AMV TEAM
Meet Our Team
CHIEF WINE OFFICER, MEMBER & MANAGER
Kerry Damskey
Kerry Damskey bounds into a room and within moments knows names and affiliations. He is charismatic, energetic and leaves a lasting imprint on everyone he meets. Kerry personifies joy and lust for life.
Like Andre Tchelistcheff before him, Kerry believes wine is made in the vineyard and the winemaker is merely the “midwife” in the artisan process of winemaking. “It’s the winemaker’s job to articulate a definable style for a wine but you don’t create an identity – that must come from the grapes,” says Kerry.
Today, with more than 30 years of award winning winemaking experience, Kerry is recognized on four continents for his acuity and focus in creating brilliant wines. Through his winemaking consulting practice, terroirs, Inc., he oversees custom winegrowing, winemaking and vineyard acquisition as well as offering strategic planning and operational management for new and established wineries. In addition to California and Washington, Kerry consults for wineries in India, China and Bulgaria.
Kerry holds a B.S. in fermentation sciences from the University of California, Davis, is a graduate of the intensive program for small business at Stanford University School of Business, and is a candidate of the Institute of the Masters of Wine.
Kerry and his wife Daisy live in Geyserville, California where they showcase their Palmeri Wines on an invitational basis.
The Vision
Tom Heshion
As the Founder of Equine and Wines, LLC, in 2017, Tom put together a collective of visionaries who have created a lifestyle living community where open land can be sustainably and responsibly utilized for pleasure as well as prosperity for the landowners through investment in vineyards and equestrian sports hosting.
As the Business and Financial Advisor to Organic Hays, LLC from 2015 to 2021, Tom researched and contributed to the growth of the organic hay industry. He provided the study of funding requirements of farm conversion to organic certification and cash flows needed to sustain the crossover. Organic Hays grew to over 62 farms until his departure to concentrate on the wine industry.
From 2010 to 2016, as President of Sleepmore Medical Company, the Company opened over 50 sleep lab rooms in over 16 locations in the Midwest. After attending continuing education courses at Harvard and in cooperation with both the American Sleep Apnea Association and manufacturers of sleep related medical equipment, he originated and contributed greatly to the approval of home sleep testing through Medicare and later through private payers.
From 2008 to 2010 Tom assisted two medical related companies in growth and later acquisitions, Alt MD and China Connection Global Healthcare.
In the 1990’s Tom participated in three successful companies. The first was National Fence Company where he developed the largest vinyl fence distributorship in America and Europe and exited the company after Sears Home Improvement purchased the Company. He then focused on Auto-By-Tel.com, the first dot-com to boldly purchase a Super Bowl and also the first to file an S-1 for a public offering. During his tenure the company saw growth from 20 employees to over 270 and an IPO valued at $570M. At the time, with over 13 Billion per year in automobile purchases, Auto-By-Tel was the largest dollar turning company on the internet, in the world. His final accomplishment in the 1990’s was the invention of the strike zone and pitch location technology used, still today, in the broadcast of major league baseball.
Tom spends most of his spare time on his hobby of classic cars, and with his family. He mentors entrepreneurs with as much of his spare time as he can afford. He supports veterans organizations and the Hollywood Ballet.
Chief Operating Officer
Alexandria Rossi
Alexandra Rossi has built a career turning bold ideas into thriving ventures, raising over $125 million for startups across industries. She began in advertising, running iconic alcohol accounts like Anheuser-Busch and 1800 Tequila while working with top brands such as YouTube, Airbnb, and PayPal.
She later co-founded a SaaS platform that used AI to disrupt the music industry, forecasting streaming and eCommerce revenue for labels and brands, and scaled companies like Prescient AI and Rasgo from inception to multi-million-dollar ventures. Known for blending creative vision with operational expertise, Alexandra excels at shaping brand strategies, leading fundraising efforts, and scaling businesses from the ground up.
Now deeply rooted in Arizona, Alexandra has found an exciting way to combine her entrepreneurial spirit with her love of wine and the region. At Arizona Mountain Vineyards, she’s leveraging her sharp business acumen and passion for viticulture to help grow the vineyard into a standout brand. With plans to expand into the branded CPG space, Alexandra is excited to help craft a future as bold and memorable as the wines themselves, all while celebrating the beauty and bounty of Arizona.
