Kurt Staudter is the executive director of the Vermont Brewers Association, representing all of the breweries in the state. He and his wife, Patti, run the association from Springfield, Vermont. He is the Vermont columnist for Yankee Brew News, and has written about beer and politics in the Vermont Standard and Vermont Magazine. He learned about beer from his first-generation German-American father, who ensured his love for good food, great beer and family were passed on to the next generation.