DAVID MANDELL

Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer

David Mandell is the co-founder and CEO of Kentucky Whiskey House.
Prior to founding Whiskey House, Mandell was the co-founder and former President & CEO of The Bardstown Bourbon Company, (“BBCo”). At BBCo, Mandell created, launched, and managed the company’s Napa-valley bourbon distillery destination experience in Bardstown, Kentucky. Mandell led the development and operation of what is now one of the largest and most sophisticated whiskey distilleries in the United States – – producing custom rye, whiskey and bourbon for prominent brands including Jefferson’s, High West, Belle Meade, Hirsch and many others through its one-of-a-kind Collaborative Distilling Program. Mandell was also responsible for the development and launch of the Company’s bourbon brands, full-scale restaurant and bar, and visitors center. During his tenure at BBCo, Mandell served on the Board of the Kentucky Distillers Association, the Bourbon Capital Community Alliance, and currently serves as the Chairman of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival Board of Directors. Mandell achieved a successful exit when the Company was sold to Pritzker Private Capital in March 2022.

Prior to founding and leading The Bardstown Bourbon Company, Mandell was the founder, President & CEO of The p.i.n.k. Spirits Company, where he developed, created, and launched the first line of ultra-premium spirits infused with caffeine and guarana. Mandell and his team built an organization of 27 full-time employees, achieved distribution in 44 states and five international markets, sold over 75,000 4.5 L cases of p.i.n.k. vodka in 3 years. The Company was awarded the prestigious “Rising Star Growth Brand” Award from the Beverage Information Group in 2008 and 2009 and was named “Top 50 Spirits” and one of the “12 Most Fascinating Vodkas” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The p.i.n.k. Spirits Company was successfully sold in May 2009.

Prior to founding p.i.n.k., Mandell was the Chief of Staff to Administrator, Marion C. Blakey, of the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) in Washington, DC. In this role, he was responsible for helping to lead the day-to-day management of the Federal Aviation Administration – – a 50,000-person organization, with a 14-billion-dollar budget. Mandell was a key advisor to the Administrator on all policy, press, legal, and management issues and helped lead the development and execution of the first five-year strategic business plan for the agency that tied organizational goals to employees’ pay. Before joining the FAA, Mandell was Counsel to the Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board and a corporate litigator at the law firm of Blank Rome in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

John Hargrove

Co-Founder, President & Chief Operating Officer

John Hargrove is the co-founder, President, and COO of Whiskey House of Kentucky. 

Prior to founding Whiskey House, John served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Bardstown Bourbon Company (“BBC”). Joining the company in 2017, John led a distilling team of more than 50 operations employees with an average of more than 15 years each of direct whiskey making experience. During his tenure at BBC, John was responsible for leading the development of the company’s Collaborative Distilling Program, expanding the distillery from 25,000 barrels to more than 115,000, successfully implementing HAACP and ISO certifications, while greatly improving efficiency, brand development, product innovation, process improvement, capacity expansion, and project management. 

Before joining BBC, John served as a Master Distiller and Director of Distillation Operations and Quality Assurance for Sazerac at Barton’s 1792 Distillery. John started with Sazerac as the Quality/Continuous Improvement Manager and quickly rose through the ranks, where he discovered and leveraged his passion for whiskey, bourbon, and rye production. 

John began his manufacturing career at Quaker Oats/PepsiCo, where he had the opportunity to focus on innovation, process improvement and project management. Prior to PepsiCo, John served in United States Army and Special Forces from 2004 to 2012. As a decorated Green Beret, John was a member of  the 5th Special Forces Group in OCONUS and CONUS operations. He successfully completed advanced special operations training in the following areas: Combat Diver Qualification Course in Key West, Combat Dive Supervisor Course, Air Assault School, Airborne School, SERE school, Special Forces Qualification Course, and at the JFK Special Warfare Training Language School, where he learned Arabic. 

