State Sen. Roger Hauck was elected to the Michigan Senate in 2022 to represent the 34th Senate District, which includes Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Osceola, Mecosta and Isabella counties and parts of Bay, Clinton, Lake, Midland and Saginaw counties.

Prior to his election to the state Senate, Hauck served as a Union Township trustee and in 2016, was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives. He served three terms prior to being term limited.

Hauck grew up on a beef and dairy farm and attended Beal City High School and later Central Michigan University. He worked for the Delfield Company for 24 years and also co-owns a small building company.

He is a member of the National Rifle Association, Michigan Farm Bureau, Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart, and Eagles Club. Hauck enjoys bow hunting, fishing, and riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Hauck and his wife, Raschelle, have two adult children.

Senator Kevin Hertel is serving his first term as the Senator representing the 12th District. Previously, he served as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives for three terms. He currently sits as Chair of the Senate Health Policy Committee and as Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military, Veterans, and State Police. Hertel also serves on the Appropriations, Energy and Environment, Regulatory Affairs, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Veterans and Emergency Services Committees as well as Appropriations Subcommittees on PreK-12, and Transportation. He lives in St. Clair Shores with his wife, Ann, and their two children.

Representative Brenda Carter proudly serves Michigan’s 53rd House District, representing Pontiac and parts of Waterford and Auburn Hills. Currently serving her fourth term in the Michigan House of Representatives, Rep. Carter is a proven leader focused on economic equity, public health, education, and small business development.

She serves as Minority Vice Chair of the House Insurance and Financial Services Committee, and is also a member of the Health Policy, Education, Labor, and Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR). At the national level, she serves as Vice Chair of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Standing Committee on Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance, and Chair of Life Insurance and Financial Planning for the National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL).

Rep. Carter is the founding Chair of the bipartisan, bicameral Poverty and Homelessness Caucus, a member of the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus, and has led five District Task Forces focused on maternal health, veterans’ services, education, criminal justice reform, and homelessness.

Over her tenure, she has passed 13 bills into law, championed financial literacy, protected consumer rights, and helped deliver millions in state and federal funding for housing, infrastructure, and community revitalization, critical support for industries like Michigan’s vibrant beer and wine sector.

State Representative Parker Fairbairn

House District 107

District

Rep. Parker Fairbairn was first elected to the state House of Representatives in November 2024. He serves the 107th House District, which includes the counties of Charlevoix and Emmet and a portion of Cheboygan including the township of Mackinaw; portions of Chippewa including the townships of Bruce, Detour, Drummond, Pickford, Raber, Soo, and Sugar Island; and portions of Mackinac including the townships of Bois Blanc, Brevort, Marquette, Moran, and St. Ignace as well as the cities of Boyne City, Charlevoix, East Jordan, Harbor Springs, Mackinac Island, Petoskey, Sault Ste Marie, and St. Ignace.

Committees:

Fairbairn is Vice Chair of the Regulatory Reform Committee and a member of the committees on: Natural Resources and Tourism; Communication and Technology; and Energy. He is also a member of the House Select Committee on Protecting Michigan Employees and Small Businesses.

Background:

Born in Petoskey, Fairbairn grew up in Northern Michigan and is a fifth-generation resident of the area. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and master’s degree in business administration from Northwood University.

Before being elected, Fairbairn served on the Emmet County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. He is also the former chair of the Emmet County Republican Party. Since 2022, he has served as a board member for Emmet County Farm Bureau.

Fairbairn is also a proud member of the National Rifle Association, American Legislative Exchange Council, Michigan Farm Bureau, Emmet County Farm Bureau, Ducks Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Safari Club International, and Mackinac Associates – a nonprofit historical preservation organization that supports state parks and interpretive programs.

Personal:

Fairbairn and his wife live in Harbor Springs and attend Harbor Light Community Chapel. Fairbairn is also an avid outdoorsman and enjoys hunting, fishing and golf with his family.

Kristian Grant is a dedicated public servant, community advocate, entrepreneur and proud mother, born and raised in Michigan’s 82nd District. Currently serving in her second term as state representative, she remains committed to strengthening communities through housing, economic development and education. In her first term, she was appointed majority vice chair of the Economic Development & Small Business Committee and chair of the Housing Subcommittee. She also served on Insurance & Financial Services, Regulatory Reform and Tax Policy committees. In her second term, she has been appointed as minority vice chair of the Economic Competitiveness Committee and will serve on the Regulatory Reform and Transportation & Infrastructure committees. She continues to focus on policies that support businesses, strengthen industries and invest in communities. 

Since taking office, Rep. Grant has successfully passed 15 bills through the House, 10 of which were signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Her legislation focuses on key issues such as housing, gun reform, economic growth, child welfare, workforce protections and criminal justice reform. Her significant work has expanded business support, improved protections for children, strengthened state finance policies and reformed legal procedures. Kristian’s commitment to economic growth and community revitalization began long before her time in the Legislature. As a real estate entrepreneur, she has invested in urban redevelopment, transforming properties to better serve communities. Her work in the retail and service industries reflects her passion for fostering local economic growth and innovation. 

