When we say “Here’s to Hayden” we mean “Here’s to Hayden’s legacy and all the amazing employees who helped us become an amazing place to work” but it’s just not as catchy. So, this is the place we get to showcase our passionate and dedicated leadership team. Unfortunately not every Hayden employee is on this page, but we can tell you we all share Hayden Beverage values. We are hard workers, we are passionate, we want to make a difference, and we care. Since you’re here checking us out, we think you share those same values, so we say "Here's to you."


Dodds Hayden
Chief Executive Officer
Dodds Hayden
Chief Executive OfficerDodds Hayden was born in Idaho and raised in the beer and wine business. After graduating from Boise High School, Dodds graduated from Bowdoin College, spent 5 years as a Marine Corps infantry officer, and attended Babson Business School. He then returned to Idaho and the family business serving as General Manager of the Sun Valley operation for eight years. Returning to Boise, he managed the on-premise division and presided over the company’s operations with his father, John. When John died in 2006, Dodds took over as president, purchased the company, and now oversees all Hayden Beverage entities. Dodds is a Certified Specialist of Wine, as awarded by the Society of Wine Educators.
- Favorite car owned: 66 Lincoln Continental Convertible (long before Entourage)
- Favorite band/artist: Waylon Jennings—duh!
- Favorite books: check out my ever-growing list
- Favorite place to be 4pm on a Saturday: Apres Ski—anywhere
- Favorite job before Hayden & first job: USMC Officer; 1st job was Albertsons bag boy
- Favorite restaurant not in Idaho: Ned Kelley’s Last Stand—Hong Kong
- Turn ons: Adrenalin, 100-case displays, menu dominance
- Favorite part of job: seeing people succeed
- Favorite place to pitch a tent in Idaho: Heart Lake (White Clouds)
- If I could go to any event in the world, it would be: My Zihuatanejo wedding (again)


Dan Scovel
Chief Operating Officer
Dan Scovel
Chief Operating OfficerDan Scovel started his 30+ year career with Hayden (then Boise Sales Co.) as a driver-salesman in 1978 when the company picked up several additional brands. He has filled various roles including pre-sales, purchasing, supervisor of delivery and operations, HR, and VP of Operations en route to his current position of President. Prior to joining Hayden, he cut his teeth with Albertsons bagging groceries, checking, throwing freight (even then it was difficult to keep the beer cooler stocked for BSU events) and working on a ranch in Owyhee County.
- Favorite car owned: Dodge Powerwagon
- Favorite food: Fresh trout, just pulled from the lake/stream, cooked in the firepit
- First concert: Doobie Brothers- Takin it to the Streets!
- Favorite place to be 4pm on a Saturday: Sitting in a warm place, on top of a mountain
- Favorite job before Hayden or 1st job: Working on the farm/ranch
- Favorite bar or restaurant not in Idaho: Irma Saloon (Cody, Wyoming)
- Turn offs: Whining
- Favorite place to pitch a tent in Idaho: Whiteclouds, around Castle Peak
- I was born: Boise
- How many 5-year olds I could take in a fight: None – they always make me laugh so no way to fight.


Andy Mitchell
President
Andy Mitchell
PresidentAndy Mitchell joined Hayden Beverage Company in February 2014 filling the newly created position of Executive Vice-President of Sales. Andy is a New Jersey native who spent 18 years in California before he and his wife relocated to Idaho in 2005. He has as an eclectic background as possible, combining early stage start-ups like Pete’s Brewing Company and Trinity Springs Inc. with Fortune 500 companies such as Gallo and Constellation Brands Inc. This unique combination of the entrepreneurial spirit found in start-ups combined with the strong business disciplines found in companies such as Gallo and Nestle Purina make him a strong albeit unique addition to the already successful Hayden family. 5 minutes with Andy and you will know what we mean by unique.
- Favorite food: Spaghetti, pasta
- First concert: Rush – Moving Pictures Tour, Madison Square Garden May 18, 1981
- Favorite place to be 4pm on a Saturday: Riding my cruiser to the next bar.
- Turn On’s: Fun/my wife/passionate people
- Growing up, I wanted to be: President of the United States of America
- Favorite place to pitch a tent in Idaho: The Grove Hotel, I am not a camper.
- I was born: Paris, TN
- Favorite Halloween costume: Ice Dancer – At 6’2″ and 255 pounds it is a sight to see.
- How many 5-year olds I could take in a fight: 5-year old what? Kids, probably a bakers dozen or so. Grizzly Bear? 1? I’m pretty tough.
- Most bizarre thing found in my desk: Organic Lollypops! Delicious! – Correction Organic Lollypop container.