John is the recipient of numerous awards and certifications, including the U.S. Army Commendation Medal, Global Defense on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal. Since serving in the military, John garnered a number of other awards and designations, including a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification, Lean Six Sigma Kaizen Certification, and ISO 9001/22000 Food Safety Certification. In 2014, John was recognized by Quaker Oats/Frito Lay/PepsiCo at the annual meeting in Dallas with a Resource Conservation Award as America Foods Supply Chain Sustainability Quaker Resource Person of the Year as well as a Research and Development Special Recognition award from Frito Lay. An Eagle Scout with the Bronze and Gold Palms, John is also a recipient of MO House and Senate Proclamations for scouting in addition to other awards. 

A graduate of the University of Missouri, John actively participated in study abroad programs in the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece and Turkey. Born in Saudi Arabia, John spent his youth in the Midwest. He currently resides in Bardstown KY, The Bourbon Capital of The World. 

DANIEL LINDE

Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer

Dan Linde is the co-founder and Chief Financial Officer of Whiskey House of Kentucky.

Prior to Whiskey House of Kentucky, Dan was the CFO, COO, and co-founder of the Bardstown Bourbon Company, a leading contract bourbon distiller, a producer of an award-winning brand and a destination on Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail. Dan’s responsibilities included forecasting, operational oversight, business development and strategy. 

Dan has more than 20 years’ experience in senior financial roles including CFO of Northeast Drinks Group, makers of Woodchuck Cider and importers of Magners Cider, Finance Director of Wonderbly, a Google-backed edutainment company; CFO and COO of the Pink Spirits Company, producer of the first line of caffeine infused spirits; and CFO of RF Logics, Inc., the US subsidiary of a Korean security equipment manufacturer. Dan has raised more than $200 million of seed and growth capital in his career. He has distinguished himself in entrepreneurial situations exhibiting good P&L discipline while scaling operations.

Dan began his career in investment banking at USBX Advisory Services, now part of Imperial Capital, where he rose to the rank of Senior Associate.

Dan graduated magna cum laude with a BA in Economics from Washington University in St. Louis and holds an MBA in Finance from Pepperdine University.

ROBERT HELMER JR.

Chief Financial Officer

Robert Helmer is the Chief Financial Officer at Whiskey House of Kentucky.

Robert arrived at Whiskey House of Kentucky with nearly two decades of finance expertise, and 15 years specifically honed within the alcohol beverage industry.

Before assuming his role at Whiskey House of Kentucky, Robert sat as the CFO & Treasurer at Trefethen Family Vineyards in Napa, CA. Here, he strategically leveraged his extensive background in finance, technology, and industry connections to strategically position the winery for future growth and scalability. Under his stewardship, Trefethen Family Vineyards embraced cutting-edge software solutions, facilitating swifter reporting, immaculate data integrity, and unparalleled budgeting precision, fostering transparency and propelling growth.

Robert’s career also includes senior financial positions at The Hess Collection Winery and Don Sebastiani & Sons International Wine Négociants. A graduate of Sonoma State University with a BA in Business Administration, Robert kickstarted his professional journey in Audit & Advisory services at KPMG.

Robert established his reputation of disrupting the traditional paradigms of the CFO role by introducing next-generation methodologies, technology, and insights, thereby upholding the pinnacle of financial controls and reporting integrity. His initiatives in automation and data-driven decision-making consistently lead operational efficiency and strategic foresight.

Beyond his corporate endeavors, Robert is deeply involved in his community, providing financial and strategic counsel to small enterprises and aspiring entrepreneurs. He serves on the board of various local churches and non-profit organizations, reflecting his commitment to serving others and fostering positive change well beyond the boardroom.

Jim Hunger

Director, Operations

Jim Hunger is the Director of Operations at Whiskey House of Kentucky.

Jim has 22 years of distillery experience and 31 years of manufacturing experience.

Prior to working at Whiskey House, Jim was the distillery manager at the
Sazerac Barton 1792 Distillery. Starting this position in 2016, Jim lead Barton through the startup of a new dryhouse, expansion of the distillery, and upgrade of a boiler house. Jim played a significant role in achieving ISO certification in 9001 and 22000, increasing efficiency to exceed the planned production, and upgrading equipment. Barton went from producing 7 million proof gallons per year to 12.6 million in the seven years that Jim was with Barton’s.  

