2026 Attendees

Asally is a Senior Paralegal & Compliance Specialist with Nossaman LLP, in the Los Angeles, CA office. She has nearly 20 years of experience with the majority of her years working in-house in the live entertainment, hospitality, and restaurant/F&B space, in both legal/business affairs and regulatory licensing. She continues to support clients and counsel on various transactional matters, including corporate and entity compliance, alcohol beverage licensing, real estate, finance, contracts, intellectual property, and business development projects.

Thomas R. Akras, Esq. serves as the Chief Strategy Officer and Director of the Legal and Legislative Division for the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission for the State of Maryland (ATCC). In this role, he serves as a soundboard and problem solver for the Executive Director and is also responsible for reviewing and monitoring legislative bills related to alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis generally, and ATCC duties specifically.
In addition, Mr. Akras is tasked with recommending and developing legislation, reviewing and providing interpretive guidance related to existing State laws and regulations, updating existing state regulations as appropriate, and serving as the lead administrative prosecutor for the agency.
Prior to the ATCC, Mr. Akras served from 2014 to 2021 as Deputy Executive Secretary and General Counsel to the Board of Liquor License Commissioners of Baltimore City. Before transitioning to the alcoholic beverage and tobacco regulatory field, Mr. Akras served as an Assistant State’s Attorney and Assistant City Solicitor with the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office and Baltimore City Solicitor’s Office.
Mr. Akras has a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Politics, a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Baltimore, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Maryland. Although originally from New York, he is happy to call Baltimore City his home where he lives with his wife, Anne, and their two young children, Carmen and Albert.

Chris has over three decades of experience in the public sector, including 24 years with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC). Prior to joining Pillsbury, Chris served as the ABC’s Assistant Director for Northern California where he was involved with every aspect of ABC law including licensing, trade practices, enforcement, legislation and the fiscal management of statewide programs.

Janelle Alexander is P&B’s Director of Licensing. She specializes in complex and high-profile alcoholic beverage applications. Her decade of experience in alcoholic beverage licensing gives her unique insight into the issues that arise over the course of the application process. Janelle works with major clients including multinational hotel groups, private equity funds, real estate developers, and publicly traded companies on the detailed disclosures required when these organizations invest in businesses selling alcoholic beverages in New York. She has filed literally hundreds of applications. Janelle is a graduate of Andrews University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Education and her master’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance.

Mr. Amato has practiced throughout Kentucky since 1990. He has been identified in Super Lawyers multiple times, included in The Best Lawyers in America, and awarded an AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell. Mr. Amato's diverse practice focuses on civil litigation and administrative law. His administrative practice is centered in alcoholic beverage regulation, representing a variety of industry participants, including associations, retailers, distributors/wholesalers and producers in connection with local, state and TTB licensing/enforcement issues, as well with public policy efforts.

Heidi Anderson is the Director of Licensing for the Oregon Liquor & Cannabis Commission (OLCC). She has a background in public management going back nearly 15 years. She works with both liquor and cannabis licensing programs to ensure that licensees are successful in participating in the local economy, protecting public safety and health, and are able to help local communities thrive. Heidi leads teams of dynamic professionals in a customer service focused, regulatory environment and believes that we all thrive when local businesses contribute to a welcoming, diverse, and responsible experience for Oregon residents and visitors from all over the world. Heidi is a mother of two boys and recently became a grandmother for the first time. Family is her happy place and knowing that OLCC’s mission means that her family can grow in a safe and thriving environment is a source of comfort and pride.

Ryan W. Anderson has focused practices in receiverships, liquor licensing, bankruptcy and commercial litigation. In his liquor licensing practice, Ryan provides advice and counsel concerning a full range of issues related to the manufacture, importation, distribution, and sale of spirituous liquors within the state of Arizona. Ryan has represented all types of clients in all facets of issues relating to the regulation of spirituous liquors include producers, wholesalers/distributors, importers and retailers, including national chains and local grocery stores, convenience markets, drug stores, restaurants, bars, hotels, management companies, homeowner associations, golf courses, and fraternal organizations.

I am a compliance and business operations professional with more than 10 years of experience supporting licensing, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence across hospitality, construction, and multi-state corporate environments. My passion is helping teams navigate complex regulatory requirements while building efficient processes that support business success. Throughout my career, I have specialized in licensing management, alcohol beverage control (ABC) compliance, risk mitigation, and process improvement. I enjoy building strong partnerships, connecting with industry peers, sharing best practices, and collaborating on solutions that drive both compliance and operational excellence. I believe that great results come from great relationships, and I value opportunities to learn, network, and contribute to the professional community.

Red Robin Team Member since 2008

Lucky Strike Entertainment, formerly Bowlero Corp, is one of the world’s premier location-based entertainment platforms. With over 360 locations across North America, Lucky Strike Entertainment provides experiential offerings in bowling, amusements, water parks, and family entertainment centers. The company also owns the Professional Bowlers Association, the major league of bowling and a growing media property that boasts millions of fans around the globe.

Mr. Baker has experience in alcoholic beverage sales and licensing issues and advises manufacturers, distributors and retailers on alcohol related legal matters.

Kyle also has a wide range of experience litigating cases in federal, state, and appellate courts, including personal injury litigation, complex business and commercial disputes, pursuing actions to collect on promissory notes, guaranties, and other evidence of indebtedness, and landlord-tenant disputes. Kyle also has experience in the coordination and management of discovery in complex, document-intensive matters, including electronic discovery. Kyle also served as Deputy General Counsel to a full-service law firm in Atlanta, where he was an equity partner.

Kaitlin Bamba serves as the Deputy Director of Operations for the Licensing and Regulation Division at the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB).

Since joining the WSLCB in June 2013, Kaitlin has held a variety of positions, including roles focused on licensing liquor and cannabis establishments. In her current role, she oversees the Customer Service, Liquor Licensing, and Cannabis Licensing units within the Licensing and Regulation Division.

Adam is a Massachusetts-based liquor licensing attorney. As Chair of RIW's Restaurant & Hospitality Practice Group, Adam handles corporate transactions, licensing/permitting, and commercial leasing for a variety of clients, including national hotel operators and multi-unit restaurant groups, retailers, entertainment venues, and various professionals and companies within the restaurant, food/beverage, and hospitality industries.

Eric Beal practices primarily in corporate, commercial transactions, financial institution, and licensing matters. Mr. Beal received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he worked with Brookings Mountain West to complete a minor in Public Policy. He received his Juris Doctor degree, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Boyd School of Law, with a concentration in Business & Commercial Law.

Janelle Beasley is a paralegal at Belcher Sykes Harrington PLLC, where she has spent the past six years assisting with alcohol and cannabis regulatory matters. She supports licensing, compliance, and administrative processes for clients operating both within Tennessee and in other jurisdictions across the country. With extensive experience navigating multi-state regulatory frameworks, Janelle plays a key role in helping clients stay compliant in the ever-evolving alcohol and cannabis industries.

Hannah Becker is a nationally recognized attorney for alcohol beverage regulatory and transactional matters. She guides clients through all legal and commercial aspects of the food and beverage industry, combining creative and strategic instincts with an energetic, detail-oriented approach to licensure and permitting, labeling, advertising, trade practices, product classification, importation and distribution agreements, Tied-House and cross-tier issues, and alcohol franchise laws. She is also recognized for her strong grasp of how emerging technologies and new regulated product categories impact alcohol sales and related compliance matters.

Jim Bellanca's practice focuses on Michigan liquor licensing transactions and violation issues. He represents bars, restaurants, markets, distributors and other liquor license holders in a variety of legal, business and licensing matters.

April Bennett, who is a 21 year Roadie, serves as Director of Licensing & Liquor Compliance for Texas Roadhouse, leading licensing, regulatory, and alcohol compliance with a focus on responsible alcohol service initiatives across the organization. A collaborative and people-focused leader, she is dedicated to streamlining processes, developing talent, and helping teams navigate complex compliance requirements while supporting business growth.

Jennifer Benson has been a cornerstone of the Department of Liquor Licenses and Control since joining the Licensing Division in 2011. Rising through the ranks to become Licensing Manager in 2018, she brings over a decade of regulatory expertise and administrative dedication to the role. Under her leadership, the licensing team operates with exceptional efficiency, streamlined processes, and a commitment to public service—successfully managing and processing more than 16,000 liquor licenses each year. Outside of her professional work keeping operations running smoothly, Jennifer loves unwinding with her family and her dog, Lola.

Brad Berkman is a regulatory consultant focusing on federal licensing and regulatory compliance in the Hospitality, Alcohol and Leisure Industry Group at Greenspoon Marder. He offer broad experience in all tiers of industry matters.

Alex is an associate with Walter Haverfield’s Business Services and Hospitality & Liquor Control groups located in Northeast Ohio. As a skilled business attorney and compliance professional, Alex assists hundreds of individuals and businesses enter, compliantly operate in, and exit heavily regulated industries affected by ever-changing marijuana laws and liquor laws. His clients range from solo entrepreneurs and small, startup businesses to large multi-state operator companies. Alex’s comprehensive experience in highly regulated industries gives him a solid understanding of the challenges and intricacies of law faced by all businesses, particularly those operating in complicated legal environments.

Jonathan Bing is a Shareholder in the New York City office of Greenberg Traurig, and chair of its national Liquor Licensing Group. His licensing practice is focused on advocating for clients ranging from local eateries to large restaurant and hotel chains to major cultural attractions including Rockefeller Center and Lincoln Center. As a government relations attorney, he helps companies advance legislation in the New York State Legislature including State tied-house law exemptions. Prior to joining Greenberg Traurig, Jonathan was elected to five terms in the New York State Assembly representing the East Side of Manhattan.

Jace Bisgard is an Attorney and Senior Vice President with Shuttleworth & Ingersoll, P.L.C. His work focuses on assisting clients with a wide variety of beer, wine and liquor licensing, compliance and regulation issues. His clients include a wide variety of both national and local restaurants, breweries, wineries, hotels and other businesses. He assists those clients with licensing and compliance matters at the federal, state and local levels.

Ryan has been working in retail licensing for over 20 years: 5 years with Wild Oats Markets and 15 years with Whole Foods Markets. Ryan lives in Austin, TX and enjoys all the best things in life: friends, family, food, drinks, live music and Denver Broncos football.

Cindy Block is Vice President of LiquorLicense.com, overseeing and managing multi-jurisdictional regulatory filings for the agencys roster of corporate clients that include Qdoba Mexican Grill, SmashBurger, Whole Food Market and more. Cindys skillset encompasses being intimately involved in obtaining all alcohol and related business licenses for LiquorLicense.com clients for over 20 years. Working hand-in-hand with each client to define their precise needs, Cindy assists in executing store openings timely and successfully. Cindy, along with her team, lead the industry - setting the standard.

Craig Block, the president and founder of Liquor License Specialists Liquorlicense.com has been in the liquor and consulting business since the early 1980's. Mr. Block started his career as a liquor salesman working for a large distribution company.

Innovator, Dedicated Golf Player and the driving force of LiquorLicense.com and Copliancy.

no info

Max Bookman has spent nearly two decades working in the New York City business regulatory space. At P&B, he advises clients during all phases of the alcoholic beverage, tobacco, and marijuana licensing processes. Max is known throughout the industry as a skilled advocate with a detailed knowledge of the New York Alcoholic Beverage Control Law, the practices of the State Liquor Authority, and the requirements of New York City Community Boards. He has represented businesses of all sizes and sophistication, across all three tiers of the alcoholic beverage industry, and in both on-premises and off-premises retail categories.
Before joining the firm, Max was a civil litigator at Smith Mazure Director Wilkins Young & Yagerman in Manhattan. He is an alumnus of the Grand Central Partnership Business Improvement District in midtown, and the Manhattan Borough President's Office. Max is a graduate of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he was Notes Editor of the Cardozo Public Law Policy and Ethics Journal. He obtained his bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Vermont.

Matthew Botting retired as General Counsel of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control in June 2025. He served as an attorney in public service with the State of California for over 30 years. In August 2008, Mr. Botting was appointed General Counsel for the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and held that position until his retirement. In his over 23 years with ABC, Matthew held the positions of Chief Counsel, Staff Counsel, and General Counsel. In these roles, Mr. Botting was involved in most significant matters handled by ABC during the past 25 years, including designated precedential decisions, appeals and writs, legislation, and regulations. During 2004-05, Mr. Botting worked in the private practice of law for a large national firm, where he advised clients on alcoholic beverage regulatory compliance matters. Prior to joining ABC in 2000, Mr. Botting was a Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice. Mr. Botting also represented the California ABC at the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators (“NCSLA”) and served as President of that organization during 2016-17. Matthew is a sought-after speaker at various conferences and legal symposia. He has also been a guest lecturer on California’s alcoholic beverage laws for many law school classes. Following his retirement from public service, Mr. Botting has embarked upon the private practice of law and advises clients on the complexities of California’s tied-house and trade practice laws and regulations, as well as offering counsel on legislation and regulations. He maintains his own legal practice with the Law Office of Matthew D. Botting and is also Of Counsel with Christopoulos Law Group in Chicago, IL. Matthew obtained his Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce (Economics) degrees from Otago University in New Zealand before relocating to the United States.

