”Flux” may be the term that best describes 2026 for the San Diego Brewers Guild. A non-profit that’s been advocating for its member breweries for 29 years, the volunteer-led entity lost its only employee earlier this year when former executive director Erik Fowler departed to turn his full attention to his eight-month-old business, Good Pressure Brewing. That left a gaping hole to fill, one requiring an individual with a working knowledge of San Diego and the craft-beer industry, plus the near-requisite passion that’s proven a difference-maker for past Guild employees. The organization believes it has found that in Jeanne Pacheco, who came on in a newly created role in May, and has hit the ground running. After spending a half-decade acclimating herself to the industry as a sales rep with Colorado-based New Belgium Brewing, Pacheco caught on with Ballast Point Brewing, where she quickly moved from the tasting room to the distribution department, ascending to the role of manager during her nine years there. In 2024, she took a job as Director of the Hop Quality Group, a non-profit coalition of 50 independent U.S. craft breweries working with hop growers, dealers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to improve the quality and supply of hops. No stranger to working with individuals hailing from different yet related entities, she’s now putting that know-how to work for the Guild, along with organizational, communication and administrative skillsets. But the org chart isn’t the only thing that’s changed for the Guild. For the first time since San Diego Beer Week launched in 2009, its largest annual event of the year, the Capital of Craft Beer Festival (previously called Guild Fest), will take place outside that November timeframe, moving to Saturday, September 19. We recently sat down with Pacheco to talk about that change-up, her new position, and what she hopes to achieve for both the Guild and its members.
What does your role with the Guild entail?
The Admin role I was hired for is a new, part-time position. The Guild eliminated the position of executive director, and the difference between the two is TBD. It is a work-in-progress position as I learn everything that is needed here. Currently, I am planning the San Diego Craft Beer Con event, maintaining and updating membership, corresponding with everyone who reaches out to us and collaboration with the Board of Directors on what is next for the Guild as well as what we have going on for the rest of the year. That includes the aforementioned Craft Beer Con, Capital of Craft Beer Festival, SDBW, member meetings and more.
How do you believe your experience will help you in this role?
I have a true passion for this industry, which is why I am trying my hardest to stay involved in it, especially during these hard times. That passion supplies the energy to put in the extra time and effort for the Guild, its members and our community. My experience has given me the very cool opportunity to work closely with every department in a brewery. I have an understanding of what’s happening to everyone and a sincere empathy to what people in this industry are going through – production and operations, sales and marketing, procurement, accounting, etc. – and also what people in this industry really enjoy: the camaraderie. On the other hand, I am new at this. But my inexperience allows me to come in with new eyes on things. My hope is that history and this new role will make me an asset to the Board in coming up with ways to help our San Diego Brewers and our partners.
What are some of your near- and long-term goals?
Right now, becoming more involved in the San Diego brewing community or, should I say, involved again. Meeting more people, having conversations and learning the ways I can help us. What can I do to improve the Guild and what can we do to help our member breweries. Longer term, I want to update our system for accuracy, increase membership, and above all, increase excitement around the Guild.
What drove this year’s changes to the Capital of Craft Beer Festival?
For the second straight year, we have partnered with a couple of local festival experts to make this event the best it can be. We have 31 member breweries signed up so far, and this year we are bringing it back to where it all began, the Broadway Pier. The festival was moved off SDBW for a handful of reasons. The hope is to make it more of a self-standing event and not have it compete with so much going on that week, including events that local breweries are holding around town. Also, we want to ensure breweries can participate without the worry of not being able to staff their own Beer Week events because they are busy representing their brewery at the festival. Our plan is to try it out this year and see what everyone thinks!
How do you think the Guild can best serve its members while assisting the entire industry?
As a beginner with the Guild, my initial thoughts are to help promote members, bring people together through events, small or large, and link people together who may not have a relationship but could provide insight and knowledge to each other. As one learns, it spreads and those changes hopefully will have an ultimate positive impact on our local industry. But ask me again in a year!
Tickets to the 2026 Capital of Craft Beer Festival are available online. Enter the promo code “SDBeerNews” to receive a discount.