Rep. Grant first entered public service as the youngest person ever elected to the Grand Rapids Public Schools Board of Education, where she served for six years, including two as board chair. During her tenure, she led strategic planning, policy development and strengthened city-school partnerships to improve opportunities for students and families. Beyond the Legislature, she has served on multiple local boards, including the Grand Rapids Master Plan Committee, Southtown Corridor Improvement Authority, Promise Zone Authority, Convention Arena Authority CIG, SmartZone Local Development Finance Authority and Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. Her leadership continues to shape equitable development and economic opportunities in Grand Rapids. 

An award-winning innovator, Kristian received the 2024 William Glenn Trailblazer Giants Award and was named one of MLive’s “Women Who Shape the State” in 2022. Whether advocating for housing, economic opportunities or education, Rep. Grant remains focused on building a stronger, more equitable Michigan.

Alethia joined Gongwer in 2013 after interning with the company in 2011. She leads Gongwer’s overall news coverage and serves as senior legislative reporter in addition to covering the marijuana industry. She's co-host of MichMash, a podcast partnership between Gongwer and WDET Detroit Public Radio. From 2013-21, she covered the Michigan House of Representatives. Alethia graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism and public relations. She has reported with The State News and Great Lakes Echo. She also did marketing and public relations work with the Downtown Anaheim Association in California. She grew up in Detroit and Hazel Park.

Kyle Melinn is the editor and Vice President of MIRS. A professional journalist for 30 years who has covered the state Capitol for the last 24, Kyle regularly appears on Off the Record, ‘The Big Show’ with Michael Patrick Shiels and radio shows across the state.

Before MIRS, Kyle served as a freelance writer for the Boston Herald and as a senior editor for SchoolSports.com.

He has also covered government and politics for the The Daily Citizen, in Dalton, Ga.; The Yuma Daily Sun, in Yuma, Ariz.; and the Towne Courier in East Lansing.

Kyle has won several awards for his work in three states, including being voted the Most Effective Michigan Capitol journalist in a poll conducted by EPIC-MRA for six straight legislative cycles from 2025 to 2015.

He is a graduate of Michigan State University, who grew up in Byron Center.

The Wine and Spirits Wholesalers Association (WSWA) is a national trade association that advances the interests of distributors of wine, spirits, mixed spirit drinks, and more, primarily at the federal level. Times are changing fast across the country and in DC for our industry. Join us as Francis Creighton, President and CEO of WSWA, and MB&WWA President, Spencer Nevins, discuss the distribution industry, the role WSWA plays in advancing your interests in DC, the outlook for hemp beverages, and opportunities and challenges facing our industry.

About Francis

Francis Creighton was confirmed as the President and CEO of WSWA in September 2022. Prior to joining WSWA, Creighton was the President and CEO of the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA) where he spent over 5 years leading the trade association that represents the U.S. consumer reporting industry.

Creighton has extensive experience in Washington D.C., working in both the legislative and executive branches of government for over 15 years on financial services, employee benefits and campaign finance reform. He also served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. In the private sector, Creighton led government relations for the Financial Services Roundtable, which represents top U.S. financial companies including banks, asset managers, insurers and payment firms. Additionally, he worked for the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) on affordable housing and other issues important to the real estate finance industry. Recognized as a “Top Lobbyist” by The Hill newspaper, Creighton has appeared in national and international print, television and radio outlets as a contributor and subject matter expert.

Creighton holds a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University, where he serves as an adjunct faculty member. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science and history from the University at Albany, State University of New York, and also studied at Glasgow University. He resides in the Washington, D.C., area with his wife Julia. 

As new technology emerges, the beer industry finds itself in a monumental shift.  But between the hype and the headlines, it’s hard to know what actually matters to your business.

In this session, Bud Dunn—former MB&WWA Board member and President of Volume x Profit Technologies—pulls back the curtain on how AI, automation, and smarter data are driving real change in the beer industry.

You’ll get a distributor’s-eye view of what tools are worth your time, what’s just noise, and how to move forward without losing what makes your business work.

Key Takeaways

• What AI is (and isn’t) in plain English
• Real use cases already transforming distributor operations
• The biggest blockers to adoption—and how to overcome them
• Practical steps to modernize your strategy without overwhelming your team

About Bud

As the President of Volume x Profit Tech (VXP), Bud Dunn is passionate about the intersection of data, strategy, and human motivation. With a focus on creating driven sales teams, he leverages decades of experience in the beverage industry from his family-owned wholesaler, Atlas Sales in Battle Creek, MI.

Bud is dedicated to developing strategies that go beyond mere sales figures. At VXP, the emphasis is on crafting compelling incentives, empowering distributor sales teams, and ultimately delivering highly profitable results.

Bud is a seasoned beer industry speaker, presenting to organizations like Zywiec Breweries PLC Poland, on podcasts, to KEG groups, and at supplier summits. He has presented as a conference speaker, panelist, and panel moderator for conferences including the Beer Business Daily Summit, National Beer Wholesalers Association, and NBWA’s Next Generation Conference.

It is no secret that state after state is exploring opening the doors to the hemp beverage industry, including Michigan. Don’t miss MB&WWA Vice President of Public Affairs, Brett Visner, and Hemp Beverage Alliance President and CEO, Christopher Lackner, discuss the hemp beverage market, what is and is not working in states, ideas on how Michigan should proceed, and where this is all heading at the national level.