SCA members in Ireland cast their ballots in the 2020 elections to select their new leadership. Today, we are pleased to welcome the SCA Ireland Chapter’s new committee:

National Coordinator: Elizabeth Skelly
Community Coordinator: Gary Hollywood
Education Coordinator: Seivijus (Elvis) Matiejunas
Events Coordinator: Julia Murray
Judges Coordinator: Renata Malyszko
Marketing & Communications Coordinator: Elizabeth Skelly

The breakdown of the votes was as follows:

National Coordinator
- Elizabeth Skelly: 100%
Community Coordinator:
- Gary Hollywood: 43%
- James Coffey: 30%
- Megan Byrne: 27%
Education Coordinator:
- Seivijus (Elvis) Matiejunas: 50%
- Alin Giriada: 37%
- Gerry Hughes: 13%
Events Coordinator:
- Maria Cassidy: 40%
- Julia Murray: 37%
- Gail Henshall: 23%
- Note: Though Maria Cassidy got the highest percentage of votes in the Events Coordinator category, the seat will be filled by Julia Murray due to rules set out in the Principles and Guidelines for Volunteer-Led SCA Chapters related to candidates who work for the same organization: “If more than two of the nominated candidates work at the same organization, only the two candidates with the highest number of votes will be eligible. Any candidates in excess of the two permitted will be disqualified from the election result.” Special thanks to Maria for participating in this election and for her continued support of the SCA Ireland Chapter.
Judges Coordinator:
- Renata Malyszko: 100%
Marketing & Communications Coordinator:
- Elizabeth Skelly: 100%

Special thanks to all nominees who put their name forward in this election and thanks to SCA members for their commitment to the SCA Ireland Chapter. We urge the community to please continue to support the committee in their upcoming two-year term. To connect with the new leadership of the chapter, email them directly at sca.ie@sca.coffee, and follow SCA Ireland on Facebook and Instagram.

We wish the new committee every success with the continued development of the local coffee community. As a reminder, you can learn more about the roles and responsibilities of each position on our website.

Meet the 2020 SCA Ireland Chapter Committee

Elizabeth Skelly

Elected as National Coordinator and Marketing & Communications Coordinator

I would be delighted to represent the chapter and its members as National Coordinator.
Supporting the Coffee Community during these current circumstances has been invigorating and I would love to continue to support open communication as we reinvent our events and the coffee community into our new future.

Gary Hollywood

Elected as Community Coordinator

While working for Bewley's since 2010, I discovered my passion for coffee and was introduced to this amazing world coffee community! From competing with, learning from and working with some of the best in the business, I consider myself lucky to be part of this industry!

My eldest son Ethan loves to brew coffee, and my other son Lucas HAS to turn on the kettle and grinder when I make my morning brew! Competed in Latte art 2012, Cup Tasters each year since 2015, Aeropress championship (Champion 2016 WOC Dublin), Brewers cup Judge 2019.

Seivijus (Elvis) Matiejunas

Elected as Education Coordinator

12 years ago I joined coffee world. I started as barista and then I joined barista training team in Bewley's. I started sharing all I’ve learned with my colleagues in Bewleys, by starting working as a trainer. Many times I represented Lithuania and Ireland in coffee championships and I love to coach/ help other competitors in various national and world championships including Latte Art, Cupping and Barista for last 8 years.

To compete in any coffee event a big challenge for myself; however, I am trying to encourage not only myself, but also people around me. My daily routine is all about the progress – not about being the best – and about getting better continuously. These reasons made myself more motivated to work hard, study and learn more. I have a coffee diploma of SCA. I am Authorized SCA trainer (AST) - Intro to Coffee, Barista Skills and Sensory Skills.

Julia Murray

Elected as Events Coordinator

People and coffee - always. The buzz I get from people is what keeps me going and that, coupled with coffee is a powerful combination. Running events has been a big part of what I have been doing for years and I love the thrill of it all (apart from the pre event nerves - nobody likes them!). I feel that with the right team and people on the committee that I can contribute confidently in this role.

Renata Malyszko

Elected as Judges Coordinator

I work in Java Republic as a Coffee Quality Consultant and AST. I got involved in coffee competitions as a competitor in Latte Art Championships, and I’ve been judging in national competitions all over the world since 2015. I hold 5 WCE certificates for judging in Barista, Brewers, CiGS, Latte Art and Roasting Championships. I have judged at the World Championships. My experience as both competitor and judge, at national and world competitions has given me a very clear idea of what a Judging Coordinator needs to do to lead and support both sections of the competition community, competitors and judges. I would love the opportunity to put my skills to work in this role.

What is the role of an SCA Chapter?

SCA Chapter volunteers embody the values of specialty coffee by working to deliver education, events, and research to their regional communities. The Chapter personifies the vision and mission of the SCA in all activities. SCA Chapter elections enable SCA members to vote and select the volunteer committee who will be leading their local chapter's activities for the next two years. Learn more about SCA Chapters here.

Presenting the 2020 SCA Ireland Chapter Committee