As an administrative lawyer, Dewey Brackin represents clients in the food and beverage industry, handling issues like alcoholic beverage permitting and the government affairs needs of restaurants, bars, hotels, amusement parks, private equity firms and others in the hospitality sector in Texas and beyond. Dewey has extensive experience working with state agencies focused on administrative law, enforcement, licensing and compliance relating to alcoholic beverages.

Baileigh Bradley is an Associate at Carlin Edwards Brown Grobbel and Bellanca, PLLC, and was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 2025. She primarily focuses her practice on liquor licensing and regulatory compliance. Baileigh regularly attends licensing meetings, MLCC semi-annual meetings, and initial meetings with MLCC investigators in support of her liquor licensing and regulatory compliance practice. Baileigh earned her Juris Doctor from Vermont Law School, where she served as Secretary of the Women’s Law Society and was a member of the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law. During her time in law school, Baileigh gained valuable experience as a Summer Associate with the firm in 2024. Baileigh received her Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Michigan State University.

Michael is the President of Alcoholic Beverage Consulting Service, California's leading alcoholic beverage licensing firm. ABCS represents numerous alcoholic beverage licensees in all segments of the alcohol industry, including international convenience store companies, national restaurant and hotel chains, regional supermarket and drugs stores. ABCS has managed over 7,000 California and Federal alcoholic beverage licenses and permits.
Mike is also the founding member of the Alliance of Alcohol Industry Attorneys & Consultants (AAIAC) is a national, invitation-based association of premier alcohol industry licensing and regulatory attorneys and consultants in their respective states. The AAIAC was formed to provide a one-stop national licensing resource for state-by-state expertise.

Mike Brown's practice focuses on Michigan liquor licensing and violation issues. He represents bars, restaurants, hotels, sports venues, and other liquor license holders before the Michigan Liquor Control Commission and conducts liquor violation hearings throughout the State. He provides counsel to several Michigan-based trade associations on a variety of legal and regulatory matters. Mike has served for many years as Michigan regulatory counsel for MillerCoors and Rite Aid.

Tiffiney serves as a lead of the alcohol licensing team with the Iowa Department of Revenue and has been with the agency since 2020. In her current role she assists with the training of licensing team members, quality review, as well as acts as the liaison for the licensing team to other teams within the department. She is also the team’s subject matter expert for liquor liability and handles the dram insurance matters for both licensees and insurance companies.

Austin Bucholtz serves as Vice President of Brand Performance & Transitions at Dreamscape Hospitality, one of the newest and fastest-growing third-party hotel management companies in the United States. In his role, Austin oversees brand performance initiatives, hotel transitions, and the company’s Licensing Team, helping ensure operational consistency, regulatory compliance, and successful execution across the portfolio. Dreamscape Hospitality’s diverse collection of more than 35 hotels includes full-service, select-service, and lifestyle properties representing many of the industry's leading brands. Austin works closely with owners, brand partners, and hotel leadership teams to drive strategic growth, strengthen brand relationships, and support Dreamscape’s continued expansion nationwide.

Danielle Burgess is a seasoned business professional with more than 26 years of experience at Circle K and a 25-year background in finance. Throughout her career, she has developed extensive expertise in financial operations, process improvement, compliance, and strategic business support. Today, as Special Licensing Senior Manager, Danielle leads multi-state alcohol licensing and regulatory compliance efforts, partnering with cross-functional teams to support new store growth and operational success. Known for her proactive approach, attention to detail, and strong collaborative leadership style, she specializes in managing complex projects, mitigating risk, and driving process improvements that support business objectives while maintaining regulatory compliance.

Lisa has spent nearly three decades with Fertitta Entertainment / Landry's, currently serving as Director of Licensing, overseeing alcoholic beverage and business licensing compliance across the organization. She joined the company in May 1998 and has grown into her current role managing license acquisitions, renewals, and regulatory compliance, serving as a trusted expert in navigating the complex licensing landscape of the hospitality and entertainment industry. Fertitta Entertainment / Landry’s, LLC, wholly owned by Tilman J. Fertitta, is a multinational, diversified restaurant, hospitality, gaming and entertainment company based in Houston, Texas.

Paula Butler has spent nearly 30 years with Darden Restaurants, building a career centered on supporting people, solving problems, and helping the business grow. Her journey has included roles in sales leadership, supporting new restaurant openings across all Darden brands. In her current role, as Manager, Licensing & Liquor Compliance, Paula and her team work behind the scenes to ensure licenses and permits for over 2,100 restaurants are renewed on time, regulatory issues are resolved quickly, and restaurant teams have the support they need to operate without interruption. She enjoys navigating the complexities of licensing and compliance, finding practical solutions, and building strong partnerships across the organization. Known for her collaborative leadership style, relentless curiosity, and passion for developing others, Paula believes that great results come from teamwork, continuous improvement, and a willingness to tackle challenges head-on. She takes tremendous pride in supporting her team and creating an environment where people can learn, grow, and succeed.

With over 15 years of licensing management experience and 20 years in facilities maintenance management, I bring a wealth of knowledge and dedication to my role as Sr. Licensing & Compliance Manager. I oversee the complex process of securing operational licenses—including liquor, health, business, and sales tax—for new restaurant openings across 33 states. My work involves close collaboration with government agencies and outside counsel to ensure every location is fully compliant and ready to serve.

Known for my tireless work ethic, I admit I'm not the best at delegating—but that’s just part of my commitment to getting things done right. When I'm not juggling openings and renewals, you’ll likely find me exploring new destinations or diving into one of my many side hustles. I am a proud entrepreneur, running businesses with Scentsy, Avon, and Tupperware, and even delivering with Uber Eats and DoorDash—all part of my adventurous journey toward early retirement.

Claire Butterfield is the Director of Product Design on the Evergreen software team at KrugerHenry. Claire joined the Firm in 2024. Prior to joining the firm, Claire was a Product Design Lead at Studio Science.

Jennifer, a seasoned paralegal, is a licensing specialist who has prepared and filed applications for many alcoholic beverage licenses, including retail, manufacturing, wholesale and direct shipper permits, certificates of compliance, and more.

Joseph Cannon has over 32 years of experience in the Law Enforcement and Alcohol Regulatory field, where he currently serves as the Compliance Manager for Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services in Montgomery County, Maryland. Prior to working for Montgomery County ABS, he was employed with the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for over 21 years and retired as a Special Agent in Charge in 2021. Throughout his career, Joe has been actively involved in law enforcement, alcohol & tobacco regulatory enforcement while serving in a number of roles to include the Virginia ABC Training Academy Director, FDA Tobacco Project Coordinator and past President of the National Liquor Law Enforcement Association.

Jason R. Canvasser is a leader of Clark Hill’s Alcohol Industry Group which serves hospitality clients nationally and globally. Jason advises clients on best practices for managing and avoiding potential risks and liabilities. He routinely represents a variety of clients in the hospitality industry on licensing and regulatory compliance matters involved in the sale of alcohol, both on-site and off-site. These clients include restaurants, bars, pharmacies, grocery stores, manufactures, distributors, hotels, and convenience stores. His clients regularly call on him to advise on issues across the country relating to alcohol promotions, tasting events, sampling promotions, charity events, regulatory compliance, and zoning issues in addition to his extensive experience in the acquisition and sales of liquor licenses.

Jason is a proud member of Clark Hill’s Retail & Hospitality Team, whose attorneys routinely assist companies with run-the-company problem solving, environmental matters, franchising opportunities, labor & employment matters, international trade compliance, business restructuring, tax issues, intellectual property defense and prosecution, real estate transactions, and commercial litigation throughout the United States, Ireland, and Mexico. Clark Hill is an international law firm with 27 offices in Austin, TX; Beaumont, TX, Birmingham, MI; Chicago, IL; Collin County, TX; Dallas, TX, Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; Grand Rapids, MI; Houston, TX; Lansing, MI; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Morgantown, WV; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ, Pittsburgh, PA; Princeton, NJ; San Antonio, TX; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; Scottsdale, AZ; Washington, DC; Wilmington, DE; Dublin, Ireland; and Mexico City, Mexico.

Keeping it in the family! After fifteen years as a prosecutor, Rachael came home to the Lewkowitz Law Office where she started her legal career with grandparents, Andrea and Jerry. Rachael now leverages her background to support the firm’s clients with practical, strategic, and client-focused representation. We’re thrilled to have Rachael back!

As the only Tennessee attorney named Best Lawyers in America for Food and Beverage Law, Will Cheek leads firm's Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Practice Group and provides licensing and regulatory compliance advice to restaurants, hotels, bars, clubs, craft distilleries and breweries. Wills clients range from small chef-owned restaurants to large publicly traded corporations. He is nationally known as the go-to source for Tennessee liquor law and authors the blog Last Call covering Tennessee alcohol, restaurant and hospitality news.

Zak Chlebeck is an accomplished law enforcement professional currently serving as a Special Agent for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Alcohol & Gambling Enforcement Division, bringing over 21 years of sworn police service to the role. Throughout his distinguished career, Zak has developed deep expertise across regulatory compliance, investigative tactics and community-oriented policing. In his current capacity, Zak leverages decades of experience to uphold Minnesota’s liquor laws, manage complex investigations, and ensure compliance among the state’s purveyors of alcohol.

Before stepping into specialized enforcement, Zak built a robust foundation in municipal policing, serving as both a Detective and a Sergeant. Zak’s career is marked by commitment to youth development and community safety, having served impactfully as a School Resource Officer and DARE Instructor. Driven by a proactive approach to public safety, Zak co-produced his police department’s first Arrive Alive program, an initiative aimed at reducing impaired driving and protecting young motorists.

Costco employee since 2002.

Susan Lee Cobb has been associated with our hospitality practice for over 23 years specializing in licensing, permits, compliance for transfers, mergers/acquisitions for franchisees, hotels, operators, wholesalers, distributors, and restaurant chains

I focus on business permitting and alcohol licensing application processing throughout Florida and with various State of Florida regulatory agencies. I assist with processing local land use applications, preliminary due diligence tracking, and local business permitting. I also work on various commercial transactions including hotel real estate closings and mergers and acquisitions involving alcohol licensees. I have been working in the alcohol industry since 2008.

KRISTEN COLE has been with the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control since October 2015. Prior to her time with the division, her career was in retail management. She started with the division as an auditor after receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Accounting. She now serves as the Director of Finance and Compliance and oversees brand label registration, excise tax collections, all human resource, fiscal and administrative operations, and assists with license issuance.

Megan Coleman is Vice President of Alcoholic Beverage Consulting Service and has been with the company since 2015. With a wealth of legal experience and a strategic mindset, Megan has helped to process thousands of ABC applications. Her proactive approach and dedication to our clients make her a cornerstone of our leadership team. She specializes in mass license transfers, has worked with national hotel brands, restaurants, retail and drug store chains throughout California. In addition, Megan has experience working with breweries, wineries, and distilleries on both their CA ABC applications as well as their Federal TTB permits.

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, based in Charlotte, NC, is a collection of polished casual restaurants known for classic American, wood fired grilled entrees. The award-winning FIREBAR boasts private Firebirds label wines and specialty seasonal cocktails, including its signature Double Black Diamond Martini. Firebirds was named one of ten 'Breakout Brands' by Nation's Restaurant News and received a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor. Firebirds is a proud sponsor of Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation; fighting childhood cancer, one cup at a time!

John P. Connell is a Boston lawyer who has been in private practice since 1992. John routinely represents breweries, wineries, distilleries, wholesalers, brokers and retailers both in TTB and ABCC licensing applications and compliance matters.

Parker frequently works with Wisconsin alcohol beverage producers, distributors, and retailers on permitting, licensing, and other compliance matters. This includes licensing and permitting diligence, preparing and submitting license and permit applications, defending in disputes affecting licenses and permits, and ongoing compliance with the various obligations on licensees and permittees.

Julie Cook is Senior Counsel, Compliance for Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., headquartered in Rochester, New York. She oversees regulatory compliance for the retail grocery chain, including liquor licensing matters for Wegmans’ 115 stores and three restaurants. Julie also handles government relations and legislative strategy for the company. 

