The Beer Industry of Florida team consists of a board of directors drawn from the largest beer distributors in the state of Florida.  It is also served by a staff in the capital city of Tallahassee, as well as a team of outstanding experts in beverage law and government relations.  We encourage the active participation of all members and associate members.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

John J. Taylor, III, J. J. Taylor Companies
Jeffrey Schenck, Schenck Company
Michele Connors, S. R. Perrott, Inc.
A. Earl Benton, Champion Brands
Doug P. Cone, Cone Distributing, Inc.
Elliot Maisel, Goldring Gulf Distributing

PRESIDENT

Eric Criss currently serves as the President of the Beer Industry of Florida, an association of Florida’s largest beer distributors.  He previously served as staff member or consultant to Fortune 500 corporations, state and national associations, political parties, and presidential, congressional, and gubernatorial campaigns.  Prior to joining the Beer Industry of Florida, Mr. Criss was based in Washington, DC where he directed state government relations for The Home Depot, Inc.

In 2003, Mr. Criss was appointed to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission by President George W. Bush.  As the agency’s Director of Public Affairs, he served as chief spokesperson and crisis communications manager for the federal agency charged with keeping consumers safe from dangerous products.  Mr. Criss appeared in numerous television and print news stories in media outlets such as CNN, the CBS Evening News, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.

In addition to serving at The Home Depot and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Mr. Criss served as Southern Regional Political Director for the National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s largest and most powerful advocate for small business. He began his career at the National Republican Senatorial Committee where he served U.S. Senators Don Nickles and Phil Gramm.  He later served on the presidential campaign of Senator Gramm and acted as consultant to the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci.

Mr. Criss graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and currently resides in Tallahassee, Florida with his wife, Kelli and daughter, Elizabeth.

MANAGER OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Heidie L. Nesset currently serves as Manager of Public Affairs for the Beer Industry of Florida, an association of Florida’s largest beer distributors.  She graduated from the Florida State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science.  While in college, Heidie interned at the lobbying firm of Smith, Bryan and Myers, and at the law firm of Eisenmenger, Berry & Peters, P.A.

Heidie currently resides in Tallahassee, Florida with her husband, Michael.