Our Crew

Chad - founder, Floor Mopper, whiskey taster

Chad has spent over 25 years as a pilot in the military and civilian aviation industry. After many years of traveling for work, he retired from the Army in 2015. You may run across Chad in the friendly skies still working as an airline pilot. Although, he is thrilled to spend time close to home with friends, family, and his dog Maggie when he can.

Chad got into craft distilling because it's a great blend of agriculture, science, and history. He enjoys two of the following three things: running marathons, watching college football, and finding great places to eat wherever he travels. He lives with his wife and best friend, Jodi, in New Tripoli, PA. They are proud grandparents and he still can't believe that Jodi agreed to start a distillery with him!

Jesse — Co-founder, check cutter, moped repair man

Jesse is a proud countryman, having been born, raised, and educated in the Lehigh Valley. After 7 long years in the oil and gas industry, Jesse has returned to his roots. His distilling journey started at home where he brewed ales behind closed doors. This hobby quickly grew into a great passion for small batch, artisan spirits, and so it’s a dream to be working with his hands and achieving success close to home.

Jesse’s greatest gift is raising his three children with his high school sweetheart, Lia. A tinkerer at heart, he also enjoys riding and fixing (mostly fixing) his self-restored moped and raising a glass with good company in his hometown of New Tripoli.

Carly — co-founder, Chief Operating Officer, singer/dancer

After spending most of her life moving from one place to the next, Carly has planted roots in New Tripoli, where she lives with her husband, Logan, and their daughter Willa James. Though she now calls PA farmland home, Carly maintains a wanderlust and loves to explore new places every chance she gets.

A lover of the human spirit, Carly always knew she wanted to work closely with her family in a field that connected her with new people on a daily basis. That, coupled with a solid background in drinking great booze, has led Carly to her ideal career at Eight Oaks.

She’s excited to meet you and share stories over one or three of Eight Oaks’ delicious, handcrafted cocktails…but in the meantime, Gilmore Girls is on.

Josh - Chief Brand Officer, Old Fashioned Lover, Arsenal Fan

A native Milwaukeean, Josh is the Chief Brand Officer for Eight Oaks Farm Distillery. He manages the Eight Oaks brand and all marketing and communications. This includes advertising, content, public relations, and social media. 

Josh has helped organizations share their stories with the community for over 18 years. He is passionate about Eight Oaks' purpose and mission. He does what he can to share the Eight Oaks story and make a difference in the community.

He holds a Bachelor's in Literary Studies from Ottawa University, an MA in Education from Concordia, and an MA in Mass Communications from Marquette University.

Caitlin — Distiller, Production Planner, Flower Arranger 

Born and raised in New Tripoli, Caitlin is no stranger to farming. She attended Bloomsburg University, where she majored in science. Though she never saw her career path leading to a distillery, it was love at first sip. She left her previous job as an insurance coordinator and jumped head first into a full-time gig at Eight Oaks. She and her husband Jimmy moved back to New Tripoli after college and live just up the road from the distillery!

Eight Oaks Rye Whiskey is Caitlin’s absolute favorite, and she looks forward to raising a few glasses with you and yours.

Joey — Distiller, Facility Maintenance, Corn Hole Master

Joey has grown up and lived almost his entire life in the fields of Germansville, PA. After high school, he went on to Temple University for four years where he majored in business. He joined our team during our hand sanitizer operation during the pandemic in 2020 and has worked his way up to now being one of the distillers! In his free time, he enjoys relaxing with friends and family, but on the weekends you can probably find him at one of the local disc golf courses catching a round with his buddies.

His favorite cocktail is the Jack Rose, a classic made with Applejack. He is also a big fan of Chef Tim’s soup specials. He is also our self-renowned cornhole pro, stop by and challenge him to a game!