StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions
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StateWays ■ www.stateways.com ■ January/February 2015 18 VA ABC EDUCATING CURRENT AND FUTURE CUSTOMERS V irginia is one of the few control states with a stand- alone education division separate from its enforce- ment group. But that doesn't mean the two divisions don't work closely together. Many of the education group's public events feature enforcement agents as speakers. The education department goes well beyond just speaking engagements, however. One of the group's marquee programs in 2014 was its awarding of preven- tion grants. Despite losing the federal funding its grant program had enjoyed in previous years, the education group still awarded $81,000 in grants to 11 recipients around the state. The grants benefi tted local coalitions and university groups, who used the funding for preven- tion initiatives tailored to their specifi c communities. In a further effort to empower the citizens of Vir- ginia, the education division rolled out a new program geared toward educating middle schoolers called Being Outstanding Leaders Together (BOLT). In response to the average age of alcohol experimentation dropping to 13 years old, the BOLT program trained high school stu- dents to lead one-day alcohol education seminars at local middle schools. "Our emphasis is on training the trainers," says Education and Prevention Manager Katie Weaks. "The most effective strategy is to train those who will then go back into their communities and pass down what they've learned." The BOLT program may be brand new, but the ABC's college tour education program has been going on for close to 30 years. The tour continued in the fall with visits to James Madison and the University of Richmond, with upcoming visits to Virginia Tech, William & Mary and George Mason scheduled for the spring. The one-day events focus on enhancing knowledge about high-risk drinking and strategies to prevent harm, as well as identifying opportunities to promote a healthi- er and safer campus through service and action. The education group also takes full advantage of modern technologies, making all of its publications, posters and brochures free to download over the inter- net, along with the ability to host training programs on the web. PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE T hough the Virginia ABC is largely up to date with its technologies, leadership has identifi ed a few key areas where reinvestment could pay long-term dividends. The key to accomplishing those projects is to budget them out over the long term. "We've identifi ed internal infrastructure and ex- ternal large projects that are priorities, but these aren't things we can just do overnight," Painter says. "We can't just go out and buy them at the last minute. So regardless of how long we're here or who comes in after us there is a plan, and to me that is an incredibly exciting and positive development." The fi rst phase of technology upgrades is a redesign of the ABC website, plus the added ability for custom- ers to order products online and have them available for pickup at their local ABC location. "Our website is not keeping up with the e-commerce platforms that drive business in the private sector," Na- pier says. "We're changing the entire look and feel of the site to make it a lot more user-friendly." The second phase of advancements will address the licensee community with the mission of allowing more of the forms and payments required to be completed on- line. Additional technology reinvestments that are on the table for the future include an overhaul of the fi nancial management system and the auditing software. "In this economy, people are moving to easier forms of interaction and we need to do this as well," Hill says. "I tell folks, 'We have the luxury of being a monopoly, but that's no reason not to think of how we can make improve- ments.' We can always make improvements."