Say Hello to the Crew

These are the folks who keep your habit humming.

Erika Kinderknecht

Erika

Premium Category Manager/Pricebook

Erika joined us in June 2011 and has been tearing it up ever since. She started as an assistant manager at Big Smoke #126 (Overland & Five Mile), then was promoted to store manager at Big Smoke #108 (Broadway) in October 2012. She went on to manage Tobacco Connection #27 (Glenwood & State) and opened Tobacco Connection #35 (Chinden & Linder). Erika increased humidor cigar sales at each location, so we made the obvious decision to promote her to cigar category manager in February 2017. By July 2018, she was promoted to merchandising manager — but she didn’t stop there! She is currently the premium category manager in charge of our liquor. She also assists in maintaining the company’s Pricebook.

In her free time, this powerhouse spends time with her daughter and husband, hikes in the Foothills, travels, watches her beloved Vikings during football season, and collects anything Hello Kitty.

Jen Abbott

Jen

Staff Accountant

What would we do without Jen? She’s been with us since the second G.W. Bush Administration (that’s 2004 for you kids), when she started at Tobacco Connection #16 (Nampa). Ever an overachiever, she became store manager within six months at one of our Boise locations.

Jen has managed five Tobacco Connection locations, helped us open two others, and has served as a fill-in manager at several stores. She worked at TCD, a distributing warehouse for our sister company, as their delivery driver and picked orders for about a year and a half while also serving in our audit department as the daily paperwork auditor and helping with Pricebook. (We know, we’re exhausted reading that, too.) She joined our accounting team in 2016.

She has two beautiful daughters, a mastiff named Boss, and a mutt named Gypsy. Jen grew up in Nampa and has lived in other towns, but Nampa is always home. Her hobbies include cooking, playing with her kids, camping, swimming, and going on adventures — and somehow, despite all that living, she has never broken a bone before.

Katie Wurtz

Katie

Store Manager

When Katie started at the Five Mile/Fairview Tobacco Connection in 2006, she probably never imagined that she would become one of the longest-serving managers in our family of stores — but we’re glad she’s stuck with us! Katie has managed seven stores and currently oversees Tobacco Connection #12 in Nampa.

Katie is mom to two amazing kids and a proud grandma of a very handsome little man, so it’s no surprise that her free time is spent doing anything related to making memories with her family. As her little grandson gets older, he might even help Katie continue to build her sand collection from all over the world.

Debi Downs

Debi

Store Manager

Debbie Downs is a rockstar manager! Besides being awesome at her job, she has an extreme passion for Nascar and Driver #14, Tony Stewart. When racing season is done you can find her camping and fishing — for Debi, there’s no better way to live in Idaho.

Joel Verduzco

Joel

Loss Prevention Manager

Joel (pronounced Hoe-el) is the loss prevention manager for Jackson Bevco, but he has been working with us for more than a decade. He started his journey with the company in January of 2010 as a clerk at Big Smoke #102 in Caldwell, Idaho.

Since then, he’s been an assistant manager (#102), Store Manager (#114, #113, and #109), district manager (North Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Boise, and Vapors Alley), and currently serves as our loss prevention manager.

Joel is the proud father of three handsome young men — Malakai, Yisreal, and Elijaah — and the husband of a truly amazing, strong woman named Michala. Joel and Michala have been married for six years and together for more than 16. With such an awesome family, it’s no surprise that Joel spends his time with his kids watching movies, playing video games, or just relaxing at home. When the weather cooperates, you can catch the family playing disc golf or football, camping or hiking, and swimming. He is also a Detroit Lions fan and has faith that they’ll finally come through one of these seasons.

Janell Moltman

Janell

Northern Idaho, Oregon, and Washington District Manager

Janell is a district manager for our Oregon and Caldwell stores. She loves her job and has been with the company since 2011. Janell enjoys being outside, loves to paddleboard, and lives for camping season.

Shirley Hoobery

Shirley

Store Manager

When Shirley started with the company September 2011, she was just trying to find a fun atmosphere to put her skills to work. Boy, did she find the right place! We’ve been relying on her ever since.

Shirley and her husband spend a lot of time outside — we’re talking shooting, camping, fishing, and every redneck’s favorite spring sport, whistle pigging. She also loves gardening, yardwork, and taking long drives in the summertime. But what Shirley and her husband love the most is playing darts and continuing their fierce rivalry against each other.

Family comes first to Shirley. She’s a mother of three, a proud grandmother, and dog mom to her Great Dane, Diesel, and her bulldog, Ashy Poo.

Shana Noe

Shana

Marketing Manager

Shana joined the company in 2009 and has loyally built its reputation, job by job. She managed several store locations and served as a district manager for the West Treasure Valley area before becoming the marketing manager. 

This #1 Elvis fan is also a music lover (naturally), gardener, photographer, and crafter. Shana is a mom of two beautiful kiddos and a proud grandmother.

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Rochelle Murray

Rochelle

District Manager for East Treasure Valley

Rochelle is a Certified Tobacconist, managed stores for 10 years, and served as our cigar buyer and merchandiser — in other words, she really knows her stuff! She now serves as the district manager for our Eastern Treasure Valley stores in Idaho.

When she’s not busy at work, she spends her free time creating memories with her husband and three children.

Dee Hall

Dee

HR Manager

Dee has been with us since 2014. When she’s not helping us hire our newest superstar employees, she hangs out with her family. Fun fact: Dee loves anything purple.

Steve

Steve

Big Smoke Manager 

Steve started with us in 2002 at (what was then) store #4 in Garden City. When asked what his best part of working for us is, Steve said “the stability and recession proof employment”.  Steve’s mellow personality appeals to both his customers and staff alike and he’s gained their great respect & loyalty over these many years. During his well earned down time, Steve has a few cars that he likes to “play with!” 

Trisha Castillo

Trisha

District Manager for Eastern Idaho

Trisha Castillo has been with us since she was just 19 years old, when she became the assistant manager for our store on Blue Lakes Boulevard in Twin Falls. She became a store manager just three years later.

In 2018, Trisha became a district manager and started a new adventure with her family in Boise. This was no small undertaking: Trisha is a mom of seven children and a proud grandma, and her move to the Treasure Valley was the first time she left her hometown of Jerome, Idaho.

Trisha loves to spend time with her clan, travel, and see new things. On top of everything, this busy woman still finds time to be a Zumba instructor!

Erika Kinderknecht

Julie

Chubbuck Idaho Tobacco Connection Manager

Julie Cantu is one of our dynamic Managers in our Eastern Region. Located at store #24 in Chubbuck, Idaho, Julie remembers different times when she started back in 2004. She recalls
“I started at TC#8 as a part time Clerk. We did everything by hand on paper, faxed our orders & sent all of our paperwork to HQ.” Her most favorite part of working for us now? “The people”, she said. In her down-time, Julie loves spending time with her husband (her ‘favorite person’) and her Mom. She acknowledges that things have changed a lot since she started with us, but admits that it’s made things better!