The Boutique Cigar Association of America has named its inaugural board of directors to help the group begin on its mission of better representing the needs and concerns of the cigar industry’s smaller companies.

Dr. Gaby Kafie of Kafie 1901 Cigars, who launched the organization in August, has been named its president. Dalton Healy of Spring Street Cigars, a retailer in Tupleo, Miss., has been named vice president, while Carter Skinner of Tiburon Boutique Cigars Sales in Texas will serve as treasurer. Kerry Horney of Viajante’s Stogie Road, a cigar lifestyle website, has been named secretary.

Rounding out the board is Mike Palmer of the Florida Cigar Club, who will serve as manager; Joel Vazquez Marrero of Marrero Cigars, who will handle media relations; and Fouad Kashouty of Hiram & Solomon Cigars, who will serve as ambassador.

The term length for each board member will be two years.

Additionally, the BCAA has registered with the Department of State and has been assigned an EIN number for future non-profit business activities.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.