Voting in the 2021 SCA Canada Chapter Elections Opens June 30th

The nomination stage is closed and the candidates listed below have accepted their nominations. Vote for the following Open Positions for the SCA Canada Chapter committee starting June 30th, 2021.

Nominations have been collected for the new committee for the SCA Canada Chapter. The community has nominated candidates for the roles of National Coordinator, Education Coordinator, Community Coordinator, Marketing Coordinator, Communications Coordinator and voting for the Education Coordinator role has officially opened. Those notified will be able to cast a vote from June 30-July 14; the results of the election will be announced on July 19. If you are an active SCA member based in Canada, you will receive an email with a link to place your vote. If you believe you are eligible to vote but have not received an email, get in touch via the website.

We are pleased to announce that the four other coordinator roles are uncontested, and there is no need to cast a vote for these roles. If you have any concerns or comments regarding these uncontested positions please get in touch with us before June 28 via sca.ca@sca.coffee. As a reminder, you can learn more about the roles and responsibilities of each position.

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. All candidates are expected to adhere to the SCA Code of Conduct, Privacy Policy, and the SCA Vision Values. Learn more about SCA Chapters here.

Meet the Nominees in the 2021 SCA Canada Chapter Elections

Sam Le

National Coordinator

Working within the Specialty coffee industry for over 10 years, Sam Le is the Head of Business Operations and Strategy at Pilot Coffee Roasters. She was the Events Coordinator for the Canadian Chapter from 2017 to 2019 where she led in organizing over 10 regional and national competitions combined. She takes a human-centric approach to create efficiencies within the organization's operations - something she is passionate about if given the opportunity to lead the next cohort of Coordinators for SCA Canada.

Sam is the only member to accept a nomination for the National Coordinator position.

Michelle Ocfemia

Education Coordinator

Michelle (she/her/hers) has been in coffee for about 5 years now and started her specialty coffee journey at Pilot Coffee Roasters in Tkaronto. She has taken on the roles of barista, supervisor and now coffee ambassador. In participating in SCA competitions, she has found so much meaning in learning from the community behind it and would love to contribute to the education coordinator role in the next chapter.

Michelle has a passion for learning about intersectional theory and sustainability and sharing how they are intertwined with each other in the coffee supply chain. She hopes to make education in the Canadian coffee community more accessible while elevating voices and perspectives of professionals in the industry.

Nelson Teskey

Education Coordinator

I have been an active member with SCA for around 15 years and have volunteered at many shows with the same goal in mind and that is to push education forward. When I started working in this industry there wasn’t much information for me to access to become better to showcase all the hard work that comes before us at farm level. As the industry moves forward I want to be there to share all the knowledge I can to keep pushing education forward and in turn make a difference at origin. This community has given so much to me over the years and if I can even share the smallest amount that I have learned from my peers than that’s a win.
Thanks for your consideration.

Rambert Sin

Education Coordinator

Having been in the specialty coffee scene for several years, Rambert has taken on many roles; from the front end interacting with coffee enthusiasts, to coffee competitor, to currently green importing; he sees a common gap that exists between those that are new, and the seasoned professionals; education. As a strong believer in coffee education, Rambert is a current Q-Grader that utilizes this specialized license as a means to communicate with industry persons, but more importantly, to share personal experiences, and spark new interests.

Outside of coffee; Rambert is also a keen student for wine and viticulture; having received his WSET Level 3 and plans to go on to get the Diploma in Wine in the near future.

Clearly, even when the caffeine stops, the education continues!

Jordan McKenna

Education Coordinator

Hello all, my name is Jordan! I have been working in coffee for 10 years in England, Australia and now Canada. I have worked as a Barista, Trainer, Home-roaster and (briefly!) on a Farm. One thing that coffee shares across these places is the fantastically diverse, skilled and incredibly knowledgable professionals that work with coffee.

I have been fortunate to work with some passionate people who have shared with me their insights and love for coffee. This is something that I want to pass onto others and help to bring education, knowledge and understanding into the hands of those who are just starting their journey, or are dedicated veterans of the industry.

Coffee is a powerful tool for communication, learning, unlearning and broadening your horizons. As Education Coordinator I hope to continue to do just this whilst making Specialty more accessible and approachable and bring more folks into the fold.

Jordan Cayer

Community Coordinator

Jordan is the co-owner of Never Better Coffee in Winnipeg, MB, and has been a part of the hospitality industry for more than 11 years. As a queer coffee professional and business owner, he and his business partner have made it their goal to make their business accessible and an integral part of Winnipeg’s coffee community through community outreach and education.

Jordan believes that specialty coffee should be for everyone, and that there is a ton of work to be done to ensure that the diversity of Canada’s coffee community is represented in competitions, educational opportunities, and in cafes across the country. A diverse, accessible, and supportive coffee scene is the only way to ensure a strong, growing community of coffee professionals.

Jordan is the only member to accept a nomination for the Community Coordinator position.

Alison Ensworth

Marketing Coordinator

A lover of craft and the community it creates, Alison has worked in the specialty coffee industry since her first barista job in 2007. What began as a means to fund her Communications and Publishing degrees became the main source of inspiration, the place where she uses those skills the most. She worked for five years as Marketing Coordinator at Espressotec, a prominent coffee equipment retailer in Vancouver, where her greatest thrill was hosting a range of events, from classes for budding baristas to latte art throwdowns, the BC Regional Aeropress Championships, and the Strong Coffee Future Champions Barista Bootcamp. She also helped organize the inaugural Beanstock Coffee Festival, and served as a technical judge at the Canadian Barista Championship Western Qualifiers in 2018.

These days, Alison continues to help brands in the coffee industry tell their story and connect with fellow coffee-lovers through photography, social media, email marketing, copywriting, and a bit of graphic design on a freelance basis. She's keener than ever for events to resume and hopes to play an even greater role in the Canadian coffee scene.

Alison is the only member to accept a nomination for the Marketing Coordinator position.

Ready to cast your vote?

Remember you can cast your vote for the Open Positions. Voting closes on July 14 and the results of the election will be announced on July 19. If you are an active SCA member based in Canada, you will receive an email with a link to place your vote. If you believe you are eligible to vote but have not received an email, get in touch via the website.