Chuck Crabtree serves as a lead of the alcohol licensing team with the Iowa Department of Revenue. He is the licensing team’s subject matter expert on the licensing of wineries, breweries, and distilleries, along with all beer and wine wholesalers. Chuck has been with the department since 2020. He has experience working for the state in alcohol licensing, operations, administrative actions, and education. He comes to the state after 5 years of experience as a head brewery for an Iowa brewery and 10 years with Indian Hills Community College as the director of Iowa BioDevelopment and the Regional Entrepreneurship Center.

Jake Creswell has specialized in retail alcohol licensing and compliance for over a decade. He began his career at Whole Foods Market in 2011, joining Amazon in December 2025 following its integration of the Whole Foods Market legal function. Throughout his tenure, he has focused exclusively on alcohol regulatory matters — spanning licensing, permitting, and compliance across a nationwide footprint of retail locations.

Jess has been with our hospitality practice for over 15 years, specializing in licensing, permitting and compliance for national restaurant chains, franchisees, hotel owners, operators, wholesalers and distributors.

Jake leads Burch & Cracchiolo’s liquor licensing and compliance department. In that role, Jake handles all manner of issues concerning compliance with Arizona’s liquor laws, including obtaining licenses for retailers, distributors and producers; auditing liquor practices for compliance with local, state, and federal requirements; responding to allegations of non-compliance, defending liquor violation complaints before the Arizona Department of Liquor Licensing and Compliance (DLLC), including appeals to the Superior Court and Court of Appeals; and the sale of quota licenses.

CSC- TCI

Bethany Danner is a Senior Associate General Counsel with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) and provides legal counsel to DPS’s Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement (AGE) division. Her work focuses on Minnesota’s alcohol and gambling laws, licensing and regulatory issues, enforcement matters, legislative proposals, and emerging business models. She works closely with division leadership and enforcement staff to interpret and apply complex regulatory requirements in a rapidly changing environment. Bethany’s broader DPS work includes data practices, compliance, and agency policy.

Before joining state government in 2021, she spent six years in private practice focusing on estate planning and bankruptcy. Looking back, however, perhaps it should come as no surprise that she ultimately ended up in public service, having worked as a law clerk in multiple public-sector offices during law school.

Bethany earned her undergraduate degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and her law degree from William Mitchell College of Law. She also served as a Paralegal Specialist in the Minnesota Army National Guard.

Outside of her professional work, Bethany and her husband, John, enjoy traveling, spending time with family, and attempting to wrangle their yellow Lab, Jeffrey.

Mila is a Legal Assistant with KrugerHenry with 8+ years alcohol beverage licensing experience, and 20 years in the restaurant industry. Based in Seattle, WA, Mila supports restaurants, hotels, airlines, grocery stores, and other retail licensees across the country. KrugerHenry specializes in all aspects of licensing and compliance matters for multi-state retail clients.

Admitted to the bar in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts, Joe focuses on legal issues related to the hospitality industry, and businesses generally, including alcohol beverage licensing, acquisitions, leases, finance and real estate. Joe's experience extends across the state, having visited approximately 200 communities in Massachusetts. Joe has extensive experience managing state-wide transfers for national clients and working with countless municipal licensing commissions, boards of health, inspectional service departments, the Massachusetts DUA, DOR and the ABCC. He has also drafted changes to the MA Liquor Control Act on behalf of his clients and helped bring those changes to final approval. Joe has served his home community as the vice chair of the licensing commission, a city councilor, and on numerous youth athletic boards and as a coach.

Kristina advises clients on the regulatory mechanics that govern alcohol-related businesses across the country. She focuses her practice on multi-unit licensing, trade practice counseling and regulatory compliance matters for clients nationwide. Kristina has extensive experience advising businesses on regulatory frameworks and procedural requirements, and she frequently represents them before federal, state and local regulatory commissions. She works with companies operating in multiple jurisdictions, where day-to-day activities are shaped by licensing structures, control thresholds and enforcement trends. Kristina’s clients include restaurant groups, hotel operators, grocery retailers, bars, music and entertainment venues, wholesalers and suppliers across all tiers of the beverage alcohol industry.

Over the years, I have gained experience in several practice areas before discovering my passion for licensing, permits, and regulatory compliance. Since November 2021, I have focused on alcohol, business, food, and both nonprofit and for-profit special event licensing across a wide range of states and clients.

I have found my specialty in helping clients navigate complex licensing requirements with confidence and efficiency. I am proud to be part of a growing firm where strong leadership, mentorship, and a collaborative environment continue to support my professional growth.

R.E. “Tuck” Duncan, born October 4, 1951 , Washington, D.C., Attorney at Law, University of Kansas, B.S .Journalism '73; Washburn University J.D. '76. , Secretary and Chief Counsel Kansas Board of Tax Appeals '76-'78, Assistant Attorney General, Kansas Alcoholic Beverage Control '79-'81, '79-'81;Assistant City Attorney, City of Topeka, KS, '81-'83, Private practice 1983 to present. Admitted to practice in Kansas, federal district court, circuit courts of appeal, and the United States Supreme Court, Member, Topeka and Kansas Bar Associations, Life Member Washburn Law School Association, Life Member, University of Kansas Alumni Association, past President Shawnee County Kansas Historical Society, Chairman, Topeka Housing Authority 1999-2004, Former Chair of the Kansas Expocentre Management Board, Former President, Topeka, Friends of the Zoo, Former member of the Topeka Unified Schools Board of Education. Currently General Counsel, Kansas Wine & Spirits Wholesalers Association. Mr. Duncan is the principal in R.E. “Tuck” Duncan, Attorney at Law LLC. Mr. Duncan is also a principal in the government affairs company Capitol Connection Kansas LLC. Mr. Duncan has made numerous presentations regarding beverage alcohol laws at the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators and the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association and other associations, including the National Conference of State Legislatures. He writes a monthly column on liquor issues for the Kansas Beverage News. Mr. Duncan has spoken at various continuing legal education seminars, including his ethics presentation on “View from the Pro Tem Bench.” Married 49 years to Kathleen Allen Duncan, father and proud grandfather. www.tuckduncanlaw.com

Tara Ellis is a corporate and transactional attorney, with specialized expertise in the area of alcoholic beverage law. Her alcoholic beverage law experience includes work on behalf of casinos, restaurants, hotels and other retail establishments as well as distributors and manufacturers.

R. Bruce Evans is a partner at SSJ Law with clients ranging from local businesses to international companies. Bruce’s practice focuses on Land Use and Zoning including Discretionary Approvals, Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) issues, Entertainment, Licensing, and Government Relations, and is experienced in Employment and Personal Injury matters. Bruce has represented clients in both state and federal trial courts, the California Courts of Appeal, and U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. Bruce received his Juris Doctorate from Southwestern University after graduating from the University of California Santa Barbara. Bruce enjoys playing the guitar, hiking, and camping with his family, trail running, paddle boarding, and surfing.

Ericka Evans was appointed in July 2025 to serve as Department Commissioner of the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services (DABS). The department, tasked with the regulation, retail sale, and distribution of alcoholic products in the state, employs over 700 staff members, provides licensing and compliance support to over 4,000 Utah businesses licensed to sell alcohol, and oversees 52 state liquor and wine stores that generate over $500 million annually in gross sales, a large portion of which is sent to state and local communities to fund public safety, roads and infrastructure, education, and health programs.

Ericka brings more than a decade of legal and public sector experience across several branches of government to her role. Previously, Ericka served as Executive Officer and Internal Services Counsel with the Office of Legislative Services, overseeing internal operations for the legislative branch, including human resources, finance, and IT functions, and providing guidance on procurement, employment law, and records management. Prior to that, she served as Deputy Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs at DABS, advising on legal and policy matters impacting DABS and overseeing licensing and compliance efforts across the state.

Earlier in her career, Ericka served as Managing Associate General Counsel with the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, where she drafted legislation related to alcohol policy, business regulation, criminal justice, and behavioral health. She began her legal career in California, practicing in probate and trust litigation.

Ms. Farina began her career in the alcoholic beverage industry in 1999. She represents clients on a nationwide basis in alcoholic beverage licensing and compliance matters.

Certified paralegal with 20+ years experience in all things licensing, from dirt to close; experience in mergers/acquisitions, corporate documentation, review of Leases & premises related documents & preparing Lease Briefs & document summaries.

BJ's Restaurants, Inc. owns and operates 194 restaurants as of July 2017. Our menu features our BJ's award-winning, signature deep-dish pizza, our own handcrafted beers as well as a wide selection of appetizers, entrees, pastas, sandwiches, specialty salads and desserts including our unique Pizookie dessert. Several of our BJ's Restaurant & Brewery restaurants feature in-house brewing facilities where BJ's proprietary handcrafted beers are produced for many of our restaurants. In fact we have won over 150 awards for our beer.

Jeff Forster is the Director of Product Management on the Evergreen software team at KrugerHenry. Jeff joined the Firm in 2023. Prior to joining the firm, Jeff was a Product Owner at Truefit, a software consultancy that built Evergreen for launch.

Lisa Foster serves as the Licensing Paralegal and Government Relations Coordinator and assists clients with regulatory filings, licensing, local permits, lobbying and legislative work. She has over 20 years of experience in the political and legislative arena, tracking and monitoring legislation, reporting and fundraising work.

Beth Frasch is the Licensing Director for the Adams & Reese Tennessee Alcohol and Hospitality Team, where she brings more than a decade of specialized licensing experience to some of the state's most complex liquor licensing matters. As the team's senior licensing specialist, Beth oversees every Tennessee liquor licensing project from intake through completion, coordinating work assignments, project management, project completion, budgeting, and billing to keep matters moving efficiently and predictably for clients.

Before becoming Licensing Director, Beth worked as a paralegal at Adams & Reese, gaining hands-on experience with the legal demands of licensing work that continues to inform her leadership today.

Max advises retail and non-retail alcohol and food businesses on regulatory matters. He assists clients with federal and state liquor licensing, tied house compliance and alcohol delivery services. Working with breweries, wineries and retailers, Max handles federal permitting, multi-state compliance and licensing transfers. His experience includes TTB compliance, labeling requirements and direct-to-consumer shipping regulations. Max’s practice also includes corporate transactions in the alcohol beverage industry, from winery acquisitions to retail expansions. He also handles distributor franchise matters, tribal regulations and operational plans for sports and entertainment facilities.

Joseph Gaffney is the Policy Advisor for Colorado’s Liquor and Tobacco Enforcement Division and is responsible for the Policy/ Legal Unit. His team handles all administrative actions, legislative matters, and rulemaking for the Division.

Joe started with the Liquor and Tobacco Enforcement Division in 2023. In his time with the Division, he worked on crafting SB24-231, which was the Liquor Advisory Group omnibus bill that passed in the 2024 legislative session. After the session, he worked to implement the bill through extensive rulemaking.

Joe has a strong public policy background. He has served as a Fellow for a Washington, D.C. think tank where he focused on immigration, health care, and education issues. In addition to working on issues specific to the organization, Joe worked with grassroots organizations nationwide to develop policy proposals and craft strategies to get them passed into law.

After his fellowship, he joined the political consulting firm Camelback Strategy Group and managed a state-wide and multiple Texas State House campaigns as part of the largest state-wide field effort at the time.

After the election concluded, he served as a Legislative and Communications Aide in the Texas House of Representatives, where, among other duties, he staffed the Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence and the Subcommittee on Asset Forfeiture.

Joe studied at the University of Colorado - Boulder and lives in Castle Rock, Colorado with his wife Megan. They enjoy the outdoors, skiing, and traveling together.

Real Estate, Legal and Liquor Compliance Manager

Lisa Gardner serves as Executive Director of the Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC), where she oversees the statewide regulation of Illinois’ alcohol industry, including licensing, enforcement, compliance, and policy implementation. She has served as Executive Director for more than five years, during which she has led significant modernization initiatives, strengthened regulatory oversight, and addressed emerging issues affecting the state’s alcohol industry.

Prior to joining the ILCC, Lisa practiced law for more than a decade, including serving as a Managing Attorney at a Chicago boutique firm. She also served for five years as a Hearing Officer/Administrative Law Judge with the City of Chicago’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, where she presided over liquor and other regulatory matters.

Lisa earned her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago and holds executive leadership certifications from the University of Chicago Graham School of Professional Studies and Crain’s Leadership Academy in partnership with Chicago Booth Executive Education. She serves as 3rd Vice President of the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators (NCSLA).

Jill Gautreaux is an attorney in Kean Miller's New Orleans office with experience handling corporate matters, real estate, liquor licensing and business transactions. She represents clients in matters related to business formation, lease negotiation, land use, licensing, and compliance matters. She also handles administrative proceedings before governmental agencies, including state and local councils, zoning boards, and alcoholic beverage control boards.