Before his time at Barton, Jim worked at Jim Beam of Clermont, Kentucky. Jim started as a 3rd shift supervisor and his drive to excel lead him to be promoted to the senior supervisor position. Jim learned the art of distilling from the team, having hands on training with the operators and some of the great leaders of the Jim Beam plant. Jim implemented many improvements for better quality and efficiency at Jim Beam, helping the distillery become ISO certified in 9001, 22000 and 18001.

Jim’s first job in manufacturing was as an operator at ICI explosives in North Bend, Ohio manufacturing commercial blasting agents. His attention to detail and drive for results helped him rise in the company. He was eventually transferred to a new facility in Charlestown, Ind. where he oversaw the bulk production and bagging operation of many types of blasting agents. Jim found many improvements that eliminated most of a 3rd shift production.

Jim has a business degree from Indiana University. He lives in Bardstown with his wife Jennifer of 28 years and their dog Max. They enjoy traveling, camping, and spending time at the Bourbon City Bark Park.

Roger Henley

 Vice President, Engineering & Technology

Roger E. Henley II is the Vice President, Engineering & Technology at Whiskey House of Kentucky.

At Whiskey House, Roger is leading the company’s innovation and efficiency strategies and creating an infrastructure that promotes sustainable growth, highly efficient process solutions, and stakeholder empowerment. This fully integrated manufacturing control system will enable Whiskey House to collect, contextualize, and analyze data that will enable the continual improvement of efficiency and automation.

Roger is an expert in the areas of automation, process control, system integration, and networking with an emphasis on digital transformation. His approach, rooted in agile and continuous improvement, has allowed him to tap into new technologies to devise systems which create actionable insights, enhancing both current and future states of the distillery business.

Roger started his journey in the distillery industry at Sazerac’s Barton 1792 Distillery as the facility process control engineer. Following Barton, Roger joined the Bardstown Bourbon Company, as the Director of Engineering where he played a crucial role in the company’s rapid expansion. His efforts towards data-driven decision-making and process efficiency led to the company winning multiple awards. 

Roger’s innovative contributions to the industry earned him numerous accolades, including the 2023 Microsoft Start-up Grant for business innovation, the 2022 Energy Star Project of the Year award, the 2021 UofL Douglas C. Griffen Environmental Sustainability award, and a 2020 Ignition Discovery award for his work on the SCADA, MES, and IMS systems implemented at BBC.  Recognized by his peers as a subject matter expert in process control, automation, spent grains processing, and sustainability, Roger Henley continues to push the boundaries, driving the American Whiskey industry towards a future defined by data-driven decision-making and sustainable practices.

Roger’s commitment extends beyond his professional life. He’s a regular contributor to the American Lung Association and the Boy Scouts of America, demonstrating his dedication to community service and philanthropy.

Georgine MacLeod

Compliance & Administrative Manager

Georgine joined Whiskey House of Kentucky in February 2024 as the Compliance & Administrative Manager. She has over 35 years of experience in Compliance and Executive Administration.

Most recently, Georgine worked as a Project Coordinator for Buzick Construction. 

Before joining Buzick, Georgine spent 18 years with Sazerac and the Barton 1792 Distillery, where she held several roles, including as Barton’s Regulatory & Administration Coordinator for over 15 years and three years as Sazerac’s Capital Project Program Coordinator. 

During her tenure, Georgine gained vast knowledge and experience with the regulatory requirements of the bourbon industry. She also became well-versed in the processes and procedures of Distillery Operations, Barrel Storage, Regauge, Processing, Bottling, and Finished Goods. 

Over the years, Georgine managed and coordinated multiple key functions throughout the plant, in partnership with the Vice President & Plant Manager, including TTB reporting; plant permitting and licensure; departmental budgeting and cost analysis; distillery production analysis; plant capital planning; project management; event coordination; and employee relations. 

When Georgine moved to the position of Capital Project Program Coordinator for the Sazerac Company, she worked closely with the domestic and international stakeholders at the twenty-plus divisions throughout the Sazerac global network. She coordinated their comprehensive short and long-term capital needs and budgets and helped to find reporting efficiencies through best practice implementation, historical data analysis, and streamlining of equipment purchases with approved vendors.

