ARLINGTON, VA — December 22, 2020 — Barbara Russell, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Holiday House Distributing, has been named the association’s 2020 Coffee Legend.

“We are thrilled to announce Barbara Russell as the 2020 Coffee Legend,” said NAMA CEO Carla Balakgie. “Not only is she a fixture in the NAMA community and the coffee industry but she is also a pioneer in her field. She was one of the original founders of the association’s Women in the Industry (WIN) group and is our association’s first female recipient of the Coffee Legend Award.”

Barbara has been involved in the coffee service industry since 1985 as both an operator and a supplier with the majority of her career spent at Holiday House Distributing. Most recently, Barbara introduced “Holiday House Foundations in OCS”, the company’s first educational summit providing attendees with best practices for operating a successful OCS business drawing over 150 attendees.

Additionally, Barbara has been active in NAMA and her community. At NAMA, Barbara was a founding member of Women in the Industry and has served on the NAMA Coffee Services and Trade Show Advisory Committees. Through her work at Holiday House, Barbara supports those who served through the Fisher House Foundation and provided hurricane relief by founding Operation Secret Santa after Hurricane Michael in 2018. Barbara and her family have also supported the local “Sheriff Office Night Out”, the “Hurricane Safety Expo”, and helped fundraise for the local fire department.

Barbara currently lives in Land O’Lakes, Florida with her husband Rich and their three children, Meagan, Richie, and Jimmy.

About the Coffee Legend
A NAMA Coffee Legend is a pioneer, an innovator, a leader and a visionary in the industry who is passionate about coffee and willing to share their passion to educate and help others succeed. They are a fixture and leader in their community, possess a willingness to expand conventional practices, and follow ethical business standards in accordance with the NAMA code of ethics.