Winery VP to visit as executive-in-residence

Bridget Epp has been mentoring Purdue students since she was a student herself. She counseled her fellow Boilermakers as a resident assistant in Warren Hall, and then later invested in a new generation by serving on the University Residences Parent Advisory Council when her son Brian came to campus. Now she'll continue mentoring Purdue students as executive-in-residence for University Residences, meeting with different groups and classes over the course of a Feb. 17-23 stay in Third Street Suites.

Epp is vice president of sales, fine wine and education for Wente Family Estates, California's oldest continuously operated family-owned winery and Wine Enthusiast's 2011 American winery of the year. "One of the things about this business is it's so diverse. You have to be extremely analytical, but you also have to be very qualitative in what you're doing," Epp says.

Her executive-in-residence agenda is similarly varied, as she'll meet with students from Purdue management, communication and Honors College programs, as well as various Residential Life groups like RA staffs and UR Global, a club for first-year international students. Epp is also giving separate presentations on sustainability, women's leadership, and wine and food pairing.

Epp has an extensive background in the wine industry, including sales and brand management roles at the Robert Mondavi Winery, Terlato Family Distributors, and E. & J. Gallo Winery. She earned her MBA from the University of Colorado and her undergraduate business and communication degrees from Purdue, where she credits her time as an RA as her first opportunity to be a leader.

Epp is involved with many charities and says she loves coming back to Purdue and giving back to students. "It gets more and more beautiful and more cutting-edge. It's great to see what's happening on campus," she says. "I've said before, 'What can I do to help the people who have given so much to me?'"

Writer: Matt Watson, 765-496-3572, watso101@purdue.edu