After 42 years under one roof, the Brewers Association (BA) and American Homebrewers Association (AHA) are getting a divorce. It was announced today that the AHA has filed for incorporation in the state of Colorado as a step to becoming an independent 501(c) nonprofit organization.
Founded in 1978, the AHA has operated as a division under the umbrella of the BA since 1983. By the end of this year, the AHA will be an autonomous association, including staffing, board of directors and finances. The AHA is in the process of hiring an association management company to manage day-to-day operations currently conducted by the BA.
The AHA’s founding board consists of chairperson Shawna Cormier, members Drew Beechum, Sandy Cockerham, Gary Glass, and Greg Roskopf, and staff liaison and current executive director Julia Herz. They will “act as a transition committee to steward the AHA to organizational independence in 2025 and establish the nascent organization’s bylaws, vision, mission, and strategic priorities,” according to a press release issued today.
The move comes at a time when the BA attempts to evolve to meet the needs of a membership under great challenges as beer, and especially craft beer, declines in popularity. The BA recently dropped the annual homebrewers conference and fused it into the Great American Beer Festival. The BA also has made significant staff cuts to stabilize a rapidly changing financial picture as the industry shrinks.
No word yet on what the future of the AHA looks like, and it may take time for the organization to find its footing.