Coffee Quality Institute names new Director of Q

The Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) has named its current Q Services Manager, Roukiat Delrue as its new Director of Q and Educational Program Services. With 12 years in the specialty coffee industry and fluent in three languages, Delrue is both a Q Arabica and Q Robusta Instructor as well as a veteran Coffee Corps volunteer and consultant on many CQI projects. Delrue began her coffee career in 2004 after an interpreter job in Guatemala exposed her to coffee mills and farms, which inspired her to look more closely at coffee. After completing her post-graduate degree, she walked into the offices of the Asociación Nacional del Café (Anacafé) in hopes of beginning a career with the organisation. She was interviewed and hired the same day, and so began her career in specialty coffee. Since then, she has volunteered with World Coffee Events (WCE, formerly known as World Barista Championships) and became a WCE Certified Judge and Head Judge. With the industry evolving, CQI is constantly evaluating its standards and how it teaches, like incorporating Robusta standards and natural coffees. Delrue will also be joining the Education Advisory Council of the new Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). In this role, she will provide expertise and oversight of training programs that will support the activities of CQI, SCA, and WCE. “After more than 10 years of being involved in training coffee professionals at different levels – barista, barista competitions, judging, cupping, brewing – and witnessing firsthand how training and education can change lives for the better, I’m very honoured to step into this role at CQI,” Delrue says. “Additionally, I'm very keen to remain involved with the new SCA as a member of the Education Advisory Council.”