United States Bartenders’ Guild today announces that T. Cole Newton (New Orleans) has been elected President of the Guild. Robert “Bob” Dagostino (Cleveland), Joseph Fredrickson (Cleveland), and Ingrid Rodriquez (Tampa Bay) have each been elected to officer positions.
Said USBG Executive Director Aaron Gregory Smith, “Cole, Bobby, Joey, and Ingrid are such valuable parts of our organization. Each carries with them a commitment to service and to improving our industry in their own unique ways. The USBG is better for having them as part of our team.”
President - T. Cole Newton (New Orleans); first full term
Newton originally assumed the presidency in mid-2022 after Kim Haasarud stepped down from the post. Born and raised in Washington, DC, Newton moved to New Orleans in 2006 to volunteer full-time with AmeriCorps in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. After his service year, Cole took a bartending job at Commander’s Palace, culinary alma mater of Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse. In 2008, he developed and implemented the cocktail program as the first bar manager at the Uptown bistro Coquette. Inspired by that experience, Cole opened his Mid City cocktail dive Twelve Mile Limit in 2010. His second bar, the Domino, opened in 2019 on St. Claude Avenue in the New Orleans’ Bywater neighborhood.
Newton’s book, Cocktail Dive Bar: Real Drinks, Fake History, and Questionable Advice From New Orleans’s Twelve Mile Limit (Running Press, 2021), recounts his experience as a young bar owner in the Crescent City with classic and original recipes, humorous and insightful essays.
Vice President - Robert “Bob” Dagostino (Cleveland); second term
Bob’s bartending experience dates to 1983. He has served on several USBG committees, including Executive, Education, Finance (Chair), International Bartenders Association Liaison, and National Leadership Conference Planning Task Force, and has been the USBG representative for the PanAmerican Conference 2018 and 2019. He also served as USBG National Treasurer 2019-2020.
Secretary - Joseph Fredrickson (Cleveland); first term
Fredrickson’s passion inside the hospitality industry is to be a positive influence to talented young industry professionals, teaching them habits that lead towards sustainable healthy lifestyles. He has demonstrated a commitment to bettering his local community by serving on the Board for Downtown Cleveland Residents.
Treasurer - Ingrid Shawn Rodriguez (Tampa); third term
Based in St. Petersburg, FL, Ingrid is the Florida Regional Manager and US East Coast Brand Educator for WhistlePig Whiskey. Ingrid has been actively involved in multiple larger organizations for over 20 years, serving in the local capacity as Director, Treasurer and President of NAWIC Tampa and ICRI FWC and serving nationally as the ICRI Region 1 Director, the Chair of the Conventions committee, voting member in the Chapters Committee & Women in ICRI She is also currently the Owner and General Contractor of Ingrid Shawn Corporation, an interior/exterior residential construction company in Florida.
Newton spoke to his election: “I’d like to thank the members of the USBG for electing me to the Board of Directors and the Board for choosing me as its President. As the Guild continues working to unite and elevate the bar industry through education, community, and advocacy, and especially as we mark the USBG’s 75th anniversary this year, it is an honor and a privilege to be at the helm.”
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