Meet the Instructors: Christopher Smith, Fundamentals of Commercial Brewing

[Meet the Instructors is a series intended to introduce you to one of the greatest resources the University of Washington Tacoma Professional Development Center has to offer: its diverse team of veteran, industry-tested professionals. The Center’s professional development programs are designed to be rewarding, challenging and cutting-edge. Our instructors play no small part in that, ensuring students are exposed to the most current industry trends while remaining well-versed in the tried-and-true best practices of their professions. We’re excited to share our instructors with you, and their stories are a great place to start.]

This January, a group of students will attend the Professional Development Center’s newest craft beer industry course: Fundamentals of Commercial Brewing. Building off the success of Mastering Beer Styles and Business of Craft Beer, this course will introduce students to the technical, operational world of commercial brewing. Like the craft beer courses before it, this course will be taught by industry experts with real-world lessons informing the curriculum. Leading the helm is Lowercase Brewing’s owner and managing member, Christopher Smith. Read more Meet the Instructors: Christopher Smith, Fundamentals of Commercial Brewing

Hayden Milligan: PDC Graduate Named to South Sound Business “40 Under 40” List

For 19 years, South Sound Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Awards contest has presented 40 local professionals under age 40 “who are dynamic leaders in the business community.” Writes the journal, “You dine in their restaurants. You conduct business with them. Sit on philanthropic boards with them. Run industry organizations with them. They have an innovative, entrepreneurial spirit that propels the economy today and will for years to come.” This year, one such person is Hayden Milligan, 31, a Professional Development Center graduate and a director of human resources in Olympia, Wash.

“No, I didn’t win $40,” said Milligan. Read more Hayden Milligan: PDC Graduate Named to South Sound Business “40 Under 40” List