Sean Russel >
Sean has been involved with the Fresh Hop Group since it formed in 2015. After serving as the group’s attorney, he joined the board in 2016. Like his fellow board members, Sean loves the opportunity each year to experience the celebration of hop harvest by drinking fresh hop beer! Sean also believes strongly in the community of Yakima and is thrilled to be able to provide local arts and science organizations with grant money each year through the Fresh Hop Group’s grant program.
< Karl Vanevenhoven
Karl has been an avid homebrewer in Yakima for over 20 years. In addition, he is also part of the ownership group of Varietal Beer Company in Sunnyside. Karl shares his love for beer and hops on both a national and international level in his role as Chief Operations Officer for Yakima Chief Hops. Being part of the Fresh Hop Group is a way to give back to arts and science programs while spreading the word that the Pacific Northwest produces the most amazing hops in the world. Brewers and the public should know that their hops come from this wonderful region and the Yakima Valley. The festival’s fresh hop ales showcase the newly harvested crop and present the most aromatic and flavorful beer possible. Yakima is the premier hop growing area in the world, and the Fresh Hop Group is proud to host the world’s largest Fresh Hop Ale Festival with the most “fresh hop ales” offered in one place. Come to the Source – Yakima!"
< Terry Edmands
Terry loves creativity, nonprofits and celebrating Yakima Valley. A longtime supporter of the Fresh Hop Ale Festival, she has served on the festival’s planning committee for over a decade with a special focus on the event’s VIP experience. Terry fills her free time with outdoor play and adventures with loved ones, often shared with her dog and a beer.
Malissa Gatton >
Malissa joined the Fresh Hop Ale Festival board in 2016 after having served as a volunteer on the marketing committee for several years. She has enjoyed being a part of the festivals evolution and loves the fact that she can combine doing good works with hops and beer. As she likes to remind people, "The Fresh Hop Ale Festival isn't just one of the 10 best beer festivals in the nation, it's also a vehicle for community enrichment and positive social change."
She works for Hop Growers of America, a trade organization focused on grower support through the many partners within the hop and beer industries. It's a rewarding combination to work within the industry, while volunteering for a festival, which celebrates the Yakima Valley's annual hop harvest and doubles as a huge community fundraiser.
Her fiancé, Chris Baum, is co-owner of Varietal Beer Co. in Sunnyside Washington. She enjoys working at the brewery in her free time and hanging out in the beer garden practicing quality control. This association helps give her a full circle connection between the hop and beer worlds.
Malissa is a proud Yakima Valley chapter member of the Pink Boots Society, an international organization dedicated to inspiring and promoting women within the hop and brewing industries. She lives in Naches Washington with her fiancé and her furry four-legged children.
Sean Russel
Sean has been involved with the Fresh Hop Group since it formed in 2015. After serving as the group’s attorney, he joined the board in 2016. Like his fellow board members, Sean loves the opportunity each year to experience the celebration of hop harvest by drinking fresh hop beer! Sean also believes strongly in the community of Yakima and is thrilled to be able to provide local arts and science organizations with grant money each year through the Fresh Hop Group’s grant program.
Karl Vanevenhoven
Karl has been an avid homebrewer in Yakima for over 20 years. In addition, he is also part of the ownership group of Varietal Beer Company in Sunnyside. Karl shares his love for beer and hops on both a national and international level in his role as Chief Operations Officer for Yakima Chief Hops. Being part of the Fresh Hop Group is a way to give back to arts and science programs while spreading the word that the Pacific Northwest produces the most amazing hops in the world. Brewers and the public should know that their hops come from this wonderful region and the Yakima Valley. The festival’s fresh hop ales showcase the newly harvested crop and present the most aromatic and flavorful beer possible. Yakima is the premier hop growing area in the world, and the Fresh Hop Group is proud to host the world’s largest Fresh Hop Ale Festival with the most “fresh hop ales” offered in one place. Come to the Source – Yakima!"
Terry Edmands
Terry loves creativity, nonprofits and celebrating Yakima Valley. A longtime supporter of the Fresh Hop Ale Festival, she has served on the festival’s planning committee for over a decade with a special focus on the event’s VIP experience. Terry fills her free time with outdoor play and adventures with loved ones, often shared with her dog and a beer.
Malissa Gatton
Malissa joined the Fresh Hop Ale Festival board in 2016 after having served as a volunteer on the marketing committee for several years. She has enjoyed being a part of the festivals evolution and loves the fact that she can combine doing good works with hops and beer. As she likes to remind people, "The Fresh Hop Ale Festival isn't just one of the 10 best beer festivals in the nation, it's also a vehicle for community enrichment and positive social change."
She works for Hop Growers of America, a trade organization focused on grower support through the many partners within the hop and beer industries. It's a rewarding combination to work within the industry, while volunteering for a festival, which celebrates the Yakima Valley's annual hop harvest and doubles as a huge community fundraiser.
Her fiancé, Chris Baum, is co-owner of Varietal Beer Co. in Sunnyside Washington. She enjoys working at the brewery in her free time and hanging out in the beer garden practicing quality control. This association helps give her a full circle connection between the hop and beer worlds.
Malissa is a proud Yakima Valley chapter member of the Pink Boots Society, an international organization dedicated to inspiring and promoting women within the hop and brewing industries. She lives in Naches Washington with her fiancé and her furry four-legged children.