Dave Heffner
Chief Financial Officer
Dave Heffner
Chief Financial OfficerDave Heffner was born in Phoenix, AZ and moved to Boise, ID with his family in 1981. He joined the Hayden Beverage family in December 2018. Prior to his career at Hayden, Dave was the Corporate Controller at Norco, Inc., one of the nation’s largest privately-held Industrial, Safety and Medical Gas & Equipment retailers. As a graduate of Boise State University and licensed CPA, Dave is responsible for all of the company’s accounting and financial functions. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his family exploring all that Idaho has to offer.
- First concert: MC Hammer
- Favorite place to be 4pm on a Saturday: Anywhere with my wife and the twins!
- Biggest win (non-work related): Meeting my wife and tricking her into marrying me.
- Growing up, I wanted to be: Lawyer
- Favorite place to pitch a tent in Idaho: Lake Catherine in the Sawtooth mountains
- I was born: Phoenix, AZ
- If I could go to any event in the world, I’d go: Super Bowl
- How many 5-year olds I could take in a fight:None, they terrify me
- One item on your bucket list: The Masters (again)


Shelby Schelling
Controller
Shelby Schelling
ControllerShelby was born and raised in small town Nevada, attended college at University of Nevada, Reno and then made the move to Boise in 2016. She worked as an auditor for a CPA firm for two years, prior to making her leap to Hayden Beverage as the Assistant Controller in 2018. Shelby is a licensed CPA, and responsible for the company’s accounting functions, including coordinating and preparing internal and external financial statements. Outside of work she enjoys exploring Idaho through camping, mountain biking, and hot springs with friends and her goofy yellow lab. It’s also not uncommon to find her exploring the local brewery scene.
- Favorite food: Macaroni and Cheese – really anything with cheese..
- First concert: New Found Glory
- Favorite place to be 4pm on a Saturday: Summertime – touring the breweries via bicycle. Wintertime – touring the breweries via a warm vehicle
- Turn On’s: Being genuine
- Growing up, I wanted to be: Hair Dresser or Interior Designer
- Favorite place to pitch a tent in Idaho: Stanley
- I was born: Fallon, NV
- Favorite Halloween costume: Iron Man
- Biggest win/accomplishment (non-work related): Tackling a full bathroom remodel
- Special powers/skills: Natural knack for running into objects that are shin height #alwaysbruised


Jeff Collins
Corporate Vice President of Operations
Jeff Collins
Corporate Vice President of OperationsJeff Collins, AKA The Troll King, oversees all corporate warehouse functions and construction throughout the company outside of Boise. He started with Hayden Beverage in 1986. Originally from California, Jeff and family moved to Idaho where he graduated from Caldwell High School. He started his career working in the warehouse on the production crew. He then moved into the positions of retail store and then to the purchasing department. While working in purchasing he assumed the duties of warehouse supervisor for both day and night crew.
- Favorite car owned: 2002 F350 Super Duty
- Favorite breakfast cereal: Captain Crunch with crunch berries
- First concert: REO Speedwagon
- Favorite place to be 4pm on a Saturday: With my wife
- Favorite job before Hayden or 1st job: Bucking hay for a local farmer
- Favorite bar or restaurant not in Idaho: The Church (Dublin, Ireland)
- Special powers/skills: Putting up with others
- Favorite place to pitch a tent in Idaho: Sawtooth & White Cloud area
- I was born: La Habra, CA
- If I could go to any event in the world, it would be: Running of the Bulls in Spain (to watch, not participate)


