, future compendia are envisioned for other categories of brewing materials, technology, and/or gauge topics.

In the area of what I consider to be the most important of all strategies, namely, increasing volunteerism, great progress is being made—although more is always a good thing as it relates to this topic! My own journey in the ASBC began with an act of volunteerism (joining the Technical Committee). To be honest, I first viewed this as “extra” work on top of my “day job.” However, as the years have passed and the scope of my participation has grown, I have come to appreciate how the ASBC has played a critical role in my development, synergistically enriching and enabling the professional experiences, skills, and business contributions I have realized in the industry. What has been most rewarding, however, is the environment and culture the ASBC provides in living these opportunities. Since attending my first ASBC meeting in 1981, I have had the pleasure of collaborating with some of the best people you will ever meet in our industry. This environment is, to me, the magic of the ASBC, a gift in the form of a living legacy from our past membership, but also a challenge and opportunity for our current and future membership to continue.

Examples of the spirit of volunteerism abound in today’s ASBC, each providing living examples of this magic. Witness the engaged participation at this fall’s meeting of Dave Maradyn’s Technical Committee team—the very core of volunteerism in the ASBC—with 11 technical subcommittees (four of which are new) in place for the 2005–2006 program. Witness the thoroughness and collaborative approach in progress by John Engel and team in planning the 2006 program for the June 17–21, 2006, Annual Meeting. Witness Karen DeVries’s efforts with Mike Ingledew to explore the development of a “virtual” Student Section triggered by a request from graduate students at the University of Georgia to become involved with the ASBC. Witness Xiang Yin’s detailed and timely commitment to executing the role of ASBC secretary. Witness Cindy-Lou Dull’s and her team’s focus on expanding the Check Sample Services program. Witness Mike Joyce’s and his team’s steady progress in coordinating a world-class selection of new publications on malting and brewing science. Witness the dedication and efforts of Rebecca Newman in establishing world-class discipline in the ASBC budget. Witness Tim Kostelecky’s passion for providing every opportunity for past presidents to provide continued constructive contributions to the membership of the ASBC. Witness the spirit of the entire ASBC in the speed with which the Brian Williams Scholarship Fund is reaching the $20,000 mark to provide a sustainable student scholarship program. Oops, I just shouted “hallelujah,” and as such I guess I’ve reached my quota for “witness” statements. However, I hope these examples serve to indicate that the ASBC is not a static, detached institution but rather a collection of living, breathing people who are continuing a very cool legacy.

So, how to be a part of this? One hurdle to being more engaged in a professional society is, in many cases, overcoming the uncertainty as to how to go about doing so! If you have any interest in becoming more involved in the ASBC on either a local or national level (e.g., joining technical subcommittees, moderating technical sessions, helping out with the planning for the Annual Meetings, seizing one of the plethora of opportunities in the publications realm, joining a local section or the student section, helping out with the ASBC website, assisting our treasurer, etc. …) please do not hesitate to contact me directly at my home e-mail address yeast_doc@yahoo.com. I will be delighted to explore possibilities with you and, if a particular opportunity strikes your fancy, will be sure to connect you with the appropriate member of the Board or Society. What’s that old tag line— “Try it, you’ll like it”? I know I speak for the entire Board in saying that volunteering in the ASBC works that way!

In closing, I refer to the accompanying photo of Louis Pasteur with yeast/yours truly and rabbit in hand. You may be wondering just what the heck this image is trying to convey. Well, in my third Newsletter column, I will venture into unexplored ground, exploring (for what I am sure is the first time) similarities between yeast and brewing professionals. While I’m sure this may seem like a tenuous connection at best to most readers, consider the following. Genetically, lager yeasts are hybrids of two genomes, a complexity that has enabled them to be very adaptive to changes in brewing materials, brewing processes, brewery design, and brewing technology, all while continuing to be a crucial everyday part of the supply chain. Likewise, I’ve come to appreciate as a professional in the brewing industry that, to match yeast in these skills, we too must be “hybrids” of sorts, developing skills across a wide spectrum of disciplines to enable worldclass process control. While in our case these are provided more by “nuture” rather than “nature,” opportunities provided by the ASBC are, I believe, a significant part of this nuture. While I can imagine that more than a few folks will find this concept a bit of a stretch, I look forward to presenting this case for your review and critique!

Best wishes to everyone for safe travels and great new memories with family and friends in the upcoming holiday season!

Sincerely,

Greg Casey

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