Brewers Association Names Ian Hughes As Sustainability Ambassador

From The Brewers Association:

The Brewers Association (BA) has announced that Ian Hughes will fill the newly created position of sustainability ambassador. Hughes will work in conjunction with Quality Ambassador Neil Witte and Safety Ambassador Matt Stinchfield to bring attention to BA resources in their areas of expertise. In this role, Ian will promote the mission of the BA Sustainability subcommittee to “help current members and future generations to brew the highest quality beers in a manner that strengthens the value of their businesses, increase the resiliency of the natural environment and agricultural systems that provide brewing ingredients, and enhance the lives of our workforce and their communities.”

“I am honored to support the exciting environmental stewardship work of the Brewers Association and the Sustainability subcommittee in this new role,” said Hughes. “I look forward to advocating for the BA sustainability manuals and inspiring breweries across the US to join their colleagues already participating in the BA benchmarking project!”

Hughes spent nearly a decade studying and consulting in environmental science before diving into the brewing industry in 2007. He started off scrubbing tanks in the Great Lakes cellar in Cleveland, then moved to Chicago and held the positions of brand ambassador, environmental health and safety manager, and assistant brewery manager at Goose Island. Over the course of eight years at Goose Island, Hughes developed safety and environmental regulatory compliance programs, leading continuous improvement projects, and growing Goose Island’s sustainability initiatives. During this time, he also served on the Brewers Association Sustainability subcommittee. In his current role at the University of Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, Ian provides technical sustainability consulting services to public and private entities across the state.

“Beer has the unique ability to effortlessly bring people together and open up a dialogue,” Hughes continued. “Let’s put this powerful tool to work and use it to inspire our industry, communities, and consumers by creating and sharing stories of brewery sustainability.”

In his new role Hughes will deliver presentations at state brewers guild meetings. He’ll also assist Sustainability Mentor John Stier—helping BA members utilize the BA benchmarking tools and identify simple, quick, and sustainable return-on-investment projects in their breweries.