Tyler Flynn
Vice President of Operations
Tyler Flynn
Vice President of OperationsTyler was born and raised in Colorado where his passion for hunting and fishing started at an early age. Tyler went to college at Western State where he played Football and then finished his education at Mesa State with a Degree in Marketing. His career started with an aggressively growing Sporting Goods Company specializing in Hunting & Fishing where he spent 9 years with the company moving and traveling across multiple states. He was lured to Idaho by a small town girl “now his wife” who also grew up loving the outdoors. Tyler was hired by Hayden Beverage in 2011 as the Purchasing Supervisor and was promoted in 2012 to Warehouse Manager and recently to VP Operations where he currently oversees the Boise Warehouse and the Purchasing Department.
- Favorite Sport to watch: Football/UFC
- Favorite Food: Sushi
- What did you want to be when growing up: Professional Fisherman
- Most bizarre thing found in your desk: Fruit snacks
- Biggest win (non work related): Drawing the only non-resident Utah Elk tag
- Favorite part of your job: No day is ever the same
- Favorite place to pitch a tent in Idaho: South Fork of the Salmon
- First job: Big-O Tires
- Favorite sport/activity: Hunting
- One item on your bucket list: Grizzly hunting with my bow


Larinda Spencer
Director of Human Resources
Larinda Spencer
Director of Human ResourcesLarinda Spencer, PHR, joined the Hayden Beverage team as Human Resource Manager in 2014. Her career started in the grocery business with Smith’s Food & Drug Centers in AZ, and Wal-Mart in OR and WA. She moved back to Idaho and began her Human Resource career, working for both a commercial insurance company that specializes in transportation and building the HR and benefits department of a professional employer organization. Larinda graduated from Northwest Nazarene University and has been certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) since 2006.
- Favorite food: My husband’s homemade spaghetti sauce
- What movie could you watch 50 times in a row: Mama Mia
- First concert: Beach Boys
- Favorite book: The Tales of Imperfection Series by A.K. Turner and The Synergist by Les McKeown
- Favorite job before Hayden or 1st job: First job was bagging groceries at IGA
- Favorite bar or restaurant not in Idaho: Kell’s Irish Restaurant & Pub – Seattle
- Biggest win (non-work related): My awesome family
- Favorite part of job: Helping people
- What did you want to be growing up: A dancer
- If you could go to any event in the world what would it be: Running of the Bulls – Pamplona, Spain


Mike Kopp
Vice President of Beer Brands
Mike Kopp
Vice President of Beer BrandsMike Kopp manages all beer sales for Hayden Beverage. In 1980 he was hired as a driver/merchandiser, transferred to Sun Valley in 1983 as a beer driver salesman, and transferred back to Boise in 1986 as a route salesman. Through the years, Mike sold or delivered beer in several geographic areas and worked his way up through the ranks to Sales Supervisor, Beer Division Manager and his current role as VP of Beer/NA Sales in 2011. Mike’s vision and hard work have been instrumental in building a strong beer portfolio that has kept Hayden Beverage beer division relevant without the benefit of SAB’s or ABI’s major domestic brands.
- Favorite food: Beer
- First concert: Eric Clapton
- Favorite place to be 4pm on a Saturday: In the sun, Après Skiing, anywhere!
- Biggest win (non-work related): 27 years of marriage and raising 2 kids
- Growing up, I wanted to be: Geologist
- Favorite place to pitch a tent in Idaho: Stanley Lake
- I was born: Portland, OR
- If I could go to any event in the world, I’d go: Burning Man
- How many 5-year olds I could take in a fight: Wow, really…
- Most bizarre thing found in my desk: Fart Alarm


