KANSAS CITY, MO. – The Board of Directors of the Kansas City Barbeque Society is pleased to announce Emily Detwiler as Chief Executive Officer
New C.E.O. will focus on driving future strategy and growth for barbeque organization of over 20,000 members.
“The Board of Directors of the Kansas City Barbeque Society recognizes that we need to make pivotal changes and decisions to re-energize the organization, build membership, and identify opportunities for growth into the future to continue promoting barbeque as a pastime,” said Candy Weaver, president of the board of directors of the Kansas City Barbeque Society. “We believe that Emily Detwiler is the right person to lead KCBS into the future; based on her experience as a well-rounded leader with significant experience and track record in business and marketing, as well as her deep knowledge of the sport of competition and backyard barbeque.”
Emily Detwiler is a business and marketing professional with over 15 years of experience in strategy development, branding, integrated marketing planning, partnership development, agency leadership, and operating plan development. Her experience has been developed across Brands and Retailers such as Smithfield, Hostess, Borden, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Ahold Delhaize, Meijer, Hy-Vee, etc. She has developed partnerships with leading brands such as Weber, Kingsford, E.J. Gallo, and Tabasco. Emily holds Bachelor’s degrees in Marketing and Management from Drake University, as well as a Master in Business Administration from the University of Missouri; where she has served on the MBA Advisory Board for +10 years.
Emily was instrumental in developing and leading Smithfield Foods’ experiential programs; with emphasis on driving awareness and engagement among NASCAR and BBQ fans for grilling. Emily’s leadership and creativity, combined with key relationships developed across the sport of barbeque, led to the development of pitmaster ambassadors, key contest sponsorships, and a cooks program. Emily’s innovative and entrepreneurial mindset also led to the development of a Grant program to deepen the prize pools, and a unified National Championship program across sanctioning bodies. The programs that Emily developed have been key to drawing attention and investment in the sport from other leading brands.
“I am truly honored to be selected as the Chief Executive Officer of the Kansas City Barbeque Society,” states Emily Detwiler. “I look forward to leveraging my experiences in business, marketing, strategic program development and partnership-building within the barbeque space to reignite the passion of the barbeque and grilling. KCBS was co-founded by Carolyn and Gary Wells and Rich Welch in Kansas City, which is a true barbeque destination! I look forward to strengthening and developing programs to carry on the legacy and to grow the Kansas City Barbeque Society into the future.”
Carolyn Wells, co-founder and executive director of KCBS states, “I am excited to have Emily Detwiler continue on the traditions we’ve established at KCBS. Her experiences and relationships in building barbeque programs will be a valuable asset to KCBS as she develops strategies and programs for a strong future.”
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About the Kansas City Barbeque Society:
The Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) KCBS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, celebrating, promoting and educating the public about barbeque as a distinctively American cuisine. KCBS is the world’s largest organization of barbeque and grilling enthusiasts, with approximately 20,000 members in the U.S. and over 40 countries. KCBS sanctions nearly 500 barbeque contests worldwide each year. Their contest and judging protocols are utilized by destination contests such as the American Royal World Series of Barbeque© and the Jack Daniel’s Invitational. For more information, visit us online at http://www.KCBS.us, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityBarbequeSociety and on Twitter @KCBBQSociety
From volunteering at barbeque contests to event production, KCBS members offer guidance to civic and charitable organizations who organize events. KCBS serves as a key influencer and powerhouse of barbeque information, partnering with related trade associations and other contest-sanctioning organizations, tracking trends in barbeque related products and teaming up with other food organizations and the media to promote barbeque.