Georgine began her early career in Banking, where she worked in Commercial Lending and Shareholder Relations at Numerica Financial Corporation in Manchester, New Hampshire. She worked closely with their CFO, submitted quarterly and annual performance results, news releases, and shareholder transactions with the Securities & Exchange Commission. After the New Hampshire banking crisis in October of 1991, she moved to a position with a telecommunications provider, and spent seven years there in an Executive Administrative role for their President & Business Manager, where she honed her skills in corporate recordkeeping, and compliance filings with the Public Utilities Commission.

Born in upstate New York, and raised in New Hampshire, Georgine spent her early years enjoying the beautiful lakes and mountains in the northeast. She was educated at a small private college in New Hampshire, where she earned a degree in Business Science. Georgine and her family relocated to Kentucky in 1999.

Georgine and her husband now reside in the Greenbrier area of Nelson County and have been married for 37 years. They have two grown children, and a menagerie of domestic and farm pets. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor activities, vacations at the beach, and Sunday afternoon Jeep rides.

KEVIN POWERS

Senior Manager, Logistics & Supply Chain

Kevin is the Senior Manager of Logistics and Warehousing for the Whiskey House of Kentucky located in Elizabethtown, KY. He comes to Whiskey House with over three decades of experience as a Logistics Officer in the U.S. Army and three years in various manufacturing and distillery operations following retirement from the United States Army.

Prior to joining Whiskey House Kevin was the Manager for Logistics and Inventory for Bardstown Bourbon Company (BBC) where he oversaw all shipping and receiving operations for the entire business and materials inventory management for all botling operations to include their own brands as well as co-pack operations for over 42 customers. During his brief time with the company, he implemented process improvements that led to an over 33% decrease in component shortages leading to a 25% increase in production execution.

Before joining BBC Kevin worked for Altec Industries in Elizabethtown where he was a Senior Operations Buyer and eventually promoted to the Supervisor for the Buyers Department. In this role Kevin oversaw the team responsible for managing over 33,000 lines of supplies for the custom building of aerial lift vehicles used in the utility industry by companies like AT&T, Verizon, and Cox Communication as well as dozens of other companies. In his time with Altec his team overcame major supply chain challenges that were experienced during COVID 19 and the years following, ensuring the Elizabethtown facility met or exceeded production goals in a time of significant increase in customer orders and supply constraints. Kevin also spent time with GE Appliances a Haier Company immediately following his military retirement where he was a materials Manager overseeing a team of 48 direct reports responsible for supplying four production lines manufacturing over 12,500 washers and dryers per day in a 1.5 million square foot facility. In this role he became familiar with managing union employees and doing so during a new contract negotiation period.

During Kevin’s Army career he served in varying roles of increasing responsibility as a Logistics Officer culminating with his promotion to Colonel where he served as a Senior officer for two major logistics commands. In the first unit he was the Director of Operations responsible for all Logistics operations in Afghanistan and in the other unit he was the Senior Advisor to the Commanding General responsible for all logistics operations throughout the Middle East and neighboring countries. He also spent a year in the US Embassy in Iraq as the Chief of Staff for a 200 person organization responsible for all military coordination with the country of Iraq to include over $250 million worth of equipment sold under the Foreign Military Sales program and for dozens of partner capacity training and education programs executed throughout Iraq, the United States, and in many NATO countries throughout Europe. He also spent over two years in the Army’s Human Resources command as the Director for a department responsible for managing over 133,000 Soldiers in 12 different career fields and 48 specialties throughout the active-duty logistics force.

Kevin has his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Ohio State University and a master’s degree in Strategy & Policy from the US Army Senior Service College. Kevin and his wife Aimee are longtime residents of Elizabethtown, KY. They enjoy traveling, volunteering at their church, and spending time with their adult children and grandkids.

LeAnn Bagby

Vice President, Human Resources

LeeAnn Bagby joined Whiskey House in February 2024 as the Vice President of Human Resources. 

LeeAnn leads the company’s people operations and is dedicated to creating a culture that attracta and retains the top talent in the industry.  LeeAnn is an experienced HR executive and specializes in change management, organizational development and human capital strategies.

LeeAnn’s 20+ year HR career spans multiple industries, including automotive & industrial manufacturing, food manufacturing, security and investigation and logistics solutions. In her role as Vice President of HR with Metalsa, she managed a team of 30 HR professionals spanning 3 countries supporting 10k employees. She has extensive experience in aligning HR strategy with key operational objectives to drive performance.  