John Heshion
MANAGER, INVESTOR RELATIONS
John is a polished professional with over 50 years of retail and business management experience specializing in high-line products and services. He teaches and practices “relationship-selling” with always a lean toward full-disclosure, transparency and integrity-selling.
John grew up in the hills of Platte County, Missouri Northwest of Kansas City and Johnson County, Kansas riding in horse shows, hauling hay and mowing pasture where in addition to his retail career, he and his father bred, trained and loved herds of miniature horses. John began his business career at the age of twenty after leaving his family’s business to be the personal assistant of the General Superintendent of Del Webb, the General Contractor who built the Kansas City International Airport before returning to his career in retail sales and management in and around the Kansas City area. His compass is always set on the pursuit of excellence whether it’s with horses, setting a fence post, kicking a football, riding his motorcycle or running a profitable business. While he has spent equal time in the city as in the country, he prefers the lifestyle of rural America and has always gravitated to opportunities found there. John brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the AMV team and looks forward to his new role and life in the Valley of the Sun.
While he is a keen competitor and has a passion for the finer things of life, he cherishes his family as father and grandfather to his boys in Dallas and is a passionate benefactor for a large village in Ghana, West Africa, helping others with needs who are less fortunate than his own.
While he is a keen competitor and has a passion for the finer things of life, he cherishes his family as father and grandfather to his boys in Dallas and is a passionate benefactor for a large village in Ghana, West Africa, helping others with needs who are less fortunate than his own.
Jerry Fontaine
MANAGER, INVESTOR RELATIONS
Jerry Fontaine is a very vivacious and charismatic person with a charming sense of humor. His passionate and energetic approach to life will leave you with a smile on your face and a sense of belonging. Jerry exudes joy, a very deep love for his family, and you’ll never forget him.
Jerry has an extensive background leveraging a decades long career in financial services and sales, which he has applied to businesses to achieve rapid growth and sustainability. His experience and expertise will instill a sense of trust and confidence working with him. Those who work with Jerry become his biggest fans! His ability to build long lasting relationships rooted in trust, integrity, honesty, and strong communication are just a few of the fundamentals that Jerry holds near and dear to his heart.
Here is a man that still believes in the good old American handshake. He believes in managing with kindness, and brings over 30 years of finance background, business development, relationship building, and business management. Jerry is the guy you want on your team when it comes time to achieve goals and grow a business.
Jerry is a dedicated father and has a very strong relationship with all 3 of his children. Jerry raised his oldest son by himself since he was 2 years old, and his son Served in the Air Force for 7 years as a Fireman and is currently working for the Department of Defense as a Fireman at an Airforce Base. His second oldest son is currently in college to work in the healthcare division as a benefits agent for the State of California. He raised his daughter by himself since she was 12. She is in her 3rd year of college and is getting her degree to be a CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse of Anesthesiology.)
Steve Roth
Manager
Steven Roth has an entrepreneurial spirit and always seeks to make friends with those he meets. When he isn’t working, Steven enjoys playing golf and other physical activities. Steven is an Eagle Scout (Class of 1976) and volunteers with Scouting through the Heart of America Council, located in Kansas City, Missouri. During his scouting days, Steven earned six mile-swim badges and continues to enjoy aquatic sports. Steven’s moto is pay-it-forward.
The owner of two successful businesses, Steven, started in the environmental engineering field in 1986. Since that time, he has launched his own firm in 2005 and is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, with offices in St. Louis, Missouri and Seattle, Washington. Steven’s second business, created in 2009, is a chemical company specializing in the manufacture of bird repellent products used by businesses both private and public. His company also services multiple branches of the US military and has a network of distributors. Steven’s products are registered with the US EPA as well as nineteen countries worldwide.
Steven is blessed to have two wonderful children who have families of their own. Steven’s daughter graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in Marketing and she and her husband live in Monterrey, California and will celebrate her daughter’s first birthday in November of 2024. His son is a graduate of Pittsburg State University with a degree in Construction Management and his daughter also celebrates her birthday in November.