Lisa serves as the manager of the Alcohol & Tax Compliance Division with the Iowa Department of Revenue. She has been with the department since 2020 and has worked in the licensing unit serving as a subject matter expert for alcohol licensing and the success of the alcohol licensing based system. She oversees licensing specialists as they determine the eligibility of applicants for alcohol licenses and permits in the state of Iowa, as well as works in conjunction with compliance, administrative affairs, accounting and other various departments.

Tony Golowski represents clients in all tiers of the alcoholic beverage industry. Matters include license purchase and sale transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and defending licensees in disciplinary actions and tax audit. In addition to providing regulatory compliance advice, he represents clients in business litigation matters. Tony is a former Deputy Attorney General with the NJ Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

I have lived in Las Vegas, Nevada for over 38 years. For the last 30+ years, I have worked for the City of Las Vegas, currently in the Community Development Department, Business Licensing Division. As the Business License Section Manager, I oversee the administration of the business licensing processes. As a dedicated, regulatory professional, I prioritize staying informed about local and national trends. My core mission as a regulator is to effectively bridge the requirements of the city with those of the business community and help streamline processes to create a harmonious relationship between both.

As a paralegal specializing in liquor licensing and compliance, Stacy plays a pivotal role in navigating the complex regulatory landscape of alcohol law. She prepares, submits, and tracks liquor license applications, renewals, transfers, and amendments across multiple jurisdictions, ensuring timely and accurate filings. Stacy’s work involves conducting in-depth legal research on federal, state, and local alcohol regulations, maintaining comprehensive licensing databases and compliance calendars, and monitoring legislative changes that may impact business operations.

By day: 20+ years experience in Licensing across the restaurant/hospitality/entertainment industries. By night: mom to twins and a single, all girls. Basically triplets.

- Valerie Haber guides businesses operating within or adjacent to the alcohol beverage industry through development, licensing, and promotional activities, as well as alcohol delivery, storage, fulfillment, and related services. With a proven track record of success across all three tiers of the alcohol beverage space, Valerie is highly regarded for both her deep industry knowledge and responsive, transparent client communication. Her clients include wineries, breweries, distilleries, wholesale distributors, national restaurant groups, supermarkets, movie theaters, and other retailers.

Yolanda A. Hall was appointed to serve as TABC’s deputy executive director in August 2022. Hall’s career prior to joining TABC spans multiple decades of high-level budget and business management positions at various state agencies. She began her career in government at the Texas Youth Commission, where she served as a financial analyst and budget manager. After the agency was reorganized into the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, Hall served as finance director overseeing 250 staff members as well as multiple efforts related to agency reorganization and consolidation. She was later appointed as deputy budget director for the Office of the Texas Attorney General. Hall is a longtime Austin resident and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.

Sam Harden works out of the firm’s Denver office, where his practice largely focuses on corporate transactions and employment compliance.

Curtis is a founding partner of Belcher Sykes Harrington, PLLC, and he focuses on assisting alcoholic beverage/hospitality and cannabis industry members both inside and outside of the state of Tennessee, which he has been doing for over 15 years. Curtis represents industry members in each of the three tiers of the alcoholic beverage industry. Curtis has served as General Counsel for the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of Tennessee since 2010.

Amy uses her extensive knowledge of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code and Rules, processing, and technology implementation to ensure the success of her clients. Amy will assist you in optimizing your alcohol opportunities in Texas.
P.S. NALCP Elves deem Amy as most likely to make a room cry-laugh, and we love her for it!

I came to work for Brackin Schwartz after a brief retirement. I have worked in the industry for over 45 years. My extensive experience in the industry experience includes many years as a TABC processor and also Director of Operations for a Houston-based liquor consultant. Based in Houston, our client responsiveness is recognized and appreciated by clients nationwide.

Nichole Harvey is the Licensing & Litigation Manager for the Idaho State Police Alcohol Beverage Control Bureau, bringing over 20 years of experience in regulatory compliance and enforcement of Idaho’s alcohol laws. After earning her degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Boise State University, she joined the Idaho State Police in 1999 and has since built strong partnerships with businesses, franchises, and industry groups to support education and compliance.

Nichole leads ABC’s administrative licensing team and works closely with the broader management team to oversee statewide licensing operations, investigations, enforcement, and policy development. Known for her positive and approachable leadership style, she helps businesses navigate licensing and regulatory requirements with clarity and a touch of humor.

Ben Henry was appointed as Director of the Department of Liquor Licenses and Control (DLLC) in January 2023.

Previous to Director Henry's appointment, the Arizona native was raised and educated in Phoenix. He previously served as the Deputy Director of Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST), where he served as liaison between the Agency and user agencies, and represented state law enforcement interests.

Ben has over 27-years of (sworn) law enforcement experience, and worked for two of the largest law enforcement agencies in Arizona. These agencies are the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, where he retired as the Chief Deputy and the Phoenix Police Department, as a Commander. The first half of Ben's career was mostly spent in operational divisions, conducting complex criminal investigations and managing crime suppression programs. As he ascended through the promotional ranks, his responsibilities became more administrative.

The latter half of Ben's career was spent mostly in the Human Resource area: dealing with complex budgets, policies and procedures, training, and the wellness and retention of City/County's greatest resource - its employees. Ben has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Arizona State University and a Master's Degree in Education from Northern Arizona University. He also earned a Certified Public Manager designation from Arizona State University and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

Tom is a partner at Kruger Henry in Pittsburgh, PA. Tom handles all aspects of alcohol beverage licensing with an emphasis on multi-state transactions involving hotels, restaurants and breweries. He has represented numerous publicly traded companies, private equity groups, pension funds and family offices in connection with acquisitions, restructurings and minority investments in the alcohol industry. Additionally, Tom has worked with representatives of state governments, drafting and revising administrative rules and statutory language to modernize alcohol beverage laws. Tom is a member of the Alliance of Alcohol Industry Attorneys & Consultants, American Bar Association, and Pennsylvania Bar Association.

Jennifer brings 30+ years of experience delivering enterprise marketing leadership at scale, repeatable turnaround and growth acceleration, digital transformation and modernized marketing infrastructure. Her broad background includes all marketing disciplines and strong cross-functional knowledge of all business fundamentals with a successful track record of transforming brands and driving business results in fast-paced industries with diverse environments (Propelled Brands (FASTSIGNS, Camp Bow Wow, My Salon Suite), Smoothie King, Gold’s Gym, Dave & Buster’s, Nestle Waters, Pizza Hut, UPS Stores).

Rick is a licensing professional with over nine years of experience in alcohol, business and operational licensing in both consulting and corporate team environments. He is responsible for managing all licensing, permitting, and regulatory compliance activities across the corporately owned Twin Peaks Restaurants while also providing corporate legal support.

Kyle's practice covers both licensing & compliance matters for clients in the alcoholic beverage industry. He's handled the licensure of hundreds of retail stores, hotels, restaurants, convenience stores, & other businesses in & beyond Texas. Martin Frost & Hill is headquartered in Austin & has been a proud member of NALCP since its inception. Our attorneys & staff have years of experience assisting clients involved in the manufacture, distribution, marketing, & sale of alcoholic beverages.

Anna Hirai is the Assistant Administrator at the Honolulu Liquor Commission. She has been with the Commission since 1997, first as Adjudications Deputy Corporation Counsel, then in various capacities to include Special Assistant to the Administrator, Assistant Administrator, and Acting Administrator. Previously, she was in private practice in Honolulu, Hawaii (corporate, healthcare & real estate) and Little Rock, Arkansas (securities regulation & corporate finance). She has been a member of the Hawaii Bar since 1981 and the Arkansas Bar since 1984.

Anna graduated from Punahou School (1973, “a few years” before Punahou’s most famous alumnus); Georgetown University (1977; A.B. American Studies); and Boston College Law School (1981). She is an empty-nester living in Honolulu, with two daughters each pursuing successful career paths in healthcare and medicine on the mainland. She served on the executive committee of the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators representing the Western Region states from 2013 to 2023, including almost two full terms as President.

Megan Huff is a Software Consultant with CSC and has been with the company since 2016. Megan’s primary focus as a Consultant is to help Licensing professionals streamline their process and use License Pro to its full potential. Before working for CSC, Megan worked in Governmental Accounting at the Boise Airport. She enjoys going to happy hour with friends and taking long walks with her dogs, Radley and Mabel.

Maureen has been working for the authority since 2004 when she got her start as a clerk in the wholesale bureau. Maureen’s skills as a leader and compassion to small businesses, drives her work ethic and ability to get applicants up and running in a short time. Maureen has served in the licensing bureau since 2007 and led the State Liquor Authority’s permit unit since 2018. She was instrumental in establishing a statewide permit unit and served in the creation and implementation of the agency’s first on-line permit data base. Her problem-solving and complaint resolution skills will follow her in the role as she continues to bring leadership with her as she oversees licensing statewide. 

Senior Paralegal

Amy joined Martin Frost & Hill as a paralegal in 2011 after 3_ years as a paralegal at TABC. Amy assists clients with TABC applications, health applications, lottery applications, and various other applications. Martin Frost & Hill is headquartered in Austin & has been a proud member of NALCP since its inception. Our attorneys & staff have years of experience assisting clients involved in the manufacture, distribution, marketing, & sale of alcoholic beverages.

Alex Intermill is a partner with Bose McKinney & Evans. He has extensive experience representing restaurants, grocery and convenience stores, distilleries and microbreweries. He assists with federal and state alcoholic beverage licensing procurement, permit transfers and permit sales, as well as negotiating with excise police and ATC prosecutors, attending local board hearings and pursuing appeals of denials of permit applications.

Kevan serves as a bureau chief in the Alcohol and Tax Compliance Division with the Iowa Department of Revenue. He has been with the department since 2022 and with the Alcohol Licensing team since 2025. Kevan oversees the alcohol licensing team as well as the income tax teams.

Stephen A. Jamieson, a founding partner of Solomon Saltsman & Jamieson, is recognized as a leader in the areas of Land Use and Zoning, Alcoholic Beverage Licensing, Compliance and disciplinary actions, government relations, business litigation and personal injury litigation. He has extensive experience working with companies from Fortune 100 publicly traded corporations to stand-alone businesses. Mr. Jamieson is rated AV® Preeminent with Martindale-Hubbell, voted by his peers as one of the Best Lawyers® in America, rated 10/10 on AVVO, and honored by Super Lawyers as the top 1% of lawyers in Land Use/Zoning for each of the last 24 years. Mr. Jamieson is admitted to practice law before the State Courts in California, Michigan, and Wisconsin as well as the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the U.S. Federal Claims Court, and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Central and Southern Districts of California. He is also a member of the Intertribal Court of Southern California.

Tom Jeffcott is the Founder of Jeffcott Law LLC. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Tom is an attorney with deep experience in business and real estate law, with a particular focus on liquor licensing and the hospitality industry. He regularly works with restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues on licensing and compliance matters. Beyond liquor law, Tom advises entrepreneurs, property owners, and small business operators on business formation, contracts, and commercial leases.

Red Robin Team Member since 2016

Janet Jin is a Land Use Professional at SSJ. Janet obtained a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning with a concentration in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of California, Davis. Janet has 4+ years of experience navigating complex permitting, zoning, and entitlement processes across California. She is experienced in ABC and multi-state liquor licensing, conditional use permits, and navigating state and local permitting environments for commercial, entertainment, and retail clients. Prior to SSJ, Janet worked at the City of San Francisco’s Planning Department as an Emerging Mobility Services and Technology intern and created policies for the City’s Transportation Element update.

Melani heads the licensing team at SK&J, a law firm devoted to working with clients in the alcohol beverage world. She regularly advises clients on national licensing issues arising from corporate restructures, mergers and acquisitions.

14+ years experience in licensing across the convenience stores and restaurant industries. Currently the Licensing Mgr for Brinker Int'l since 1/2022.

Currently serving as Director of Operations with All-In Licensing, Kamira leads a high-performing team of 20+ Licensing Specialists managing compliance across 48 states and thousands of local jurisdictions. Her work is fast-paced and high-volume, spanning multiple regulatory environments and diverse industries—from convenience stores and national retail chains to restaurants and government entities. Kamira’s experience includes everything from single-store licensing to complex rezoning and special use permits, to quick turnaround M&As.

Jordan is an attorney overseeing service delivery and day to day operations for Gerald Franklin Agency, and also serves as an Attorney and Member at Warren Kalyan. Jordan works closely with founders, operators, and investors to help them navigate legal challenges, structure transactions, and operate their businesses with clarity and confidence. He works closely with founders, operators, and investors to help them navigate legal challenges, structure transactions, and operate their businesses with clarity and confidence. Jordan brings a versatile legal background and a client-first mindset to his practice.

