{"id":953,"date":"2025-01-01T00:20:36","date_gmt":"2025-01-01T08:20:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/crimsonpineapple\/?p=953"},"modified":"2025-12-05T11:44:48","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T19:44:48","slug":"jamie-peha-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/crimsonpineapple\/2025\/01\/01\/jamie-peha-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Puget Sound Business Journal<\/em> Selects Jamie Peha for Women of Influence List"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Headshot<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One might say Auction of Washington Wines Executive Director Jamie Peha\u2019s<\/a> (\u201978) career success is like the notes of fine wine\u2014well balanced, fruitful, and lengthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With more than 40 years of business leadership experience, she has created incredible momentum in the rise of Washington wines and long-reaching value within her community. As just one example, Auction of Washington Wines 2024 events raised $4.25 million for Seattle Children\u2019s Hospital, Washington State University\u2019s Viticulture and Enology Department, and industry grant partner Vital Wines, which provides health care and other resources to vineyard workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of her exemplary leadership in promoting Washington state wine, Peha was recently honored as one of Puget Sound Business Journal\u2019s<\/em> 2024 Women of Influence. The title recognizes Pacific Northwest women for their authority and power to drive change, professional accomplishments, service to community, and service as respected advisors and mentors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing recognized as a woman of influence by the Puget Sound Business Journal<\/em> is truly an honor,\u201d Peha says. \u201cIt\u2019s a testament to the hard work, resilience, and collaboration that shaped my career, and I am proud to represent the power of women in leadership. It\u2019s also a reminder that influence isn\u2019t just about success\u2014it’s about making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wine industry career begins in an unexpected way<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As a young girl growing up on Mercer Island, Peha was unaware her future career path was silently forming as she dined at some of Seattle\u2019s top restaurants, thanks to her father\u2019s interest in fine dining. While dining out was a special occasion for most at that time, Peha\u2019s regular exposure to the art of hospitality ultimately influenced her decision to attend WSU\u2019s School of Hospitality Business Management<\/a> and earn a degree in hotel and restaurant administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After graduating, she worked as a restaurant manager where her first exposure to wine was through historic brands like Mateus and Blue Nun, as Washington wines were unknown at that time. As she transitioned into finer dining in the Los Angeles area, she worked closely with California and Washington wines through inventory management and began to learn about brands. This hands-on experience piqued her curiosity in the wine industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs my career in event production grew, I developed a deep appreciation for Washington wines and was inspired to promote the state’s wine industry,\u201d Peha says. \u201cThat appreciation has grown along with the wine industry, and I continue to champion the excellence and unique character of Washington wines and the people who produce them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peha has built and led several successful businesses, including her company, Peha Promotions, which specializes in marketing strategy and event solutions. During her tenure at the Washington Wine Commission, the number of Washington wineries grew from 80 to more than 350, and today boasts over 1,000. She launched the Taste Washington event series, established the Washington Wine Restaurant Awards, and guided retail and on-premises Washington Wine Months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“She has an incredible knack for turning ideas into impactful initiatives, always focused on community and collaboration. A memorable moment that truly stands out was Jamie’s spearheading the development and promotion of Taste Washington, an event that started in Seattle and went on the road to evangelize the wines of Washington state,” says Stacie Jacob, chief strategist at Solterra Strategies. “It’s a true testament of her leadership and vision and inspired many in our community.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peha says the highlight of her career was when Ted Baseler<\/a> (\u201976), former president and CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, tapped her to become executive director for the Auction of Washington Wines in 2019. She says the role deepened her connection to the industry and the organization\u2019s ability to help ensure the state remains a leader in wine production and charitable giving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Business advice for future wine and beverage leaders<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Peha attributes her solid business foundation to her WSU education, which gave her strong skills in economics, marketing, management, and customer service. To be job-ready, today\u2019s wine and beverage business management graduates need to be able to handle rapid-fire change above all else, she says. A combination of technical and soft skills as well as an understanding emerging trends like sustainability, e-commerce, and craft beverages, will prepare them to navigate and thrive in the evolving global beverage industry, she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

True success is not just about profitability or personal achievement. It is also about making a positive impact for others, Peha says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGiving back is not only rewarding but also strengthens organizations and creates legacy,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve always been committed to giving back, whether it\u2019s through mentorship, supporting local organizations, or creating opportunities for others to succeed.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wine and beverage industry leader Jamie Peha (\u201978) was honored as one of Puget Sound Business Journal\u2019s<\/em> 2024 Women of Influence. The title recognizes PNW women for their authority and power to drive change, professional accomplishments, service to community, and service as respected advisors and mentors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":[561],"featured_media":1134,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_wsuwp_accessibility_report":null},"categories":[537,569,539,555,550],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/crimsonpineapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/953"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/crimsonpineapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/crimsonpineapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/crimsonpineapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/561"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/crimsonpineapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=953"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/crimsonpineapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/953\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1376,"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/crimsonpineapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/953\/revisions\/1376"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/crimsonpineapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/crimsonpineapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/crimsonpineapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/crimsonpineapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=953"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/crimsonpineapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/author?post=953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}