LeeAnn is passionate about employee development, holding both accreditation as an Insights Discovery practitioner and Development Dimensions (DDI) certification.  She has designed front line leadership training initiatives during her tenure with Nestle, Gates & The Tarian Group and prides herself on creating career tracks for employees at all levels of an organization.

LeeAnn is a proud alumnus of the University of Kentucky with an MPA (specialization in Quantitative Analytics) and a BS in Political Science (minor in Russian).  She’s an unabashed data nerd and a strong believer in data-driven decision making.  LeeAnn was on both the softball and rifle teams at UK, having lettered in both.

LeeAnn currently lives in Bardstown, KY with her husband and two sons. Two unusual dogs round out the household with one being part Ewok and the other part velociraptor. Her family is heavily involved in soccer & futsal, with both sons playing nearly year-round. In her free time, you can almost always find her at a soccer pitch.

Patrick Mannion

Digital Solutions Architect

Patrick Mannion joined Whiskey House of Kentucky in November 2023 as a Digital Solutions Architect.

Before his tenure at Whiskey House, Patrick was a Solutions Architect at Intellic Integration, a leader in consulting and services for the Industrial Internet of Things, Digital Transformation, IT/OT Convergence, and Manufacturing Execution Systems. There, he consulted with leaders in Manufacturing and Digital Transformation, architected scalable solutions, and spearheaded the development of custom Manufacturing Execution Systems, notably in the automotive electrification and whiskey distillation sectors.

Patrick’s professional journey began in batch process control and systems integration. He worked on large green-field projects in diverse industries, including technical ceramics, pet food, and midstream oil and gas. Excelling swiftly, he managed multiple process cells right out of college, overseeing control system commissioning, programming for programmable logic controllers (PLC) and Human Machine Interfaces (HMI), and integrating S88 equipment and batch processes. His technical repertoire expanded to include control panel design, plant networking, SCADA development, and advanced PLC programming.

Progressing through his career, Patrick’s technical focus ascended through the layers of Manufacturing Execution System (MES), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) integration and development. He has become a recognized expert in MES systems and backend data architecture. At Whiskey House of Kentucky, he is at the forefront, overseeing the development and architecture of their state-of-the-art technical infrastructure.

Patrick’s academic background contrasts his software-centric career; earning Bachelor’s Degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering from Colorado State University. He received a national award from the Society of Biomedical Engineering for his undergraduate research in cellular biophysics, and additionally won an award for undergraduate researcher of the year from the college of engineering. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Patrick has a history of leadership, evidenced by his time playing ice hockey, where he captained his team in his senior year.

Patrick has an incredible support system at home in Parker, Colorado, in his wife, Kathryn, their two dogs Blue & Trout, and a little boy on the way – due May 2024 👶.

Michael Palliparambil

Software Developer

Micheal Palliparambil joined Whiskey House of Kentucky as a Junior Software Developer in February 2024.

As a Jr Software Developer, he plays an integral role in building WMS and B2B portal solutions. A recent graduate of Thinkful Chegg’s software engineering bootcamp, Micheal has been passionate about technology for over 3 years, amassing experience through 20+ full-stack projects. He is knowledgeable in front-end and back-end development as he loves to challenge himself by keeping up with the fast-moving tech industry.

With a strong foundation in system design, DevOps practices, and proficiency in technologies like Kubernetes, Docker, Next.js, TypeScript, MongoDB, and PostgreSQL, he prioritizes project efficiency and reliability. Prior to his career in tech, Micheal took an unconventional path, working as a lead flooring technician and later transitioning into flooring sales for over 2 years.

As a self-employed Flooring Consultant in Hanover Park, IL from 2021-2023, he created custom designs, managed product distribution, supervised projects, and excelled in client acquisition. Prior to this, he worked part-time as a Lead Technician at Stanley Steemer (2020-2021), where he led a crew of 3 and was primarily focused on sales. Micheal is a team player, contributed significantly to his organization, he was ranked the second-highest salesperson, and ranked first for the highest number of contracts closed in the organization during his tenure.