Nordstrom owns and operates over 200 food and beverage operations in the US, with 89 locations offering alcoholic beverages. With more than 40 years of restaurant experience and 16 different concepts to-date, it’s no surprise that one in 4 transactions at a Nordstrom full line store is for food and/or beverage.

Kathleen Joyce is an attorney and longtime public-sector leader with extensive experience in licensing, regulatory affairs, economic development, and municipal government. She currently serves as Chair of the Boston Licensing Board and Boston Cannabis Board and as Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Consumer Affairs and Licensing.

During her tenure with the City of Boston, Joyce has played a central role in shaping policies affecting the city’s hospitality, nightlife, entertainment, and emerging industries, including modernizing licensing processes, expanding outdoor dining, and advancing regulatory reforms and new initiatives.

Known for a practical, solutions-oriented approach, Joyce has focused on supporting businesses and economic growth while balancing public safety and neighborhood concerns. She brings nearly two decades of public service experience at both the state and municipal levels.

Anne specializes in civil litigation primarily involving commercial transactions and general liability within the Industry.

Aniko Kasprian is the Industry Education Technical Advisor in the Office of Outreach at TTB. Previously, Ms. Kasprian was part of the Office of Special Operations group, where she worked as a Special Operations Investigator for 4 years working on FAA Trade Practice cases. Ms. Kasprian was also an investigator for the Western II District for 6 years, primarily focusing on wine and tobacco. Before joining TTB, Aniko served in the United States Air Force and was a Special Agent for the Department of Homeland Security. Ms. Kasprian’s primary area of expertise is in the alcohol industry. Ms. Kasprian has a BA in International Relations and Foreign Policy and an MS in Criminology with a focus on Forensic Profiling.

Ms. Kennedy is a tenured Outfitter with Bass Pro Shops, serving numerous additional operating entities under the Great American Outdoors Group umbrella, amassing over 15 years of License & Compliance management experience and 35+ years in Corporate Accounting with an emphasis on Tax. Ms. Kennedy splits her management responsibilities between two in-house teams consisting of Property Tax and License Compliance. Overseeing the complex process of recurring renewals as well as securing operational licenses, including liquor, firearms, health, business, manufacturing, dealer, tax, etc., with emphasis on new retail locations, as well as multi-state transactions involving hotels and restaurants within our Hospitality division. Her work involves close collaboration with government agencies and outside counsel to ensure every location is fully compliant and operational. With a current portfolio of 200 retail and marine divisions across the US and Canada, Bass Pro continues to be named the #1 America’s Best Outdoor Retailer.

Erin represents national and local businesses in the hospitality and retail industry and provides legal counsel in alcoholic beverage licensing, compliance, enforcement issues under Louisiana and local law. Erin is among ABA's On the Rise Top 40 Young Lawyers.

Lauren Keogh is a Licensing Specialist at BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. where she handles licensing for more than 200 BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse locations. She manages the renewal and maintenance of required licenses and permits, maintains compliance-tracking records, works with internal teams, regulatory agencies, and external partners to resolve licensing matters and keep operations running without interruption.

Lauren also oversees the tracking, investigation, and follow-up of false-alarm incidents. This includes coordinating with restaurant operators and vendors, monitoring related documentation and deadlines, and facilitating the recovery of applicable fines. Her work supports both existing locations and new restaurant openings through organized, proactive management of deadlines, documentation, and regulatory requirements.

California-based alcohol regulatory and licensing attorney, with particular expertise in trade practices, ecommerce and third party providers, delivery, direct-to-consumer shipping, and tied-house laws.

Liquor license paralegal

Tina oversees Licensing and Government Relations and has been with Sprouts for more than 13 years. Sprouts is a specialty food retailer focused on making healthy living accessible through fresh produce, locally sourced items, and innovative products that support a variety of lifestyles, including organic, plant-based, non-GMO, and gluten-free. With more than 35,000 team members and over 500 stores across 26 states. Sprouts prides itself on supporting the communities it serves.

Compliance Manager in the Construction & Compliance team under the Business Development department. Round1 is an Indoor family amusement center in over 26 states with 48+ locations.

Clark Kirkman primarily represents clients in the hospitality industry, including restaurants, alcoholic beverage wholesalers, package liquor stores, hotels, golf courses, venues, and other entities holding alcoholic beverage permits. He assists clients in all permitting matters, as well as settling violations issued by the Indiana State Excise Police. He also practices in government services, municipal law, land use planning and zoning, and real estate. Clark has extensive knowledge of state and local government. He most recently served as the Deputy Director and Executive Secretary at the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, where he advised the Commission and the Indiana State Excise Police on a multitude of legal matters before the agency. He drafted agency policies and legal advisory opinions issued by the Commission. Clark also served as the agency’s legislative liaison and assisted members of the General Assembly on legislation related to alcohol, tobacco, and type II gaming. Before that, Clark served in the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s Office of Legal Counsel served as law clerk to Judge Elaine B. Brown of the Indiana Court of Appeals.

Casey Kitchen serves as a Licensing Director for Dollar General, supporting licensing and indirect tax compliance across the company's extensive retail footprint. In this role, Casey oversees business, operational, and privilege licensing programs and helps ensure compliance with the regulatory requirements at federal, state, and local level governing retail operations.

Benjamin Korngut is a partner at Korngut Paleudis LLC. Mr. Korngut’s practice is focused on providing comprehensive legal services to hospitality companies, alcohol wholesalers and manufacturers as well as commercial real-estate professionals throughout the State of New York. He has extensive experience representing hotels, bars, restaurants, alcohol manufacturers and wholesalers, and real estate professionals in a wide variety of transactional matters and before various governmental agencies. He frequently represents clients before the New York State Liquor authority in various licensing and disciplinary matters. He is committed to building and maintaining long-term relationships with his clients.

Aimbridge Hospitality is one of the largest and most dynamic independent management companies in North America and the Caribbean. With an award winning portfolio of over 450 hotels and resorts with more than 63,000 guestrooms, our company operates across a full spectrum of property types in addition to independent luxury, boutique, and lifestyle hotels. Our highly resourced company offers an unrivaled track record of creating and maximizing asset value and holds an enviable position as an exclusive management company.

Dan represents hotels, restaurants, and retail companies in all aspects of alcoholic beverage law including acquisitions and dispositions, entity structuring and general regulatory matters. Dan also has experience in real estate law, including the leasing of restaurants and the acquisition and disposition of restaurants, hotels and hospitality properties. Dan is licensed to practice law in California, Colorado and Arizona.

I have been with CSC for over 15 years in the client services department. I'm currently leading our licensing team of project managers, consultants, and trainers that focus on our licensing software; License Pro. From client interaction and being a member of NALCP, I am knowledgeable of the licensing and compliance industry.

Ryan Kroll is a partner at SSJ Law with extensive experience in Land Use, Zoning, and Alcoholic Beverage Control licensing and compliance. Licensed to practice law in California, Washington, Alaska, New Mexico, and Oregon, Ryan has logged hundreds of hours representing clients before various state agencies, planning commissions, and city councils. Additionally, Ryan is an experienced litigator in Employment Litigation, Complex Business Litigation, Administrative Law, and has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in wrongful death cases, personal injury, insurance disputes, employment matters, and business and contract disputes. He is also an experienced gaming lawyer, assisting many start-up gaming operations with state and federal gaming law compliance, and has a vast knowledge of Indian Law. Ryan graduated magna cum laude from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, and has a Master of Accounting degree and is a Florida-licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Kaitlynd handles all aspects of alcohol beverage licensing with an emphasis on multi-state transactions involving retail licensees. She manages the liquor license renewal program, Evergreen, responsible for the renewal of thousands of liquor and non-liquor licenses annually for hotels, restaurants, airlines, concessionaires, grocery stores and convenience stores. Kaitlynd works extensively on licensing and compliance matters for both domestic and international airlines. Kaitlynd is a member of the Alliance of Alcohol Industry Attorneys & Consultants, American Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, and Women of the Vine & Spirits.

Kay Lacy is a seasoned corporate paralegal and legal operations professional with more than 20 years of experience supporting in-house legal departments across a diverse range of industries, including food and beverage, manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, and insurance. Her expertise includes corporate governance, entity management, board and committee administration, regulatory compliance, and legal operations. She partners with executive leadership and legal teams to strengthen governance processes, support corporate transactions, and ensure compliance across domestic and international entities.

Kevin Leff is a founding member of Sard & Leff. His practice focuses on regulatory compliance issues for the hospitality and beverage alcohol industries. Kevin represents alcohol manufacturers, suppliers, importers, brokers, wholesalers, commercial real estate developers, bankruptcy trustees, hoteliers, restaurateurs, property and business owners, property managers, trade organizations, other law firms, and government officials regarding regulatory and compliance issues. Kevin was appointed an Advisory Board Member of NALCP in 2014 and is an Executive Board and Founding Member of AAIAC.

Regulatory Affairs Specialist for Fintech

Tanner focuses her practice on regulatory matters before state and local governments, primarily the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services. Tanner represents clients in matters relating to beverage alcohol regulation, which includes a wide range of restaurants, hotels and entertainment establishments, as well as breweries, wineries, distilleries, wholesalers and importers, on legal, regulatory, and legislative matters. Tanner regularly counsels those involved in buying and selling businesses with alcohol licenses in Utah in relation to management agreements, licensing and permitting, and operational issues.

Licensing Specialist

I’m a Senior Manager of Development & Entitlements, focused on guiding new locations from lease execution through opening. I work closely with landlord teams and internal partners to coordinate development activities, manage schedules, and keep projects moving toward successful openings. I also oversee liquor license compliance within the Development Department and partner with our Chief Legal Officer to ensure projects remain aligned with applicable regulations and requirements.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time outdoors in just about every way—hiking, camping, exploring new places, walking along the beach, collecting interesting rocks, or simply relaxing around a campfire. I share my days with my husband and our dog, Bo, and I’m a proud mom of three grown children and Lolli (grandmother) to my grandson. I consider myself a lifelong learner and enjoy challenging myself with new hobbies, experiences, and opportunities to expand my knowledge. I bring that same curiosity to my professional life, always looking for ways to learn, grow, and find better solutions. I’m excited to connect with others at the NALCP, exchange ideas, and continue learning from the people and experiences around me.

Christy Letourneau is a pharmacist with CVS Health and currently serves as Executive Director of Facility Licensing. She leads the team responsible for obtaining and maintaining licensure for CVS Health's retail and non-retail facilities. Her team's portfolio includes a broad range of licenses and registrations, including pharmacy, DEA, alcohol, home health, CLIA, and other facility-related regulatory requirements. She is passionate about regulatory compliance and supporting business growth through effective licensing strategies.

Marbet Lewis is a Partner and founder of Spirit Law Partners. She focuses her practice on the laws governing the alcohol licensing and regulatory compliance relating to the manufacture, importation, and sale of alcohol beverage products. She represents domestic and foreign alcohol industry clients in all aspects of alcohol and business licensing, included federal, state and local approvals. She also assists with defense of administrative complaints and trade practice investigations as well as tracking and management of national licensing projects including transfer of business and operational permits required as part of large asset acquisition transactions and merger of national retailers including hotels and entertainment venues.

Robert F. "Rob" Lewis is a Partner and Founder of Spirit Law Partners. Having served previously in law enforcement and as a special agent with the State of Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, Rob has accumulated over 30 years of experience in the laws governing regulated products and industries across all three alcohol tiers. His practice includes diverse and multi-discipline areas of legal needs common to hospitality, alcohol, and tobacco industry clients including complex business transactions, industry mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance, and operational permitting issues. Rob is known for his creative problem solving and effective management of national licensing projects and defense administrative complaints and investigations. His experience also includes federal, state and local alcohol and business licensing including related land use approvals.

Since husband Jerry’s unofficial retirement from the Lewkowitz Law Office, Andrea has assumed primary responsibility for the firm. She continues to provide practical legal strategies and guidance to local entrepreneurs and national companies in all three tiers of the licensed beverage industry and serves as outside counsel to corporate legal departments for Arizona licensing matters such as site evaluations, compliance, and trade practice issues. The firm is committed to providing high quality, personalized, cost-effective service to each client.

Jerry is thinking of retirement, but Andrea, Amy, and Celia haven't agreed to it - an dhe hasn't found a better job yet. He's still having fun at the office, especially when the girls bring the kids!

Represents restaurants, hotels, grocers, concert venues, etc., as well as alcoholic beverage manufacturers, wholesalers and importers, on legal, regulatory & legislative matters. Serves as legal counsel to VA Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association.

