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22 Wines&Vines February 2015 wine industry news NORTHWEST Scholarships available in Washington The Washington Wine In- dustry Foundation is offer- ing more than $30,000 in scholarships for undergrad- uate and post-graduate students studying viticul- ture, enology or related dis- ciplines. Applications are due March 15 with awards for the 2015-16 school year awarded by May 15. Appli- cations can be found online at washingtonwinefounda- tion.org. WWI appoints new executive director Josh McDonald is the new executive director of the Washington Wine Insti- tute. Prior to joining the institute, McDonald was the state and local govern- ment affairs manager for the Washington Restau- rant Association. In his new position, McDonald will be responsible for managing the policy and regulatory issues facing Washing- ton state winery owners who make up the second- largest wine industry in the United States. CENTRAL Illinois wine group hires director Jennifer Montgomery is the first full-time execu- tive director of the Illinois Grape Growers and Vint- ners Association (IGGVA), which announced the hire in January. Montgomery served as executive direc- tor of the Nebraska Winery & Grape Growers Associa- tion for two years and prior to that worked for 10 years as the director of grass- roots and political affairs at WineAmerica. IGGVA also recently released a report it commissioned on the economic impact of the state's wine industry. The report, based on 2012 data, found the Illinois wine industry generates a total economic impact of $692 million, supports 3,887 full-time jobs paying $153 million in wages and gener- ates $88 million in annual tax revenues. Nebraska vintners name new director Lori Paulsen is the new executive director for the N e b r a s k a W i n e r y a n d Grape Growers Associa- tion (NWGGA). Paulsen replaces Jennifer Mont- g o m e r y, w h o l e f t f o r a similar role with the Illinois Grape Growers and Vint- ners Association. Paulsen is a veteran of the nonprofit sector and comes to asso- ciation after working for the Nebraska Soybean Board and the national Popcorn Board. The NWGGA also launched a new website, n e b r a s k a w i n e s . c o m , t o help consumers discover the wines and wineries of the Cornhusker State. EAST Promotion boosts Pennsylvania sales The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) an- nounced in early January that sales of Pennsylvania wines increased 31% in October compared to Oc- tober 2013. The increased sales came during the spe- cial promotion "Pennsyl- vania Wine Month," which saw the PLCB's Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores sell more than 41,600 bottles o f P e n n s y l v a n i a w i n e worth $466,000. During the month-long promotion, Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores held special tastings and featured dedicated sig- nage and product displays to draw attention to Penn- sylvania wines. SUPPLIER NEWS Nomacorc founder finds buyout partner Mark Noël, the founder and chairman of Nomacorc, partnered with New York- based Bespoke Capital to recapitalize the business and buy out Summit Part- ners. The new partnership now completely owns the wine-closure manufacturer, according to a statement released by Nomacorc. Global Leisure Partners b a n k i s a j o i n t v e n t u re partner in Bespoke and ini- tiated the transaction. Two of GLP's operating part- ners, Bill Rogers and Ken Lamb, participated in the Josh McDonald