MARCUS BONI JOINS SPECIALTY COFFEE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
AS SENIOR EVENTS MANAGER

Long Beach, CA. U.S.A. (October 31 2008) – The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) is pleased to announce the addition of Marcus Boni to its executive team as Senior Events Manager. Boni will be responsible for managing the SCAA’s extensive training programs as well as the United States Barista Championship (USBC) regional and national competitions. He will also play an important role in further development of the SCAA’s internal coffee education and palate training initiatives.

Boni comes to SCAA with seven years experience in the coffee industry, beginning at Chicago based Intelligentsia in 2002 where he joined the company as a Barista. During his 7 years at Intelligentsia he served as Business Operations Manager and quickly became Vice President of Retail Operations. “At Intelligentsia I learned that a real passion for coffee is as inherent to operational excellence as creating a dynamic and supportive environment,” says Boni. “I’m elated to be given the opportunity to bring that experience to the continued development of emerging programs at the SCAA.”

SCAA Executive Director, Ric Rhinehart, said “We are very fortunate to have Marcus joining us. He played a key role in the organization and expansion of the USBC as a volunteer and he is highly respected in the coffee industry for his skill as an operations executive and his integrity.”

About the SCAA
Celebrating 26 years of success, SCAA is the world's largest coffee trade association. SCAA members are located in more than 40 countries and represent every segment of the specialty coffee industry, from coffee growers to coffee roasters and retailers. The SCAA's mission is to recognize, develop and promote specialty coffee. The SCAA's dedication to excellence in coffee is realized through the setting of quality standards for the industry; conducting research on coffee, equipment and perfection of craft; and providing education, training, resources and business services for members. The SCAA's annual Symposium and Exposition is held in a different U.S. city each year and is the coffee industry's largest gathering and exhibition.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Mike Ferguson on behalf of SCAA
Phone: (562) 624-4192
Email: SCAA at freshgroundconsulting dot com