Christy Lorigan currently serves as the Regulatory Division Administrator for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, where she also holds dual leadership roles as Director of both the Arkansas Tobacco Control and Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Divisions. In these capacities, she provides legal counsel and regulatory oversight for the licensing, compliance, and enforcement of alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, and hemp product laws across the state. The Regulatory team also maintains authority over casino gaming and horse racing in Arkansas. She leads a team of over 100 employees, including six attorneys, and regularly presents at state and regional conferences on complex regulatory issues.

Before her current appointments, Christy was Attorney Supervisor for the Revenue Division – Field Audit section, and prior to that, spent seven years as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for Arkansas’s Sixth Judicial District. There, she specialized in prosecuting major felony cases involving domestic violence, sexual assault, homicide, gang activity, and narcotics.
Christy holds a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the William H. Bowen School of Law, where she was honored with multiple “Top Paper” awards and served as Associate Editor for the UALR Law Review. She earned her B.A. in Political Science, summa cum laude, from the University of Central Arkansas.

A recognized leader in public service, Christy has been featured as a “Mover & Shaker” with interviews in Arkansas Business and Arkansas Times. Last year, Arkansas Money & Politics named her in AMP’s Top 100 professionals. Her dedication to mentorship and advocacy is evident through her work with the Bowen Law School Mentorship Program, Young Life, and The A21 Campaign to combat human trafficking. Outside of the office, Christy is currently living in newlywed bliss with her husband, Cole.

Nate Love has been an integral member of the Kelley Cawthorne team for over 14 years, specializing in wine and spirits regulation. His in-depth knowledge of Michigan’s complex regulatory environment, paired with his expertise in both policy and legal aspects of the industry, allows him to provide clients with critical insights and effective solutions. Nate has a proven ability to help clients navigate the intricacies of state regulations, ensuring compliance and advocating for their interests. His long-standing reputation as a trusted expert in his field makes him an invaluable resource for clients looking to address regulatory challenges.

Colleen Hunter is Sr Director, Licensing & Liquor Compliance for Darden Restaurants, which owns and operates over 2,000 Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Bahama Breeze, Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Eddie Vs, Ruth's Chris & Yard House restaurants. She & her talented team are responsible for opening approximately 50 - 60 new restaurants and renewing 10,000 licenses annually. The team also partners with Marketing, Supply Chain, Employment & other functional teams to ensure compliance with the myriad of operating requirements which govern the jurisdictions in which Darden's restaurants operate.

Andrea L. Maceyra oversees 5 key industry-oriented departments: licensing, product registration, audit and investigations, excise tax and marketing practices. She is instrumental in the development and implementation of TABC’s strategic planning as well as responsible for the day-to-day regulatory functions of the agency responsible for regulating the multibillion-dollar alcoholic beverage industry. Ms. Maceyra provides guidance to agency employees and industry organizations in the development and integration of marketing practices standards and guidelines as they relate to the Alcoholic Beverage Code. Ms. Maceyra joined the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission in 2014 as the Deputy Director in the Tax and Marketing Practices division.

Prior to joining TABC, Andrea was the manager of economic development for the Austin Chamber of Commerce. She successfully managed economic development marketing for the foreign and domestic recruitment of companies, coordinated and led the implementation of marketing strategies and targeted marketing campaigns to increase awareness between the Austin business community and foreign and domestic markets.

Ms. Maceyra serves as committee member of the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Texas Wine Industry Development Advisory Committee and a board member of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission Law Enforcement Training Advisory Board. She is a former board member of the State Agency Council.

Ms. Maceyra graduated cum laude and received her B.B.A in journalism and mass communications, with emphasis in public relations and a minor in English from Texas State University.

Alex brings over a decade of public policy experience from time spent working on a broad range of issues in the Capitol, the private sector, and at California state agencies.

Before joining the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at the beginning of 2021, Alex worked at the Department of Consumer Affairs as a legislative manager where he worked on bills impacting all 37 of the Department’s boards, bureaus, and programs. Notably, Alex oversaw the legislative portfolio of the Bureau of Cannabis Control since its inception in 2016 and was closely involved in the consolidation efforts to house the state’s cannabis regulatory functions under a single department.

Alex graduated from the University of Santa Cruz with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a minor in History.

Nick Macos is a leader in liquor licensing combining expertise in land use planning and business licensing to provide a one-stop solution for clients looking to establish their hospitality enterprise in Ontario facilitating licensing capacities from 40 to 40,000; including cafes, restaurants, night clubs, stadiums and festival grounds.

Amy began her career with the State of New York in 1997 working at multiple agencies before arriving at the State Liquor Authority in 2007 where she examined liquor license applications.  After learning all aspects of retail, wholesale and manufacturer applications Amy was promoted to various supervisory roles from one unit to ultimately overseeing all three zone offices of the State Liquor Authority.  Today she is the Assistant Director of Licensing still managing the Licensing Bureau while also working closely with the Deputy Commissioner of Licensing on policy, procedures, law changes and guidance documents.

Senior Manager Licensing & Assets for TRUE FOOD KITCHEN

Randy Malone has extensive experience in alcoholic beverage sales and licensing matters and regularly advises manufacturers, distributors and retailers on legal matters relating to alcoholic beverages. Mr. Malone’s numerous contacts with state, federal and local agencies allow him to assist clients in obtaining all necessary licenses and permits required for sale or distribution of alcoholic beverages. Mr. Malone’s experience with national and local restaurants, hotels, manufacturers, brewers, retail and entertainment venue clients allow Randy to efficiently assist clients to stay compliant in this highly regulated industry.

Dusanka Marijan holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University’s School of Management and has dedicated more than two decades to leadership and public service within the Illinois alcoholic beverage regulatory industry. Since 1999, she has served as Licensing Administrator for the Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC), overseeing the Commission’s Licensing Divisions in both its Chicago and Springfield offices.

In her role as Licensing Administrator, Dusanka leads the development and administration of a seamless, efficient licensing and renewal process serving more than 30,000 licensees annually. She is responsible for planning, organizing, executing, and evaluating the Licensing Division’s operations, while ensuring that the Commission’s licensing practices effectively serve both the agency and Illinois’ regulated industry.

As a member of the ILCC Executive Staff, Dusanka provides strategic leadership and performs management functions across the Commission’s Licensing Division. She advises the Executive Director on operational matters and recommends courses of action that support the Commission’s mission, efficiency, and regulatory objectives.

Known for her commitment to excellence, collaboration, and service, Dusanka has established herself as a respected leader in the industry. Her extensive experience, institutional knowledge, and dedication to both the Commission and its licensees continue to make her a valued leader in Illinois’ alcoholic beverage regulatory community.

Licensing specialist at Addison Law Firm. Primarily obtains new liquor licenses and operational permits for clients at the federal, state, and local levels. 1991 JD from SMU Dedman School of Law. Former National Partner with Baker & McKenzie.

Matt Martin heads his firm's Liquor/Operational Permitting Section and handles liquor and operational permitting for multi-unit and single site licensees. Matt also advises clients on complex licensing and entity structure matters.

Lisa McKinney is chair of the Hospitality, Alcoholic Beverage and Administrative Law Groups. She has experience in contract negotiations, application and renewal preparation, local board and ATC hearings, appeals, management agreements, purchase and sale agreements and responding to alleged violations. She represents clients in federal, state and international permitting, production, distribution, labeling and marketing of alcoholic beverages.

Since joining the Paradies, Susanne has focused her time on creating and streamlining licensing processes. She enjoys working with and learning from her amazing team. Prior to joining Paradies Lagardere in 2025, Susanne worked at a leading single-family residential real estate company in both Human Resources and Corporate Governance, as well as managed the general contractor and business licensing program. She also has a background in Public Health, and in 2022 she formed a holistic wellness company, collaborating with local non-profits to organize classes, workshops, and corporate wellness events around the Atlanta Community.

Legal Operations Manager

Ryan is an associate at Belcher Sykes Harrington, PLLC, where he focuses his practice on alcoholic beverage law and the full spectrum of practice areas that come along with it, including business formation, commercial contracts, distribution agreements, hospitality law, and civil litigation. He provides practical counsel to clients and excels at balancing the competitive demands of business with the governmental restrictions of closely regulated industries. His previous career experience as a sommelier allows him to communicate as kin to industry members and translate complex and esoteric legal issues into readily understandable concepts.

Before joining the firm, Ryan served as counsel to the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission where he represented the agency in administrative hearings, pursued investigations of tied-house violations, and led direct-to-consumer wine shipping enforcement.

He received his B.S. in Agriculture from the University of California, Davis, and his J.D. as a member of the fourth graduating class of Belmont University College of Law. He is a member of the Nashville Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, and the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators.

Ryan lives in Nashville and is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area. He is an avid winemaker and home cook.

Corporate Compliance Manager

Arizona Liquor Industry Consultants (ALIC) offers an innovative concept designed specifically around the chronic problems associated with the liquor industry in the state of Arizona. ALIC will assist in the promotion of responsible, cost-effective management of all issues pertaining to the liquor industry. ALIC is a full service concept developed specifically for and around the liquor industry. A one stop shop for those in the liquor industry who could use assistance, but don't know what kind or where to look. Obtaining a liquor license in Arizona is a burden that everyone regrets and no one likes to tackle. ALIC is designed not to just help you, but to do everything for you. We are the only full service liquor consulting company in Arizona.

Claire is a nationally recognized lawyer advising food, beverage and hospitality businesses on complex federal, state and local regulatory requirements. Her clients include grocers, restaurants, hotel and resort operators, e-commerce retailers, sports and entertainment venues, airlines, cruise lines, alcohol brand owners, producers of beer, wine and spirits, and private equity investors. She regularly advises businesses on federal and state liquor licensing, tied house compliance, trade practice regulation, advertising campaigns, sponsorship deals, acquisitions, procurement of non-liquor permits and licenses, and a wide range of industry-specific commercial transactions.

T. Neal Morris is an associate attorney with McBrayer PLLC practicing out of their Lexington office. His practice involves diverse civil litigation and covers all aspects of the alcohol industry.

Erin practices in the areas of commercial real estate and lending, business permitting, and federal and local liquor licensing matters across North Carolina. Erin is well equipped to handle a business transaction from purchasing the property to obtaining all business licenses and permits needed to open the doors. Erin assists clients to obtain necessary permits and licenses for retailer, wholesalers, manufacturers and importers.

NICOLE MURATI FERRER has been the Chair for the Board of License Commissioners for the City of Cambridge since 2016. Along with two other Commissioners, she licenses all business involving: food and/or alcohol; entertainment of any kind; lodging houses/dormitories, hotels; fortune tellers; garages and/or flammables; hawker/peddlers; jitney, hackney, liveries; letting of motor vehicles; used car dealers; waste haulers; and others. She is also responsible for permitting commercial leaf blower operators and enforcing the City’s Noise Control Ordinance. Nicole served as the Chair for the Licensing Board for the City of Boston for almost four years. She also served as Labor Relations Counsel for the Boston Public Schools for one year and as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Boston for almost six years. These were very active litigating practices in state and federal courts. In terms of personal background, Nicole was born and raised in Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico she obtained her B.S. in Natural Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, where she graduated cum laude. She graduated from Northeastern University School of Law in 2004.

Kellie Murray has been with MN Department of Public Safety, Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division, for 27 years and has supervised the licensing section for the last 15. Kellie has risen within the division from licensing to program administrator, responsible for overseeing all licensing staff and the alcoholic beverage licensing process.

Rich Nasca is a former Deputy Attorney General with the NJ Division of ABC. Rich is an experienced ABC attorney involved in a broad array of matters related to the alcoholic beverage industry.

Experienced in counseling companies and individuals on the intricacies of Ohio’s regulation of the liquor industry, including representation of liquor manufacturers, distributors, state liquor agencies, and retail permit holders. These services include transactional representation between buyers and sellers of liquor permits, obtaining liquor permits through the Ohio Division of Liquor Control, negotiating the transfer of permits, and litigating violations before the Ohio Liquor Control Commission and the courts. Also a big deal.

Dan is the Founder and CEO of Liquor License Advisor. With over 25 years of experience, he has advised the nation’s most prominent restaurant, hotel, and retail brands, working alongside attorneys, clients, lenders, and development teams on complex liquor licensing matters. His expertise extends beyond brokerage to strategic guidance on license acquisitions, expansions, transitions, and market research.

Jennifer R. Niesen’s practice focuses on representing suppliers, distributors and retailers with complex transactional and regulatory matters including production, distribution and importation agreements, federal, state and local licensing matters and application issues, commercial leasing, partnership disputes and trademarks. She also assists clients with litigation related to these matters as well as marketing and communications compliance and the acquisition and sale of businesses and real estate within the beverage alcohol and hospitality industry.

Danielle Nuno is a licensing specialist in the Hospitality, Alcohol and Leisure Industry Group at Greenspoon Marder. She handles numerous alcohol licensing and permitting matters as well as interactions and communications with government agencies.

