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
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/64952
" The biggest sign of this, of course, is the recent move to privatize the system in Washington State. (See sidebar.) In addition to the usual new developments in the business of running retail stores, wholesale opera- tions, licensing, enforcement and education, NABCA's member states have been, like the rest of the country, dealing with a strong anti-government political senti- ment and a weak economy, which, in the case of control agencies, have sometimes led to increased interest in pri- vatization in their states. "State legislatures are still look- ing to generate revenue; they wouldn't be looking so much at privatization if it weren't for that," said Jim Sgueo, NABCA's long-time chief executive officer (CEO) and president. "And there's been a much bigger push from large retail stores to get into the alcohol busi- ness. So, the stress on control states may continue." Patrick "PJ" Stapleton, chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) and the out- going NABCA chair- man, said, "While in many states, the situ- ation has calmed down, some are still having discussions about privatization. There is still a gener- al anti-government sentiment – as in 'the government can't do anything right' – and budget problems continue for a num- ber of states." " 22 NABCA President and CEO There is a general lack of understanding and an unwilling- ness to face the fact that there are health and social implications to consider – and that control is a positive thing." — P.J. Stapleton, NABCA Chairman Getting The Word Out tapleton, whose theme for his chairmanship was "Acknowledging the Benefits of Control," said the con- tinuing challenge for NABCA and its members is to get information about those benefits of control systems out there, to both citizens and legislators. "There is a gener- al lack of understanding and an unwillingness to face the fact that there are health and social impli- cations to consider – and that con- trol is a positive thing," he said. Stapleton believes that Mark Bodi, the incoming NABCA S chairman, is uniquely qualified to continue the conver- sation about control and about how to improve it. "Mark has incredible experience in marketing and public relations and the New Hampshire Liquor Commission is a cutting-edge operation," he said. "If anyone can get the message of modernization out and, more importantly, the message about the value of con- trol itself, it's Mark." Bodi was appointed a commissioner and the chair- man of the New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) by Governor John Lynch in 2007. Before that, he had been president and partner of Griffin, Bodi & Krause, the largest advertising agency in Northern New England. "My firm had extensive experience with wine and spirits marketing," he explained. And it had been the advertising agency of record for the NHLC for over 16 years before he became a NHLC commissioner. There is always a cast of control state officials doing something well, and all states can learn from the experts: from other control states, from industry, from people in public health. We want to elevate every control state operation as much as possible." — Jim Sgueo, StateWays s www.stateways.com s May/June 2012