Born and raised in Fort Kochi, Kerala, at the age of 15, Micheal moved to Bartlett, IL where he completed his high school. While pursuing an Associate’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Micheal developed his passion for computer engineering, which ultimately brought him to Whiskey House of Kentucky. 

Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, flying, and reading, with favorites like “The Personal MBA” and “The Alchemist.” He obtained his student private pilot license at age 18 and has a passion for aviation as well. His unique background, combining technical prowess with business acumen, makes him a valuable asset.

Micheal’s transition from a technological background to the whiskey manufacturing industry brings a unique perspective to the team, and he is eager to collaborate with Roger Henley and Patrick Mannion in innovating within the whiskey industry.

Quentin Snider

Reliability & Facilities SR Manager

Most recently, Quentin served as Plant Manager of the Villa Rica manufacturing site for Novolex. Quentin led a team of over 165 employees engaged in blown film manufacturing, where he held overall responsibility for the site P&L, as well as the Operations, Maintenance and Quality departments. During this time, Quentin made significant contributions to the production output, employee retention, preventive maintenance program, site safety metrics and projects to expand the site production capability.

Prior to joining Novoex, Quentin spent over 10 years with PepsiCo, holding progressively larger leadership roles in both the food and bottling divisions of PepsiCo. Beginning as a Maintenance Supervisor at the St. Louis bottling facility in 2021, Quentin was quickly promoted to the Maintenance Manager for the site. In 2014, Quentin was transferred to the Quaker Oats facility in Columbia Missouri where he held both Maintenance BUL and Operations Manager positions. In 2020, Quentin relocated to the Burnsville Minnesota bottling facility as Senior Operations Manager and was quickly promoted to the Manufacturing Plant Director.

During his time within PepsiCo, Quentin was able to assist the Quaker Oats site with its transition to a full 24/7 manufacturing site and 40% increase in manufacturing capacity. Quentin was instrumental in developing and deploying a complete planned maintenance program for the site allowing the site to reduce unplanned downtime to below 4%. Additionally, while Plant Director of the Burnsville site, Quentin lead the team there through the installation of a new manufacturing line that provided a production capacity increase of over 30% for the Burnsville site and the PBNA Central Division, allowing the Division to exceed it’s sales goals for 2022 & 2023.

Enlisting in the US Navy at 17, Quentin began his career in maintenance and machinery repair. After completing training as a repair machinist at Service School Command San Diego, Quentin transferred to NAS Oceana where he spent the remainder of his career maintaining F-14 & F/A-18 aircraft and support equipment. In addition to his regular duties, Quentin was also a member and then leader of the NAS Oceana branch of the Regional Honor Guard, providing military funeral honors for over 100 active duty and retired military personnel throughout Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina.

While at Columbia, Quentin served as the site leader for the EnAble Employee Resource Group, a employee led organization focused on inclusion and support for employees, and caregivers of those with, different abilities. In 2018, the Quaker site in Columbia completed certification and became the first “Autism Friendly Employer” in Central Missouri. An unwavering advocate for identifying and utilizing the strengths of all individuals, Quentin participated in PepsiCo’s “You Belong Here Campaign,” a global video campaign highlighting employees with disabilities in which employees tell their stories of inclusion within PepsiCo and highlight the resources available to employees..

Born in rural Missouri and raised in Georgia, Quentin spent the early years of his life between the two states, spending most summers on his grandparents farm in Northeast Missouri. Quentin is currently a resident of Whitesburg Georgia, near his alma mater, The University of West Georgia, where he lives with his wife and children. In his spare time, Quentin enjoys traveling, St. Louis Cardinals baseball, and raising bantam chickens.

Jerry Hall

Maintenance and Controls Manager

Jerry has 24 years of distillery experience. 

Prior to working at Whiskey House, Jerry was the maintenance manager At Heaven Hill. He was responsible for 3 shift 10 bottling line operation and led a team of 32 multi craft maintenance technicians, 3 controls technicians, 3 stock room attendants and three maintenance supervisors. He was dedicated to team building, maintaining production quality, equipment reliability and continuous improvement. Jerry led the team through several equipment/ line upgrades as well as state-sponsored apprenticeship programs.