Steve has represented hospitality industry clients before the District of Columbia Alcoholic Beverage Control Board since 1975. He maintains an active practice in litigating contested initial and renewal liquor license applications and in defending licensees on charges before the Board. Steve represents buyers and sellers in transactions involving alcoholic beverage businesses.

Jennifer L. Oden is a partner at SSJ Law whose practice areas include Land Use, Discretionary Entitlements and Zoning, Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) licensing and disciplinary actions, and Administrative Law. Jennifer has extensive experience in representing clients before local and state government bodies and agencies, including administrative hearings and appeals. Before joining SSJ, Jennifer was selected through the United States Department of Justice Attorney General’s Honors Program to clerk for the Honorable Gail A. Randall in the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Office of Administrative Law Judges. While attending Whittier Law School, Jennifer received several accolades for moot court and trial advocacy and was a staff editor of the Whittier Law Review. Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Missouri State University under full scholarship as a Division I softball player, receiving the Missouri State Troy Leathers MVP Award in her senior year.

Breanna Olsen, Sr. Coordinator of Alcohol Licensing has worked with AMC Theatres for the last 10 years. From working in the field to now being a part of the Licensing Department, she handles the alcohol license renewals, alcohol inquiries and new project applications for the company.

Jeremy Osborn, the Director of Client Relations at LiquorLicense.com, has over 25 years of industry experience in the licensing and compliance industry.

Mr. Paleudis advises businesses in the alcoholic beverage industry, including hotels, restaurants, bars, distilleries, wineries, breweries, ready to drink producers, importers, and wholesalers. His practice focuses primarily on trade practice issues and the preparation and prosecution of applications before the New York State Liquor Authority, the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic beverage Control, and the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

Sigil Identity, Inc (Sigil ID) makes and sells mobile drivers license and digital ID products and solutions. We have an age verification solution that focuses on selective disclosure, data minimization, and data authentication.

Informed by nearly three decades of national government relations experience at Fortune 100 company Walgreens, and other corporations and trade associations — Donovan spearheads Public Strategies’ national strategic partnerships, strengthening the firm’s relationships with key state and local organizations. At Walgreens, Donovan most recently served as senior director of government relations, public affairs, and civic engagement, overseeing local and state advocacy in various markets and managing the company’s relationships with major national municipal and state trade associations.

Thomas Philpot is a shareholder on GrayRobinson's Nationwide Alcohol Industry Team, one of the largest and highest-ranked alcohol practices in the U.S., focusing on the manufacture, distribution, retail sale and consumption of licensed beverages. Thomas is a past president of the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators and carries more than a decade of public sector regulatory experience, including leading Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation as Chief of Staff and managing Florida’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco as Director. Thomas and the GR Team represent clients in all segments and at all levels of the U.S. three-tiered system, including assistance with licensing, regulatory compliance, and government relations.

Director of Alcohol for Lowe’s Grocery stores. Over 30 years in the Alcohol industry to include the past 15 years with Lowe’s.

Harlan has spent his entire legal career focusing exclusively on beverage alcohol and hospitality issues. Over the past 17 years, he has represented hundreds of liquor licensees and applicants before a variety of state and local liquor control commissions, appellate bodies, and other regulatory agencies. Harlan is the firm's lead attorney with respect to the firm's litigation matters and frequently represents clients in the hospitality industry in franchise litigation, administrative law actions, appellate matters, and other business disputes.

Brian Proffitt provides alcoholic beverage licensing and regulatory compliance advice to retailers throughout Colorado and Wyoming. Brian works with retailers to identify the proper licenses needed for their concept, obtaining those licenses, and if necessary defending his clients' rights before licensing boards. Brian lives with his wife and fellow bar member, Marlo Greer-Proffitt, and their daughters, Mackenna and Evangeline, in the Denver area.

I am a training, compliance, and business development professional with more than 15 years of experience helping organizations navigate regulatory requirements and workforce training. With My Food & Bev Training, I partner with national and multi-state organizations to develop scalable solutions for alcohol, food safety, tobacco, and other regulated training programs.
My experience includes multi-state compliance, certification tracking, regulatory reporting, LMS integrations, and implementing centralized training solutions for complex, multi-location operations. I combine a strong business development background with a practical understanding of the operational challenges organizations face in managing compliance at scale.
I am passionate about building meaningful industry relationships, sharing knowledge, and supporting responsible alcohol service and effective compliance practices. I value collaboration with industry professionals and look forward to contributing to the NALCP community while learning from others across the industry.
Serve people well. Simplify compliance. Build lasting partnerships.

Kimberly Rasnake is a Florida Registered Paralegal and Licensing Operations Coordinator with the Hospitality, Alcohol and Leisure Industry Group at Greenspoon Marder LLP. She assists with obtaining alcohol licenses along with municipal licenses and approvals for submissions of licensing and land use.

James E. Rauh is a partner with the Hospitality, Alcohol and Leisure Industry Group at Greenspoon Marder LLP. Mr. Rauh focuses his practice on the laws governing the nightlife, hospitality and alcohol industries. He has accumulated over 10 years of experience in those practice areas, including representing hotels, restaurants and nightclubs at all levels of municipal land use and zoning approvals, along with complete licensing and permitting at the federal, state, and local levels.

Martha is a co-founder of Bernstein Redo PC with primary concentration in Alcoholic Beverage Control Law in New York City and throughout the State, representing and advising clients on licensing and compliance issues. Martha also handles various licenses issued by the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs and is responsible for the regional and national licensing matters of the firm. Her clients include hotels, supermarkets, restaurants, bars, catering establishments, cruise lines and wholesalers.

Jessica Sole has been a TABC licensing professional for over 15 years. First working as a licensing processor at TABC, then as a paralegal with AM Law 200 firms, and most recently as a paralegal at BrackinSchwartz, Jessica has helped clients obtain liquor licenses for a variety of businesses. In addition to liquor licensing, Jessica has vast experience across Texas with lottery, tobacco, health, and food permitting along with many other types of permits. Her professionalism and enthusiasm are just two attributes that make her a vital asset to BrackinSchwartz.

Stephen Rehagen is an attorney with Brydon, Swearengen & England in Jefferson City, Missouri, who has been practicing law since 2017 and has been heavily involved in liquor licensing in 2019. Stephen has been recognized as a Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch®. Stephen is a member of the Cole County Bar Association, the Missouri Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. Stephen is licensed to practice in both the state of Missouri and in the Western District of Missouri federal court.

Matthew Reilly is Sr. Manager of Licensing & Regulatory Compliance at BJ’s Restaurants, Inc., which operates more than 200 BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse locations. He leads licensing efforts supporting new restaurant openings and the renewal of approximately 2,000 licenses annually, including federal COLAs and state beer brand registrations for BJ’s handcrafted beer program.
A pioneer in craft brewing since 1996, BJ’s is known for its deep-dish pizza, handcrafted beers, and signature Pizookie dessert. Matthew partners across Operations, Marketing, Beverage, Supply Chain, Tax, Human Resources, and Finance to provide regulatory guidance and compliance oversight across BJ’s operating jurisdictions. He works closely with Marketing to ensure menus and promotional campaigns meet applicable requirements and assists with managing BJ’s intellectual property portfolio.
Matthew was a founding member of NALCP and in addition to having served on the Conference Planning & Membership and Mentorship Committees has held the offices of: President Elect (2010), President (2011-2012), Director (2013-2017), and Secretary (2025-2026).

Matt is the Chief Legal Officer at Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant. He began his legal career at Kirkland & Ellis as a transactional lawyer. Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants is built upon the passionate belief that food and wine hold the power to forge lasting connections. Cooper’s Hawk has created a modern, casual dining experience with warm hospitality in an inviting upscale setting. Our team travels the globe looking for the very best grapes and when they are particularly impressed – whether it be in Chile, France, California or Washington – they work with the wine grower to begin crafting our wine. We currently have 80 locations in 15 states.

Marcella Rocha is a Licensing & Permitting Senior Manager at Circle K Stores Inc. With 11 years of experience in licensing and compliance, she leads a team managing licensing processes for convenience stores across 12 states and specializes in multi-jurisdictional regulatory compliance.

Bridget Roddy is an Assistant Special Agent in Charge with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division, where she leads statewide efforts in the criminal and civil enforcement of Minnesota’s liquor laws. She has 20 years of law enforcement experience, with a strong background in investigations, regulatory compliance, and team leadership.

Before joining the state in 2020, Bridget served 13 years with the Fridley Police Department, a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis. During her tenure, she worked on patrol and as a criminal investigator, developing extensive experience, handling complex cases, and working closely with community partners.

As a Assistant Special Agent in Charge with the Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division, Bridget investigated complex alcohol and gambling violations, building expertise in regulatory enforcement and industry compliance. In December 2023, she was promoted to Assistant Special Agent in Charge, where she now oversees both sworn and non-sworn personnel, providing leadership, operational direction, and guidance on complex enforcement matters across the state.

Jeannie Romas is a seasoned attorney and executive leader currently serving General Counsel with nearly 25 years of government experience, advising public entities, Boards and senior leadership on legal, operational and policy matters in highly regulated environments. She previously served as a Director at the Cook County Sheriff’s Office where she advised executive leadership, managed court operations and administrative proceedings and supported major operational and policy reforms. She was also an ILETSB certified instructor at the Sheriff’s Training Academy.

Romas served as Board Counsel to the Chicago Housing Authority, advising the Board of Commissioners and executive leadership on governance, fiduciary obligations, federal laws, compliance and complex housing initiatives, including MTW, RAD and mixed use developments. She also served as General Counsel to the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, developer and owner of the Guaranteed Rate Field, home of the Chicago White Sox.

Romas earned a BA in economics from Northwestern University and a JD from the University of the Pacific MacGeorge School of Law in Sacramento.

License Coordinator at SSP America, Inc. Lives and works remote in New Jersey.

Licensing Specialist for Florida Alcoholic Beverage Licensing for the last 35 years. Representing National, Regional & Local businesses for securing licensure for the retail & hospitality industries.

Senior Licensing Specialist, Operations Manager with extensive experience in the legal and hospitality sectors. Proven expertise in navigating complex national alcohol licensing, project management, local/state regulatory compliance, and securing essential food and alcohol label approvals with the TTB and FDA. Manages workflow, maintains tracking systems, and assists with team performance.

Licensing Manager, Dividend Restaurant Group encompassing; Sullivan's Steakhouse & Eddie Merlot's Prime Aged Beef & Seafood

Theresa Russo is the CEO & Co-Managing Partner of Shenker Russo & Clark, an Alcohol Beverage Licensing and Government Affairs Law Firm. Theresa leads the Alcohol Beverage Licensing and Hospitality Law Practice, helping a wide range of hospitality clients. Over the course of her career, she has provided these legal services to restaurants, bars, hotels, caterers, cruise lines, liquor stores, wholesalers and other businesses on a broad array of alcohol law issues. Theresa has helped businesses navigate the often-complex liquor licensing process, providing her clients with peace of mind and significant savings in time and money. Theresa also works in tandem with the Firm’s Government Affairs practice helping clients obtain exemptions to the State’s Tied House and 200-foot rule laws.

Cooper S. is the President and co-founder of Maybel (Maybel.com), a Toronto-based technology company building compliant alcohol vending machines for licensed retail, hospitality, and event environments. Maybel combines controlled access, age checks, service limits, transaction logging, monitoring, payments, and connected technology to make automated alcohol service work within existing regulations.

Cooper is a serial entrepreneur and technology operator with more than 20 years of experience building consumer technology and connected experiences. Earlier in his career, he served as Director for Mobile at Universal Music Group in Los Angeles and founded companies in web hosting, ticketing, mobile apps, and experiential technology. He has also been featured in The Washington Post and testified before the Canadian House of Commons as an expert witness on music and technology.

licensing specialist

Regulatory Compliance Analyst

Paralegal at Live Nation

Matt Saltzman is the Managing Shareholder at Saltzman Mugan Dushoff, PLLC, a law firm in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has managed and developed the firm's liquor law practice into Nevada's largest liquor law practice group.

Phillip A. Sanchez was appointed as Director for the New Mexico Alcoholic Beverage Control Division in August of 2023. He previously served as the Division Counsel for NM ABC, starting with the agency in June of 2019. During his time with the agency, he has been responsible for implementing the agency’s transition to online licensing and permitting, providing legal analysis of proposed legislation and promulgating administrative rules in relation to passed legislation, as well as assisting division staff, law enforcement, and licensees in navigating the NM Liquor Control Act. Prior to joining the agency, Mr. Sanchez served as a prosecuting attorney for the State of New Mexico from 2012 to 2019, prosecuting a wide range of crimes from misdemeanors to first degree felonies.