Ritch Otto
Vice President of Wine Brands
Ritch Otto
Vice President of Wine BrandsRitch Otto was born and raised in Boise, Idaho where he graduated from the Borah High School in 1981. He started working at Albertsons his sophomore year of high school as a box boy and spent the next 15 years with them working his way to the division office as an assistant meat supervisor. After Albertsons he managed an independent grocery store in Nevada for 5 years before returning to Boise. Ritch started working for Hayden Beverage in 2000 as a water salesman. In 2002 he took a wine sales position. From there he was promoted to wine supervisor in 2004 and wine sales manager in 2007. In 2014 he was promoted to his current position of Vice President of wine.
- Favorite car owned: 1981 Turbo RX7
- Favorite band/artist: Too many to choose from, I guess Foreigner
- Favorite book: A Wrinkle In Time
- Favorite place to be 4pm on a Saturday: Traveling with my wife – anywhere
- What did you want to be growing up: A lawyer
- Favorite restaurant not in Idaho: Rutherford Grill in Napa Valley, CA
- Biggest win non-work related: My 2 children
- Favorite part of job: Being part of a winning team!
- Favorite place to pitch a tent in Idaho: Corral Creek
- If I could go to any event in the world, it would be: Carnival in Rio Janeiro


Ken Hunt
Vice President of Red Bull
Ken Hunt
Vice President of Red BullKen Hunt joined Hayden Beverage Company in March 2017 as Vice-President of Sales for Red Bull and Non Alcoholic. Ken spent the last 16 years at Red Bull Energy Drink. His most recent role at Red Bull was Region Sales Manager managing 4 Distributor Partner Managers and 18 Pacific Northwest Distributors. His background includes working for Frito Lay, Haagen-Dazs/Nestle and Kraft General Foods – Breyers Ice Cream. Kens experience, vision, hard work and problem solving skills will be a great benefit to Hayden Beverage. Ken and is his wife are originally from Michigan but have lived in Washington State for the last 25 years. When not working, Ken loves to watch Football, landscape his yard and golf.
- Favorite band/artist: U2
- Favorite book: 4 Disciplines of Execution
- Favorite place to be 4pm on a Saturday: Watching sports on TV
- What did you want to be growing up: President of the USA
- Turn Ons: Smiles and sunshine
- Biggest win non-work related: My family and 30+ years of marriage
- Favorite part of job: Solving problems
- Favorite Halloween costume: Devil with a Blue Dress On
- Favorite cereal: Captain Crunch
- If I could go to any event in the world, it would be: US Open Championship


Dave Lane
Vice President of Non-Alcoholic Brands
Dave Lane
Vice President of Non-Alcoholic BrandsDavid Lane oversees all sales functions for our Non-alcoholic products. Following many years in the Grocery Business working for Safeway, Dave joined the company in 1987 as a way to supplement the meager income from his internationally renowned band, Havoc. He later moved to Sun Valley as Operations Manager. He has held many other positions in the organization including Sales rep, Coors Brand Manager, Sales Manager, and Sun Valley General Manager.
- Favorite car owned: 1969 Chevy Camero RS
- Least Favorite Food: Seafood, or anything that even skirts water
- First concert: Black Sabbath
- Favorite place to be 4pm on a Saturday: Watching College Football
- Favorite hobby: playing guitar
- Turn offs: Type “A” self-serving arrogant people (you know who you are)
- Special powers: The Jedi mind trick
- Favorite place to pitch a tent in Idaho: Redfish Lake
- I was born: Emporia, Kansas
- How many 5-year olds I could take in a fight: That depends… humans? or say, Mountain Lions..?


