Roasters Coffee has new leadership. Owner resigned after uproar over abuse conviction

Roasters Coffee has a named a new president and CEO after founder and owner Wes Heyden resigned after it came to light that he was a convicted sex offender.

The company announced the hire of Tri-Cities native Derek Tonn on Friday, according to a Roasters Facbook post.

Tonn previously worked in finance at Battelle for 15 years, according to his LinkedIn page and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s phone directory. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s in business from Washington State University.

“I am honored to lead such a well-loved, iconic local brand. I look forward to contributing to the company’s future growth,” Tonn said. “The enthusiasm for coffee, and their focus on the customer experience is what sets Roasters apart.”

Heyden stepped down June 30 after he brought up his 1993 sex offense on a now-deleted Twitter page for Resilient Coffee Roasters, which he also owns. He compared the challenges he faces to the Black Lives Matter movement with the hashtag “sex offender lives matter,” mostly referring to juvenile offenders.

This story was originally published July 24, 2020 at 12:57 PM.