ABOUT
The Board of Directors and Staff at the USBG National Charity Foundation are comprised of a diverse group of beverage, hospitality, and nonprofit professionals.
Board Of Directors
Naomi Ayala
Director & Vice President
Tony Devencenzi
Director
Dallas-based Naomi Ayala was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, and attended Texas Christian University. She has worked in the hospitality and spirits industries since 2004 across the Northeast and Texas but finds her passion lies in service. She is an experienced fundraiser and is active in the non-profit sector serving on the boards of service organizations and sitting on fundraising committees for no-kill animal shelters and agencies advocating and serving children with developmental differences. But the primary focus of her work benefits survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence, and human trafficking, as well as veterans, women, and children experiencing homelessness. She has served on the USBG Dallas Chapter Board of Directors since 2018 and as Southwest Regional Chair of the National Council of Chapters since 2020. In addition, she frequently hosts the USBG Foundation Weekly. Naomi cherishes spending time with her family at cookouts and Texas Rangers games and relaxing with her three enormous pups.
Tony Devencenzi has worked in various positions within the service industry for over 25 years. In the mid-2000s he became swept up in the cocktail renaissance happening in San Francisco and spent the next decade behind the bar at some of the premier venues in the area. After a horrific car accident in 2008, the bar community stepped up to keep him afloat until he could get back to bartending. This charitable action led to his co-founding of the Bartender Relief Fund - which in turn inspired and was subsequently absorbed into the Bartender Emergency Assistance Program at the USBG Foundation. His first-hand knowledge of how charitable grants can prevent financial and psychological ruin drives his passion for the cause. Tony has stepped away from the bar and is currently the Northern California Steward of the Brand for WhistlePig Whiskey. He lives in San Francisco on Treasure Island with his wife and two adorable cats.
Kyle McHugh
Director & President
Kyle N. McHugh started his career bartending in Washington, DC in 1998. Over the next decade, he worked nearly every position possible in bars and restaurants across the country. In 2007, Kyle formed his beverage consulting, education & events company The Boozehound, and from 2008 - 2010, he opened & operated the retail drink boutique Drinks Over Dearborn. During this time, he also served as a professor of wine & beverage at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago, an instructor for Master Mixologist Bridget Albert’s Academy of Spirits & Fine Service, as well as for the Advanced Mixology & Culinary Academy. Today, Kyle is the Director of Brand Advocacy for the craft spirits collective Samson & Surrey. From 2011-2016, Kyle worked as a Diageo Master of Whisky, and in 2015, earned his General Certificate in Distillation from the Institute of Brewing & Distilling based in London, England. Kyle is a Certified Spirits Professional with the U.S. Bartender's Guild (USBG), where he also served as National President (2018-2020) and Chairman of the Board. He is a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, a Cicerone Certified Beer Seller, a trained BJCP beer judge, and an Executive Bourbon Steward, to name a handful of his certifications. Kyle is also a graduate of the IBA Bartender Training Center Europe (Tallinn, Estonia 2016) and the BAR 5-Day program (New York, NY 2017). In 2021, Kyle joined the Board of Directors of the USBG National Charity Foundation.
Aaron Smith
Officer & Secretary
Aaron Smith started in the hospitality industry at 18, began managing restaurants at 21, and opened his first bar/restaurant at 28. Before becoming taken by the familial atmosphere of restaurants, his first professional passion was non-profit work. Aaron has been serving as the Executive Director of the United States Bartenders' Guild and the acting Executive Director of the USBG Foundation since 2013. Aaron believes that the hospitality industry needs and deserves great leadership, and through the Guild and Foundation, he focuses on creating development opportunities for hospitality professionals across the country. He lives in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood with his husband, Valter, and their rescue dog, Charlie.
Trish Renehan Vodrazka
Director & Treasurer
With over 30+ years of experience in the hospitality, bar, and restaurant industry, Trish offers consulting services ranging from restaurant operations, event planning, catering, fundraising, social media, and marketing to spirits, wine, and beer education.
Staff
Aaron Smith
Acting Executive Director
Aaron Smith started in the hospitality industry at 18, began managing restaurants at 21, and opened his first bar/restaurant at 28. Before becoming taken by the familial atmosphere of restaurants, his first professional passion was non-profit work. Aaron has been serving as the Executive Director of the United States Bartenders' Guild and the acting Executive Director of the USBG Foundation since 2013. Aaron believes that the hospitality industry needs and deserves great leadership, and through the Guild and Foundation, he focuses on creating development opportunities for hospitality professionals across the country. He lives in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood with his husband, Valter, and their rescue dog, Charlie.
Genevieve Porter
Sr. Program Manager
Genevieve Porter has over ten years of experience in the nonprofit development sector. She has held Development Manager and Officer positions at several international nonprofit organizations. She specializes in organizational and program management, grantmaking, raising funds from major individual and institutional donors, and managing corporate partnerships. Genevieve believes in making non-profits the best version of themselves, and she strives to implement the personnel and processes to ensure that this is accomplished. Genevieve has a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She currently lives in Northern California with her partner and their yard chickens.
Lisa McMillan
Program Manager
Lisa McMillan discovered her passion for charitable service after five years of assisting, coordinating, and managing corporate sponsor programs for the USBG. Prior to her time with the USBG, Lisa was a full-time mom and photographer. She is currently a Program Manager focused on the successful implementation of education, community service, and philanthropic programming. Lisa resides in Kansas City where she continues to manage a successful part-time photography business and raise two wonderful teenagers.