Kathryn McClaskey
Director of Education
Kathryn McClaskey
Director of EducationKathryn “Kat” House McClaskey joined Hayden Beverage Company in January 2021 as the Director of Education. Raised in Sonoma County, California, Kat found herself drawn to Washington State University (WSU) where she earned her M.S. in Horticulture. After university, Kat worked throughout Washington in wine production including a four-year tenure as the Assistant Winemaker for Betz Family Winery. In 2010, Kat arrived in Idaho to explore the ‘wild west of wine’ and founded House of Wine, a wine education and consulting company. She holds an Advanced Certificate from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust and is Idaho’s first certified Italian Wine Professional (IWP). Kat is driven by the pursuit of learning and is a candidate in the most challenging wine education program in the world: Master of Wine.
- Favorite band/artist: Aloe Blacc
- Favorite book: Anything written by Maya Angelou
- Favorite place to be 4pm on a Saturday: After hiking, cooking a great meal for family and friends
- What did you want to be growing up: Veterinarian
- Turn Ons: Hard work, humor, kindness, enthusiasm
- Biggest win non-work related: Working to raise 2 fantastic kids!
- Favorite part of job: Working with a team to foster inspiration and excellence
- Favorite Halloween costume: The White Chess Queen (my son was the King!)
- Most bizarre thing found in your desk: Off-Aromas Beer Kit
- If I could go to any event in the world, it would be: The Annual Masters of Wine Induction Ceremony as a inductee!


Matt Dankowski
Vice President of Key Account Management
Matt Dankowski
Vice President of Key Account ManagementMatt Dankowski was born and raised in Northern California and joined Hayden Beverage in February of 2021. He spent 15 years at Young’s Market Company in California where he started his career as a Sales Rep/Merchandiser, worked his way up through the ranks, and ultimately lead the Albertson’s Companies business for Northern California. As VP of Key Accounts, Matt is responsible for all sales and category management functions for off-premise chain accounts. In his free time, he stays busy spending time with his wife and 5 children.
- Favorite car owned: 1993 Nissan Pick-Up
- Favorite food: Mexican
- First concert: Green Day
- Favorite place to be 4pm on a Saturday: At home with the family
- Favorite job before Hayden or 1st job: 1st job-Courtesy Clerk at Roger Wilco Supermarket
- Favorite bar or restaurant not in Idaho: Café Esin in Danville, CA
- Turn offs: Lack of work ethic
- What movie could you watch 50 times in row? The Shawshank Redemption
- I was born: Marin County, California
- How many 5-year olds I could take in a fight: I have 2 of them and I’d lose even if there were only 1


Brian Knighton
Executive Vice President of Retail Execution
Brian Knighton
Executive Vice President of Retail ExecutionBrian Knighton was born and raised in Idaho. After being hired by Albertsons in high school Brian spent 12 years with company in several Boise area stores. In 2002 Brian joined Hayden Beverage as a combo sales rep and soon moved into an off premise beer route. A year later Brian moved to an off premise wine route and then was promoted to a wine sales supervisor in 2007. In 2012 Brian accepted the challenge to manage our largest supplier in our largest market as Southern Idaho Red Bull manager and in 2016 was promoted to Execution Director, Treasure Valley.
- Favorite car owned: 82 Jeep CJ7
- First concert: MC Hammer…Can’t touch this!
- Favorite place to be 4pm on a Saturday: Floating down any river
- Favorite Halloween costume: Billy Idol – you should see me in leather pants
- Turn ons: I can’t put that on a web site!
- Favorite part of job: The people – at Hayden and in the trade
- Special powers/skills: I can read my own mind
- Favorite place to pitch a tent in Idaho: Featherville
- How many 5-year olds I can take in a fight: Don’t know…I can still out run them
- Most bizarre thing found in my desk: A live mouse


Travis West
General Manager of East Idaho
Travis West
General Manager of East IdahoTravis was born and raised in Idaho’s Magic Valley. He joined the Hayden Beverage team in 2010 as Twin Falls Operations Manager after working several years in the beer industry doing everything from delivery sales to warehouse manager. After a few years in the Twin Falls market, he was promoted to his current position of Eastern Idaho Operations Manager overseeing the operations in Pocatello, Idaho Falls, Twin Falls and Sun Valley markets.
- Favorite Sport to watch: Basketball
- First concert: Planet/Page in Boise
- Favorite hobby: Building furniture/cabinets
- Favorite Band/artist: Old school Johnny Cash
- Favorite job before Hayden or 1st job: Box Canyon Fish Hatchery
- Biggest win (non work related): Getting married…never thought I would
- Favorite part of your job: No day is ever the same
- Favorite place to pitch a tent in Idaho: Muldoon Basin, Sawtooth mountains
- Favorite sport/activity: Early morning round of golf
- One item on your bucket list: Visit the Coliseum in Rome


