Jane Baxter Lynn was a few days shy of resigning from New York's Long Island Wine Council and leaving for London to start her own public-relations firm when she heard the Washington Wine Commission was looking for a new executive director.

"I got an e-mail from the one and only person I know in Seattle two days before I left the council," Baxter Lynn said. She showed it to her husband, Frank, a former software-services marketer who now restores and refinishes furniture for a living.

"Frank said, 'I always wanted to live in Seattle.' "

"I said, 'So you're saying I should go for this?' "

But even while asking the question, she says, she felt "serendipitous" about the job possibility.

With a budget of $1.5 million built on assessments from the state's 300 growers, more than 270 wineries and a portion of wine-sales taxes, the commission is the collective storefront of Washington's wine industry. It represents the interests of members at trade shows and in the media and plays a key role in developing new domestic and international markets.

The executive director also oversees the Washington Wine Institute, the education, research and lobbying arm of the industry.

"Professionally the opportunity was unbelievable," says Baxter Lynn, 48. "It is such a logical next step for me."

The commission's search committee thought so, too.

In her résumé they saw a woman who was born in Rhodesia — now Zimbabwe — and graduated from South Africa's University of Natal after focusing her studies on English, anthropology and economic history.

They noted her long experience since then in public relations, marketing and franchising in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the United States for travel, tourism and hotel corporations.

For the past four years, she had been working with Long Island's vintners and growers who, like their counterparts in Washington, are focused on producing and marketing premium European-style wines.

After mulling the qualifications of 40 candidates and interviewing those who made the short list, they offered Baxter Lynn the $145,000-a-year job.

What tipped the scales in her favor?

"Her experience," says Glenn Coogan, vice president of Northwest operations for Franciscan Estates, the California-based parent company of Washington's Covey Run, Columbia and Paul Thomas wineries and the commission's search chairman.

He acknowledges there was concern among members about hiring someone outside the state's industry. "But ultimately we decided we're going to go after the best person."

"It's pretty hard to find somebody quite like her," says Coogan.

Baxter Lynn says the principles that guide her are very people-oriented: building staff loyalty, trust from organizations she deals with, and applying "collaboration" and "strong leadership" when differing interests are in play.

Baxter Lynn will make her first official appearances tomorrow and Saturday in Woodinville at the Auction of Washington Wines, a benefit for the Seattle-based Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center uncompensated care fund.

In an e-mail interview earlier this month from her former home in Southold, N.Y., she talked about her role in this state's wine industry:

Q: How will you apply your operating principles to Washington's wine industry?

A: An industry association is established to add value to members' individual sales and marketing activities. Its role is to provide a platform for businesses to generate sales and to represent the industry's issues to government officials, legislators and the public. Its responsibility is to hear the overall needs of members and build consensus so that the industry speaks with one voice.

With a relatively small budget, it is also important to be creative in developing partnerships with related associations, government organizations and other bodies.

Q: What will you do to build on the successes of commission director Steve Burns, who for eight years led the industry through unprecedented growth, international acclaim and expansion of national and international markets?

A: It is exciting to come into a position where someone has done such a phenomenal job. We have been working together to ensure a smooth transition. My experience in consumer marketing, corporate communications, global travel and tourism industry will enable me to introduce new activities to the commission.

Q: The constitutionality of various state laws regarding direct sales and shipping of wines to customers is to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in December. What's at stake for Washington's industry, and how will you weigh in on the issue?

A: Interstate shipping of wine direct from wineries to consumers is a major issue for the national wine industry, particularly for small- to medium-size wine producers, like many in Washington state. It is essential, if we are going to increase our national distribution, to have the ability to ship wine from our wineries to individuals in other states.

By generating a demand for our wine where it is not currently available, it will encourage retailers in those areas to sell our wine in their stores. By doing so, distributors will be more willing to take on our products. It could be a win-win for everyone involved.

Q: How do you counter the argument that Internet sales will create another avenue for minors to buy alcohol?

A: A July 3, 2003, Federal Trade Commission report concludes that direct-shipping states with delivery safeguards have "few or no problems" with underage access. The report further concludes that many states hold the view that minors are more likely to buy alcohol from local retailers than the Internet because of the high cost of shipping and the fact that minors would have to wait days before learning if a delivery would be made.

Several (other) reports indicate that most youths obtain alcohol through friends, family members and other adults who buy or provide alcohol to them. Officials from a number of states that permit direct shipment also have reported no complaints or alleged violations regarding minors obtaining wine from out-of-state shippers.

It would be the responsibility of the shippers to assist the wine industry with ensuring that the requisite safeguards (such as age verification of package recipients) are enforced.

Q: How will the wine commission improve upon the attention it now receives?

A: Washington wines have been receiving tremendous coverage, particularly in the wine media. However, there is still a way to go to convince wine enthusiasts, retailers and general wine consumers that our wine should be among their first choices.

By bringing all our marketing and communications activities under one umbrella campaign, it will ensure a consistency of message and raise the credibility of the state as a premium wine-producing region.

The campaign will target consumers through consumer print publications, helping bridge the gap between the wine media and consumer audiences.

Q: Some consumers say they would like to support the local industry but prices are too high compared to wines produced elsewhere. Do you agree?

A: Washington state focuses primarily in the premium wine category — wine packaged in 750 ml bottles — and premium-quality wines are always relatively higher priced than their bulk-quantity competitors. Yet Washington has some fabulous wines at extremely competitive prices.

The average price of a Washington wine is $10 per bottle, noted in the 2001 economic impact study by Motto Kryla and Fisher, an independent consulting firm based in the Napa Valley. It is the job of the commission and its partners to ensure that people are aware of this, and we will continue to promote this message.

Thomas P. Skeen, can be reached at 509-525-3300 or by e-mail at tskeen@ubnet.com.