Before his time at Heaven Hill, Jerry worked for Angels Envy as a maintenance supervisor/electrician/control. This was a startup distillery, he was responsible for the electrical distribution, PLC controls and commissioning of all equipment. Jerry built the maintenance department from the ground up. He created PM programs, CMMS and parts inventory, and he also oversaw the installation of a new bottling line. 

His first job in maintenance was At Jim Beam Clemont as an Apprentice Industrial Maintenace technician. Fresh out of Technical College, he learned the trade through a structured 4-year apprenticeship program. Jerry learned every aspect of the distillery process from mashing, fermenting, distillation, barrel filling, warehousing, processing, bottling, shipping and all the associated systems that make all this happen. 

Jerry served in the US Army as a Military Policeman and was stationed at Ft. Knox and Honduras. His main duties were law enforcement and a member of the Special Reaction Team. 

Jerry has a two-year degree from ECTC in Industrial Electrical Technology, Jim Beam 4-year apprenticeship (Journeyman Industrial Maintenance certificate), Master Electrical License (KY), Certified welder (AWG), Functional Safety Technician (TUV Rhueinland) and Universal Freon certification (EPA). He am also on the advisory board at ECTC Industrial Maintenace/Electrical programs.

Jerry enjoys fishing/boating and Cleveland Browns football. He like traveling and hiking with my wife Shelly.

Justin Dixon

Senior Manager, Food Safety Quality Assurance

Justin Dixon joined Whiskey House in February 2024 as the Food Safety Quality Assurance (“FSQA”) Senior Manager, where he oversees all ISO compliance, analytical laboratory specifications, and product quality control for the company. 

Justin joined Whiskey House with nearly two-decades of experience in leading quality control, Food Safety, and ISO compliance in advanced manufacturing and distilling. Most recently, Justin was the Quality and Food Safety Supervisor at the Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, where he helped advance quality laboratory process functions and Global Standard Compliance.

Prior to his tenure at Barton, Justin was the Quality Manager at the Takigawa Corporation, where he led ISO 9001compliance, built quality standards to meet global needs of sister plants and production needs at crucial deadlines for the company’s customers. 

Prior to Takigawa, Justin oversaw all plant operations for off shift at Beam Suntory in Frankfort, Kentucky. 

Justin served in the United States Marines for six years. During that time, he was deployed multiple times overseas for Operation Iraq Freedom. As infantry leader, he was trained to shoot, move, and communicate at the highest caliber level to keep all members of his team alive. 

Joshua Marquis

Environmental Health and Safety Manager 

Prior to joining Whiskey House Joshua Marquis was the Senior Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator at Takigawa Corporation America in Bardstown. Much of the time was spent dealing with Regulatory Compliance, with a focus on Air Quality Compliance and Hazardous Waste compliance which included management of a Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer. Josh built a safety program and safety culture from ground zero that effectively decreased accidents, injuries and near misses by 90%.

Prior to that he was a Registered Trauma Nurse working at six of U of L’s Emergency Departments. Josh worked at a different facility every day and was expected to hit the ground running and provide the highest level of trauma and disease process related care. He was responsible for administering immediate lifesaving care to patients ranging from newborns to geriatric populations. 

Joshua also  worked as a Registered Trauma Nurse at Baptist Health Hardin (formerly Hardin Memorial) and provided the same level of care as above.

Prior to that Joshua was a Team Leader at AGC Automotive in Elizabethtown, Ky and was responsible for completing the production plan, scheduling and assigning personnel, establishing priorities, monitoring progress, revising schedules, resolving problems, and reporting results. He was also a First Responder and member of the safety team responsible for reacting and providing care to injured associates.

Joshua served in the US Army as an infantryman, a diesel technician, and a combat medic and spent a combined four years deployed to conflicts in the Middle East specifically in Iraq and Afghanistan. Joshua was trained to respond to wounded Soldiers, Marines, and the local nationals often under gun and mortar fire. He is most proud of the lives he was fortunate enough to have saved during those conflicts.

Joshua was lucky enough to have been part of several industries, careers, and organizations. Between his experience, training and degree in Applied Science, he has been able to use his talents and follow his interests and passions throughout his life as they develop. The underlying theme is a life of service. Joshua says “I believe I was put here to serve my fellow humans”.

