Kate Arnold (right), Jean Arnold (left), and their daughter Leila Arnold (middle) comprise the family behind our small wine company. Kate Arnold grew up valuing nature, learning about animals and agriculture from her veterinarian father and raising prize-winning sheep. Her husband, Jean Arnold, transitioned from a career in the beverage industry to consulting for artisanal wineries after years of experience with major wine companies like E&J Gallo Wines and Don Sebastiani & Sons. Together, they founded Kate Arnold Wines, leveraging Kate's organic lifestyle values and Jean's sales experience. Today, all three work collaboratively, with Kate's marketing expertise driving the brand forward while Jean focuses on promoting their wines nationwide. Their daughter Leila, who works on special projects, also plays a significant role in the company and is featured below in detail.

Maisie Sheets, from Kansas City, Kansas, is a junior public relations student at the University of Georgia. Maisie became a part of our team in March 2024, contributing her skills to collaborate with our social media team and oversee the management of our Instagram and Facebook accounts. This not only includes conducting audits to maintain consistent messaging and branding, but also creating, designing, engaging, and scheduling content for our social media platforms.

Her posts highlight new wine ratings, vintages, and visually appealing graphics of our wine. Through her efforts in social media analytics, our presence on both Instagram and Facebook will grow exponentially. You can check out her work on our social media platforms linked at the bottom of the website!

Leila Arnold, Jean and Kate Arnold’s daughter, works on special projects within the company, playing an essential part in our file organization and administrative operations of the business. Currently a senior in high school in Athens, GA, Leila is already dual-enrolled at The University of Georgia and will be transitioning to full-time attendance in the fall as a freshman.

As a family-owned business, we value input from all family members, including Leila, who assists with maintaining our CRM network, managing files, and ensuring every customer feels appreciated at Kate Arnold Wines.

Emily Black holds a degree in Art History from the University of Florida and brings extensive experience to her role as Director of Operations at Kate Arnold Wines. She began her career in galleries and art handling in New York City, where she developed a keen eye for logistical detail and a deep appreciation for craftsmanship.

With over 15 years in the hospitality industry, Emily managed restaurants and bars, honing her leadership and customer service skills while cultivating a passion for quality wine and spirits. She later transitioned her expertise to the craft chocolate industry, where she made significant contributions growing a small brand before joining the team at Kate Arnold Wines.

At Kate Arnold Wines, Emily blends her creative insight with operational expertise, ensuring that every aspect of the business reflects the brand’s quality and passion. In her spare time, she enjoys wrangling her young twins, traveling, cooking delicious meals, and savoring great wine with family and friends. 

Sydney Staton, all the way from Orlando, Florida, is a junior at UGA studying business management. Starting part-time in the Fall of 2023, Sydney's primary undertaking involves managing our Dropbox database, which contains all company records dating back to 2016. Much like our owner, Jean Arnold, Sydney possesses high organizational capability, and has already made huge steps in improving our file management system and educating all employees on how to operate it.

In addition to business administration, Sydney also takes on special projects around the office, leading student and National Sales Representative recruitment initiatives and coordinating wine dinners. Sydney possesses a graceful balance between work and play, making well-informed decisions and meeting company deadlines, all while filling the workplace with humor and a light-hearted atmosphere through her clever wit and good-natured demeanor.

Olivia Garofola is a junior marketing major at the University of Georgia, hailing from Greensboro, North Carolina. As a valuable member of our marketing team, Olivia plays an important role in various aspects of our business operations. She collaborates closely with other marketing and PR employees to maintain our website, develop promotional materials, oversee our Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) program, and serve as a go-to person for special projects requested by our owners.

With Olivia on board, our marketing efforts have expanded, as she increases our capabilities within our now two-person team. Olivia is reliable, kind, and a friend to everyone in our office.

Abby O’Ferrall, our Analytics Associate since January 2024, is a junior at UGA studying mathematics and actuary sciences. She handles communication with distributors, organizes depletion reports, and oversees shipments with precision.

Abby's relaxed demeanor and confident attitude make her a great presence in the office. Her positive energy is infectious and contributes greatly to the entire team's morale. Her efficient and thorough approach to the company’s analytics plays a crucial role in the ongoing success of Kate Arnold Wines.

Phoebe Bagby, a third-year public relations student at UGA from Augusta, Georgia, is Kate Arnold Wines Head of PR. With a background in journalism, she has a knack for crafting compelling written content. Her writing duties extend to diverse areas, including creating copy for our company website, shelf talkers, wine labels, press releases, and more.

Since joining us in June, Phoebe has taken on a wide array of projects, making her role quite vast. In addition to her PR responsibilities encompassing maintaining and segmenting our customer relationship management system, finding local press and partnership opportunities, and crafting monthly newsletters, she works closely with the marketing associate to promote our wines. Phoebe brings a fun presence to the office and works hard to make sure everything we produce is in tip-top shape!

Alena Wiggins is a UGA sophomore accounting major hailing from Dallas, Georgia. Since her start at the beginning of this semester, Alena has taken on the role of an "apprentice" to our owner, Jean, as she gradually learns the intricacies of the accounting world while starting her coursework at Terry College of Business.

Alena is responsible for the management of our company's Quickbooks, performing daily tasks such as invoice entry, order placement, and bill payment. She also supervises our financial file systems and transactions, ensuring that everything remains orderly and easily accessible. Alena constantly wears a smile on her face and is always willing to help out when needed.

Bio coming soon!