Each year in America, Whisky Magazine recognizes the people who have made a critical and lasting contribution to the whisky arena in America.

Anita Ujszaszi, Awards Director Paragraph Publishing presented the awardees.

Inductee 65: Peggy Noe Stevens

Peggy Noe Stevens

Author, global speaker, media spokesperson and prominent experiential brand strategist, Peggy is President at PNSA, her image branding and experiential marketing firm.

Peggy Noe Stevens has devoted herself to over twenty years of hospitality, entertaining and in the exploration of experiential marketing.

She began her career in hospitality and marketing with Hyatt Hotels Corporation, engaging in all aspects of guest services, then moved to the Brown-Forman Corporation to lead a newly developed travel and event planning department. She was also given the opportunity to move into the new frontier of experiential marketing, where she assimilated and directed an impressive portfolio of wine and spirit brand destinations and worked with such iconic brands as Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Southern Comfort, Fetzer and Sonoma Cutrer Vineyards. In this role, She became the world’s first female Master Bourbon Taster in the industry. Her executive leadership skills also immersed her talent in designing women’s research and strategy studies for corporations, and she has spoken to countless professional organizations on issues in the workplace and strategizing careers. She has set an inspiring new standard by which corporations can attract and retain female executives.

Inductee 66: Frank Coleman

Frank Coleman

Frank is Senior Vice President at the Distilled Spirits Council in charge of Public Affairs and Communications.
Since 2001, he has been responsible for developing and communicating the industry’s key messages about public policy, industry heritage and category promotion. His efforts have coincided with the strong growth in Spirits market share and the public fascination with super premium products.
He also co-managed an American Whiskey export promotion program that has conducted outreach and training around the globe, and developed a small distiller affiliate organization that now numbers over 140 members across the country.

He has held the position of vice president of media relations for the US Chamber of Commerce, and was press secretary at the US Senate.