National Coffee Association Announces 2026 Award Winners

The NCA Individual Recognition Awards, which include the NCA Distinguished Leadership Award, the NCA Rising Star Award, and the NCA Volunteer of the Year Award, honor NCA members whose work has made a lasting impact on the coffee sector. The NCA Individual Recognition Awards are sponsored by Eight O'Clock Coffee Company.

NCA President and CEO William “Bill” Murray commented:

“The NCA is proud to recognize the recipients of this year’s NCA Individual Recognition Awards for their leadership and dedicated service to the coffee industry. Each of the honorees has gone above and beyond to leave an indelible mark on the sector.”
 

NCA DISTINGUISHED LEADERSHIP AWARD

The NCA Distinguished Leadership Award is given to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, unwavering service, and dedication to the U.S. coffee community.

The Late Pedro Lázaro Gaviña

Co-Founder, Gaviña Coffee Company

Pedro L. Gaviña was a third-generation coffee roaster, co-founder of F. Gaviña & Sons, Inc., known today as Gaviña Coffee Company, and a leading expert in the coffee industry. Born in Cuba into a coffee family with a legacy spanning over 150 years, he worked alongside his parents and siblings to build the family’s coffee roasting business in Los Angeles and achieve the American dream.

Mr. Gaviña began his career roasting and packaging coffee and later served as the company’s president, overseeing daily manufacturing and operations and becoming deeply involved in green coffee buying, sourcing, and quality. Known as a visionary and perfectionist, he helped shape the company’s long-term direction and played a pivotal role in building it into one of the nation’s largest minority-owned and operated coffee roasters. He remained an engaged board member, guiding, advising, and mentoring the fourth-generation leadership.

Mr. Gaviña also served as a former board member of the National Coffee Association and the Pacific Coast Coffee Association. He is remembered as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, uncle, mentor, and friend, admired for his integrity, generosity, and unwavering belief that one should always strive to be the best at whatever they do.

NCA RISING STAR AWARD

The NCA Rising Star Award is a new award that recognizes a young professional whose contributions exceed expectations, demonstrating exceptional growth and impact, and indicating a promising future for themselves and the coffee industry as a whole.

Nora Johnson

Senior Director, Commodities, Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA 

Nora Johnson is the Sr. Director of Commodities with Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA (MZB USA), one of the largest private label coffee manufacturers and owner of several retail coffee brands including Chock full o’Nuts®, Kauai Coffee®, Hills Bros.®, and Segafredo Zanetti®. In her role, Nora leads the team responsible for green coffee procurement, futures hedging and risk management, inbound logistics, and green coffee quality.

Nora joined the NCA Next Gen community in 2020. Since then, she has held the leadership roles of Committee Chair, Vice Chair, and now Chair of the Next Gen Council, supporting key initiatives such as the Next Gen Coffee Challenge, the NCA Mentorship Program, and other Next Gen programming. Nora also serves as a current member of the Green Coffee Association Board of Directors and is a licensed Q Grader.

NCA VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD

The NCA Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding volunteer who stands out for their overall leadership and contributions during the past year.

Thomas J. Hartley

President, Hartley Transportation, LLC

After a successful career with several of the nation’s largest less-than-truckload common carriers, Tom Hartley formed Hartley Transportation in 1992 and has been involved with the coffee trade for 34 years, transporting green coffee throughout North America daily. Hartley Transportation provides truckload, less-than-truckload, rail, air and ocean, as well as warehouse services throughout North America in addition to most international destinations.

Hartley has been an enthusiastic champion of the transportation and logistics professionals who make coffee’s journey from crop to cup possible. In response to the increase of green coffee thefts in the U.S., he drew on his expertise to identify potential vulnerabilities and practical steps to avoid coffee thefts. Working with the NCA, he further dedicated many volunteer hours as a key member of the diverse stakeholder group whose insights resulted in the NCA guide, Combating Fraud & Coffee Theft within the Trade, which is available to the public on the NCA website.

NCA ORIGIN CHARITY OF THE YEAR AWARD

The NCA Origin Charity of the Year Award recognizes charitable organizations that have made a positive impact on coffee-growing communities while demonstrating strategic, innovative, and implementation excellence. This award is sponsored by Mother Parkers Tea and Coffee.

WINNER

Strategies for International Development (SID) is a global NGO graduating farm households from poverty across whole regions by engaging farming communities in defining the best practices for the common cash crop, training farm families in the practices, and mobilizing local actors to promote the practices and encourage their adoption.

More than three-quarters of the world’s poor are small farmers making the transition from

subsistence to commercial farming, yet only a fraction receives the support they need. SID has developed a regional approach that helps farmers producing a common cash crop increase their productivity, price, and income, giving them a real chance to graduate from poverty.

NCA President and CEO William “Bill” Murray commented:

“Strategies for International Development (SID) empowers coffee farmers by providing technical assistance and training to help them build successful farm businesses within their communities. We are proud to recognize SID and the transformational work they are doing in coffee-growing communities in Guatemala, Uganda, and Tanzania.”

FINALIST

Since 1996, Grounds for Health has delivered life‑saving cervical cancer prevention and treatment services in coffee‑growing communities, including innovative HPV testing and other essential women’s health programs.

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High-res photos available upon request.

For media inquiries contact: media@ncausa.org

The National Coffee Association (NCA), established in 1911, is the United States’ oldest and largest trade organization representing coffee businesses of all types and sizes, including the producers, roasters, brands, and other companies responsible for 90% of U.S. coffee commerce. More American adults drink coffee each day than any other beverage other than bottled water, and coffee supports 2.2 million U.S. jobs—operating in every U.S. state and territory and contributing nearly $350 billion to the U.S. economy every year. For more information, visit ncausa.org or contact coffee@ncausa.org.