MEET THE EXPERTS
Born and bred in Indiana, Michter’s Master Distiller Dan McKee moved to Kentucky to pursue his dream of making whiskey. He began his career in the bourbon industry as a Distillery Operator at Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, Kentucky. After two years of hands-on experience making some of the industry’s leading bourbons and ryes, he was promoted to Distillery Supervisor at Booker Noe Distillery, where he worked for seven years. At that distillery, Dan reported to Pam Heilmann and gained valuable experience in all aspects of whiskey distilling. After being brought to Michter’s Distillery by Ms. Heilmann, he played an integral role in assisting with the construction of the company’s new Shively Distillery, and along with Ms. Heilmann and Andrea Wilson he built the company’s current production team. Dan has continued to expand the company’s operations with his work to bring Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery online with its legendary pot stills and cypress wood fermenters from the original Michter’s Pennsylvania operation. With his expertise in grain, Dan has played a key role in working with our local farmers to coordinate the planting schedules on Michter’s 205-acre parcel in Springfield, Kentucky. Having graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University, Dan serves as Michter’s technical representative on the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.
Andrea is Michter's Master of Maturation as well as its Chief Operating Officer. As Michter's Master of Maturation, Andrea manages barrel specifications, barrel procurement, heat cycling and temperature monitoring during aging, tracking maturation of barrels, whiskey filtration in preparation for bottling, and innovation to continue to improve the aging process.
Andrea has achieved many honors during her illustrious career including being the first woman to ever serve as Chair of the Kentucky Distillers' Association and being welcomed into The Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame®. Andrea is admired for her accomplishments in the whiskey industry and has been involved in all aspects of making Michter's whiskeys.
Before joining Michter's, Andrea spent over ten years with Diageo in various whiskey related positions including Director of Distillation and Maturation, North America - overseeing both the U.S. and Canadian distillation and maturation programs. Prior to her departure from Diageo, she was the company’s Director of Whiskey Strategy for North American operations. She holds a Master of Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Louisville, and she has been highlighted in the KET television documentary, Kentucky Bourbon Tales: Distilling the Family Business.
As Michter’s Distiller and Vice President of Production, Matt Bell oversees day to day operations for both the company’s Shively Distillery as well as the company’s Fort Nelson Distillery. After studying biology at University of Kentucky, Matt began his journey in the whiskey world with research and development work into alcohol production at Alltech, owner of Town Branch Distillery and Kentucky Ale. Trained by Scotland’s famed still maker Forsyths in the art of distillation, Matt has conducted research and development work executing complex distillation experiments. After 7 years with Alltech, Matt moved on to work at the Wild Turkey Distillery where he held the position of Distillery Supervisor as part of Master Distiller Jimmy Russell’s team. After joining Michter’s, Matt served as the company’s Distillery Manager prior to being promoted to his current position.
Pam is Michter's Master Distiller Emerita. Upon assuming the position of Master Distiller at Michter's, Pam became the first woman since Prohibition to serve as Master Distiller at a Kentucky Distillers Association distillery.
Prior to joining Michter's, Pam spent nearly fifteen years at Beam Global, Inc. and is regarded as one of America's most talented distillers. At Beam, she oversaw all aspects of whiskey production as Distillery Manager at the Booker Noe Distillery, at that time the world's largest bourbon distillery, in Boston, Kentucky. During her years at Beam, Pam worked directly with former Master Distiller Jerry Dalton.
Two time Chair of the Kentucky Distillers Association, Rick Robinson is Michter’s Vice President Corporate Development. To this role, Rick brings experience garnered from senior spirits industry positions held during an illustrious 25 year career. Rick has a Bachelor of Science Biology degree from University of Alberta as well as a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree from Lakehead University. Born and raised in Canada, Rick started his career with the Seagram Company in various roles before moving to Con Agra Malting as a Maltster/Production Manager. After joining Diageo Canada, Rick eventually rose to the position of Site Manager at Gimli Distillery, where Crown Royal is produced, with responsibility for all operational and leadership aspects at the distillery. Rick further spent some time in Maryland and the United States Virgin Islands before his career later took him to Kentucky where he assumed the Site Director role at the Wild Turkey Distillery. There he worked closely for years with the Master Distiller Jimmy Russell, and all Wild Turkey production reported to Rick. Rick eventually went on to become the Vice President US Supply Chain for Campari. He is married to his wife Stacey, who he has known since they were children. They now have two children of their own, Parker and Tabitha.
Joseph J. Magliocco is President of Louisville based Michter’s Distillery as well as its parent Chatham Imports, a supplier of imported wines and niche spirits. Upon completing his studies, he immediately began his full-time work in the spirits industry, with one of his first bosses being R.C. Wells, who had previously served as President of Four Roses. In the 1990's, working with his consultant and mentor Dick Newman, former President of Austin Nichols, the maker of Wild Turkey, he restarted the Michter's brand which had been abandoned after the Pennsylvania company's 1989 bankruptcy.
Joseph has received several honors during his career including his 2023 induction into The Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® and his 2024 induction into The Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame. He has served as Vice Chairman and is one of the fifteen founding members of the Order of the Writ, "the fraternal and charitable organization that embraces the spirit of Kentucky Bourbon education, responsibility, environmental stewardship, history, scholarship and unwavering commitment to the furtherance of America's only native spirit". Additionally, he has served on the Board of Directors of the Kentucky Distillers Association, where he was Treasurer and later on Vice Chair. Inducted in Bordeaux as a Commandeur de L’Ordre du Bontemps de Medoc et de Graves, he has considerable experience working with not just spirits, but wines as well.
Joseph graduated from Yale College, where he majored in Religious Studies and did some bartending, and he earned his law degree at Harvard Law School. He has done and continues to do charitable work volunteering for not-for-profits.