In his off time Joshua enjoys spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren. He also enjoys wood working, fishing, rebuilding old cars, and playing guitar.

JT Thomas

Warehouse Senior Manager

J.T. Thomas joined Whiskey House in February 2024 as the Warehouse Senior Manager

Prior to joining the Whiskey House team, J.T. served as the Warehouse Manager at the Sazerac Barton 1792 plant for over a decade. He led a team of 65 employees that focused on barrel entry, regauge, barrel & bulk transfers, FRA compliance, and warehouse rehabilitation projects. During his tenure, J.T. introduced the first initial Safety Focus Team to the Warehouse Department and directly contributed to its implementation strategy and targets. In addition, other safety metrics, quality issues, and efficiency standards were improved to establish a more positive team culture and work environment. J.T. is a firm believer in “Understanding the value of employee respect and establishing the foundation is the lifeblood for a solid organizational team culture for all to enjoy and participate”. 

Before his time at Sazerac, J.T. spent 18 years in specialized transportation logistics and warehousing. During this stint, he received hands on training and acquired his CDL, class “A.”   J.T. began the journey as an Account Manager and achieved the General Manager position at Keyboard International. During this period, J.T. learned several key concepts and lessons in the transportation and warehousing industry; Forklift and Employee Safety, DOT hours of service compliance, Government record keeping, inventory control, and the importance of a solid, preventative maintenance plan. He played a key role in establishing a new product line by co-mingling high end custom motorcycles within the acoustic piano industry. 

J.T. began his career as an Investment Account Analyst with Heitman Financial Group in Chicago, IL, where he spent many hours performing market research, collecting property data comparing commercial properties and analyzing financial projections. 

J.T. graduated from The University of Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He currently lives in Elizabethtown with his wife Kim and their dog Tango. J.T. enjoys traveling, visiting wineries, lake life & spending time with friends and family. 

Ryan Poe

Distillery Manager

Ryan Poe joined Whiskey House in April 2024 as the Distillery Manger.  

Prior to Whiskey House, Ryan served as Director of Distillery Operations for Barrell Craft Spirits for three years.  In that role, Ryan managed compliance, supply chain, logistics, production planning, barrel & bulk transfers, contract production relations and anything else that came his way.  As a member of a small team, flexibility and appetite for learning were crucial for success.  Ryan has a tremendous amount of respect for the team at Barrell Craft Spirits and wishes them continued success.

Before his time at Barrell, Ryan worked for Sazerac in different capacities.  Most recently, he was a member of the supply chain team as the Allocation Manager.  Ryan planned and managed bourbon and whiskey allocations for all US and global markets and, ultimately, was tasked with protecting the aging whiskey inventory at Sazerac.  Other aspects of the role included demand planning, production planning and acquisition transitions.  Ryan was fortunate enough to work with Sazerac executive leadership and many talented and capable members of the supply chain, marketing, procurement and sales teams while in the role.

Ryan began his Sazerac journey as a distillery supervisor at Buffalo Trace Distillery.  He was responsible for all distillery operations from power generation to grain handling, mashing and fermentation to distillation and dryhouse operations.   Ryan managed a team of 30 union employees from two unions during this time.  During his time at Buffalo Trace, Ryan implemented a new separation technology in the dryhouse, optimized brewing and fermenting efficiencies and contributed to foundational work for BTD’s recent expansions. 

Ryan began his journey in the spirits industry in 2015, working as a production manager at Middle West Spirits in Columbus, OH.  During his time there Ryan participated in the first of MWS’s expansions which added 4 stills, new grain handling, mashing, fermentation and cooling equipment.  Ryan was a part of a three person crew who directly performed every task at the distillery from receiving raw grain through distribution of finished goods.  The hands on experience was foundational for Ryan’s knowledge and enthusiasm in the sprits industry.  

Ryan held a variety of other roles during his professional career ranging from customer service to inventory management to information analysis.  These roles have created a well-rounded employee who has a passion for creating the best whiskey possible with the best people possible.  

Ryan has spent his life in the Midwest, growing up in Indiana and spending time in Ohio prior to settling in Kentucky.  He is happy to share the part of the world with his wife who is from the Caribbean.  They have a lovely little girl together and are enjoying the challenges and rewards of parenthood!