Luis Lynch
General Manager of Southwest Idaho
Luis Lynch
General Manager of Southwest IdahoLuis Lynch manages Montana Sales and Operations. After moving around many small towns in California he decided to make Idaho his home. Luis graduated from Vallivue High School and decided to enlist in the United States Coast Guard dedicating 6 years to navigating bodies of water in Portland Oregon, Petersburg Alaska, and Chicago Illinois. Luis decided to move back home to Idaho in 2012 and after exploring many different avenue’s he found a home with Hayden Beverage November of 2015. Luis started as a Delivery Driver and within a few months was given an Opportunity to become a Merchandising Supervisor. April of 2017 Hayden Beverage presented an opportunity to expand into Bozeman, Montana where he took on the Challenge of having some fun and leading a Sales Team in what will soon become a Major Market for Hayden Beverage.
- Favorite car owned: 2012 Subaru Outback
- First concert: The Lone Bellows
- Favorite place to be 4pm on a Saturday: On the river
- Favorite job before Hayden or 1st job: United States Coast Guard
- Favorite bar or restaurant not in Idaho: The Hanger in Juneau Alaska
- Biggest win (non-work related): My wife Charlotte – 11 years married
- Favorite place to pitch a tent in Idaho: Cascade
- I was born in: Fairfield CA
- Favorite movie: The Green Mile
- How many 5-year olds I could take in a fight: All of them


Keri Desler
General Manager of Tastevin
Keri Desler
General Manager of TastevinKeri was born and raised in New York and after graduating from Hamilton College she moved to Ketchum, Idaho in 1995. She only planned on staying a year but fell in love with the mountains and all the beauty Idaho has to offer. After many years in the restaurant and wine industry, she joined the HBC family in March of 2021 as the GM of Tastevin Wine. She oversees a small but mighty crew of seven. With a team in Boise, Sun Valley, McCall, and Post Falls, Tastevin’s focus is fine wine.
- Favorite car you owned: 1987 Jeep Grand Wagoneer V8 “Woody”
- Favorite band/artist: Widespread Panic – 109 shows and counting…
- Least favorite food: Anything with cilantro
- Favorite job before Hayden or 1st job: Sold t-shirts at the US Open (Tennis)
- Where you were born: New York, New York
- Favorite Halloween costume: Husband and I dressed up as Sonny and Cher
- Favorite place to pitch a tent in Idaho: Redfish Lake / Stanley
- One item on your bucket list: Go to Israel
- Favorite movie: Almost Famous
- Biggest win/accomplishment (non-work related): My two kids


Chuck Combs
Draught Manager
Chuck Combs
Draught ManagerChuck was born in Pennsylvania and lived in Alaska, Tennessee and California before moving to Idaho to attend the College of Idaho. He joined Hayden Beverage in June of 1990 delivering to downtown restaurants and bars. After two years, he moved to the Draught department cleaning beer lines and eventually moved up to the Draught Department Manager. He is currently responsible for overseeing the installation of draught lines, the maintenance team and the management of all aspects of special events.
- Favorite car owned: ’78 Jeep Cherokee – 410 engine, competition cam could go anywhere
- Favorite food: Cheese Pie – the filling is made of eggs, butter and sugar
- First concert: AC/DC
- Favorite hobby: Alpine Skiing
- One item on your bucket list: Travel with my wife to Europe
- Favorite part of my job: Solving challenges involved with draught beer systems
- Biggest win (non-work related): Gwen (wife), Sarah and Hannah (daughters)
- Favorite place to pitch a tent in Idaho: Wherever the Elk are during hunting season
- If I could go to any event in the world, it would be: Olympic Alpine skiing events
- Favorite Halloween costume: Cowboy, I wear it every day