Nicole Sanders serves as the Industry Education Director for the Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC), a role she has held since 2022. She oversees the Commission’s Industry Education Division, including the Beverage Alcohol Sellers and Servers Education and Training (BASSET) and Under 21 programs.
Nicole leads efforts to educate the public and alcoholic beverage industry on Illinois liquor laws, regulations, and best practices, helping businesses understand and meet compliance requirements. Her work also includes training employees in liquor-serving establishments and providing education and resources to help prevent underage alcohol sales and consumption.

With a background in marketing and advertising, Nicole brings a strategic, data-driven perspective to her work. Her understanding of industry trends and analytics provides the ILCC with real-time insight into developments across the hospitality industry, helping the Commission remain responsive to an evolving industry.

Nicole’s expertise in training, communications, and brand development has also strengthened the ILCC’s digital presence and expanded opportunities for transparent, accessible communication with industry stakeholders and communities throughout Illinois.

Nicole holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Bradley University and is passionate about using education, communication, and innovation to promote responsible practices and strengthen the relationship between the ILCC and those it serves.

Ryan Saxe is a shareholder at the Las Vegas Law Firm of Saltzman Mugan Dushoff. He practices primarily in corporate and liquor law matters.

Kin concentrates his practice in the areas of gaming and hospitality, tax, commercial and government relations.
Kin was recognized by his colleagues in West Virginia in 2016 and 2012 as Best Lawyers' Lawyer of the Year for Controversy and Litigation and Tax. Kin also is recognized as a leader in matters before the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration and West Virginia Lottery Commission.

Having started my career in the Texas Legislature, I specialize in bringing southern hospitality, and an acquired understanding of local government and alcohol policy to my clients and their business.

Amy (and Celia) make licensing magic every day! They work closely with clients to ensure timely and proper completion of state and local jurisdiction requirements, process license renewals, report licensee and premises updates, assist with use permits - and anything else we ask! They are known by clients and licensing staff for their attention to detail, organizational skills, and persistence. With over 30 years of combined licensing experience at our firm, Amy and Celia are a dream team. Our best work days are when they bring their kids to the office!

Maggie M. Schultz is a shareholder at Rutledge Ecenia, PA., where she focuses her practice on administrative law with a strong emphasis on regulated industries including specifically the hospitality and alcoholic beverage industry. Maggie represents clients in all tiers of Florida's alcoholic beverage industry and advises clients on a wide array of both state and federal regulatory issues.

Marcus focuses his practice on the Texas food and beverage industry before Texas locales, the TABC, and the TTB. His clients include hotels/resorts, entertainment establishments, airport lounges, grocery stores, college campuses, stadiums, restaurants and bars, alcohol delivery companies, convenience stores, and various other general retail entities as well as distributors, wholesalers, breweries, wineries, and distilleries. He is well versed in compliance, enforcement, zoning, and licensing matters that affect alcohol sales in TX.

Amanda has extensive experience with administrative and regulatory law, dealing largely with alcohol licensing and violations. She is an associate with Ken Allen who has over 30 years of statewide alcohol licensing experience. Ken Allen & Associates is the only firm in the state dedicated exclusively to alcohol licensing. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Amanda attended the University of Florida (B.S. 2002) and Cumberland School of Law, Samford University (J.D. 2005).

Angela Scott serves as Assistant General Counsel for the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, where she advises on legal and policy issues affecting the Department's licensing functions, with particular focus on tied-house laws. She also supports the Department's legislative and regulatory work, advises on proposed administrative decisions, provides legal guidance on personnel matters, and represents the Department before the State Personnel Board.

Ms. Scott brings more than two decades of litigation and government legal experience to this work. Most recently, as Counsel at a national law firm, she litigated complex consumer financial services cases. Prior to that, Ms. Scott spent sixteen years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division, where she handled all phases of litigation from investigation through indictment, trial, and appeal. As Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council Coordinator, she oversaw national security investigations and prosecutions spanning counterterrorism, counterintelligence, cybercrime, and domestic terrorism. She also served as Lead Strike Force Attorney, directing a 30-member task force targeting international narcotics trafficking and money laundering.

Ms. Scott holds a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley and a B.S. in Public Policy from the University of Southern California.

Dianne Sheridan has been working for over 20 years to help the Firm's clients obtain liquor licenses, and works with the Firm's attorneys to manage officer, ownership and key employee changes in all Nevada licensing jurisdictions.

Doug Sherman is the head of the alcoholic beverage practice team. He provides counsel with respect to the rules and laws governing the distribution, sale and service of alcoholic beverages and the purchase, sale and transfer of liquor licenses.

Cat is a Senior Licensing Administrator working with the Operational License Maintenance Team.

Audra Shughart joined the Kansas ABC in 2012 and currently serves as Acting Director and Licensing Manager. In her role as Licensing Manager, she oversees the licensing and marketing units, which are responsible for issuing all liquor licenses and permits, approving brand and label registrations, and administering gallonage tax collection. She also previously served as Enforcement Agent with Kansas ABC. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Master’s in Criminal Justice from Washburn University.

Joey Silva is the Director of Business Optimization and Insights at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), where he leads a multidisciplinary team focused on innovation, strategic insights, business transformation, and digital modernization. In his role, Joey works across business and technology functions to improve regulatory outcomes through data-driven decision-making, process optimization, and the responsible adoption of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. He has been instrumental in advancing initiatives that strengthen regulatory effectiveness, enhance client service, and support evidence-based decision-making across the organization. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Joey is passionate about translating innovation into practical solutions that deliver measurable value for regulators, industry, and the public.

As Licensing Manager for Dave & Buster's and Main Event, Brandi J. Simpson leads licensing compliance for more than 250 entertainment venues across the United States. She is committed to building efficient compliance programs that support business growth while meeting regulatory requirements. Her approach emphasizes collaboration, process improvement, and practical problem-solving to navigate an ever-changing regulatory landscape. Brandi values opportunities to learn from others in the profession and is proud to be part of the NALCP community.

Lucky Strike Entertainment, formerly Bowlero Corp, is one of the world’s premier location-based entertainment platforms. With over 360 locations across North America, Lucky Strike Entertainment provides experiential offerings in bowling, amusements, water parks, and family entertainment centers. The company also owns the Professional Bowlers Association, the major league of bowling and a growing media property that boasts millions of fans around the globe.

Rebecca (Becky) Smith serves as the Director of Licensing and Regulation for the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB). She has led the Division since 2015, after joining the agency in 2013 as the Marijuana Licensing and Regulations Manager. Becky provides strategic leadership for liquor and cannabis-related projects across the agency.
With extensive experience in leading organizational change and implementing new initiatives, Becky has built her career working collaboratively with communities and partners at the local, state, and federal levels. Prior to her work at the LCB, she spent 23 years with the Department of Social and Health Services, Children’s Administration, where she served as Director of Field Operations and Deputy Assistant Secretary.

Becky’s leadership has been recognized at the highest levels. In 2017, she received the Governor’s Award for Leadership in Management for her efforts to strengthen cross-agency teamwork, build consensus, and empower staff through inclusive decision-making. She is deeply committed to creating consistency for staff, licensees, and applicants, while driving reform efforts and advancing organizational change management.

Her leadership philosophy emphasizes safe communities and customer service, supported by data-driven decision making, strategic planning, and a strong commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles. Through these values, Becky continues to guide her team in making meaningful process improvements that benefit both the agency and the public it serves.

Madison Smith is a member of the Adams & Reese Alcohol and Hospitality Team within the Intersection of Business & Government Practice Group. Practicing in the Nashville office, Madison assists the Tennessee team in representing clients across the spectrum of the supply chain, from breweries, distilleries, and wineries, to distributors, retailers, bars, and restaurants.

Sr. Corporate Governance Associate, Legal Department, Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. I have been part of the licensing world since 2006, when I joined the Legal team at Dave & Buster's. My role has evolved into handing corporate filings for the Company.

Captain Erik Smoot brings over 17 years of dedicated service with the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission (ABLE). Before joining the ABLE Commission, he served as a Sergeant with the Bixby Police Department.

As Captain, Smoot currently leads the Trade Practices, Education, and Training Divisions, along with overseeing key initiatives to combat underage drinking, prevent over-service of alcohol, and enforce FDA regulations on tobacco and vaping products.

In addition to his role with the ABLE Commission, Captain Smoot plays an active leadership role in several important initiatives. He serves as the Chair of the Oklahoma Buckledown Awards, as well as the agency’s Emergency Management and Risk Management Coordinator. He also holds the position of 2nd Vice President for the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators (NCSLA).

Devin Sookdeo serves as the Manager of Liquor and Lottery Eligibility at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). In this role, he leads a team that evaluates applications for liquor licences across Ontario. Since joining the AGCO in February 1998, Devin has held a variety of positions, including Investigations Clerk, Assistant Gaming Registration Officer, Liquor Licence Officer, Gaming Registration Officer, AGCO Inspector, Senior AGCO Inspector, and Manager of Operations. He has been in his current role since January 2017. Devin holds a Diploma in Business Administration and Human Resources Management from Seneca College.

Ellen assists local and national businesses in all areas of the retail, restaurant, and hospitality industry to obtain Oklahoma food/alcoholic beverage licenses as well as any related formation, leasing, zoning, compliance or enforcement issues.

Jenna Spivey joined SSJ Law in 2006 as a Land Use Professional, specializing in land use, discretionary entitlements, zoning, Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) licensing, and administrative law. Throughout her career, she has built extensive experience collaborating with local and state government bodies, community organizations, Neighborhood Councils, and law enforcement agencies across California. An accomplished academic and former Nebraska State Champion in forensics, Jenna earned her graduate degree magna cum laude from California State University, Los Angeles. Outside the office, she is an avid traveler who views the world as a "classroom without walls"—having explored 27 countries across all seven continents.

Rebecca Stamey-White is the founder of Stamey-White, a San Francisco-based professional corporation representing the alcoholic beverage, hospitality, and cannabis industries, and their service providers. She assists clients with securing and maintaining their required alcohol and cannabis licenses, advises on trade practice compliance, provides strategic regulatory counsel on transactions, and defends clients before regulatory bodies.

Adam concentrates his practice primarily in federal and state alcohol beverage licensing, hospitality law, real estate and related commercial matters. He represents all three tiers of the alcohol industry throughout the State of Colorado in securing and protecting their liquor licenses, navigating regulatory and land use issues, in the negotiation and drafting of commercial and real estate transactions, and in the purchase and sale of their businesses.

Jessica Starns served as Executive Counsel for the Louisiana Office of Alcohol & Tobacco Control from 2009 to 2016. She launched her private sector law practice in 2016. Jessica is also a registered Louisiana lobbyist. www.SKELAWLA.com

With over 10 years of professional experience, Sarah thrives in fast-paced environments and is adept at managing multiple priorities while maintaining keen attention to detail. Known for her strong organizational skills and consistent follow through, Sarah is passionate about fostering positive relationships and delivering efficient results. Sarah assists our firm’s clients with federal, state, and local compliance matters, ensuring they adhere to industry standards and regulations throughout the licensing process. Sarah is committed to continuous learning and development, and her professional dedication and her proactive mindset makes her a valuable asset to our firm. Sarah earned a Bachelor of Science from Grand Valley State University – Frederik Meijer Honors College.

With her combined experience working in an Albuquerque liquor license law business, and her extensive real estate background, Kyla Stoker helps her clients find the right location for their business, the appropriate liquor licenses and is able to negotiate efficiently and effectively to make her clients business a reality. Already have a real estate broker, that's okay too, Kyla will gladly work with your team to get the liquor license you need and help work together to get the job done for you.

Erin Stone at York Howell specializes in navigating Utah's unique liquor licensing and compliance landscape. With well-established relationships with the DABS and municipalities, she guides clients—including hotels, arenas, restaurants, bars, breweries, distilleries, and retailers—through Utah's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services (DABS) licensing process, from initial applications and local licensing approvals to renewals, license transfers, operational advice, and compliance audits. Erin’s practice also covers responses to administrative actions and enforcement matters before the Utah Alcoholic Beverage Services Commission, as well as counsel on Utah's unique regulatory framework, including quota restrictions and proximity requirements. Erin is a member of the Utah Bar and holds a J.D. from the University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law. Erin is committed to helping businesses navigate Utah's complex and evolving liquor laws with practical, compliance-first solutions.

Director Michelle Stone-Principato joined the Liquor Enforcement Division in October 2015. Her career with the Department of Revenue progressed from Agent in Charge of the Licensing Section to Agent in Charge of the Enforcement Section, where she oversaw four field offices statewide, before becoming Deputy Director. In April 2020, Michelle was promoted to Director of LED. She was instrumental in launching an online payment system, establishing an online state application process, and facilitating a file-sharing program with 350 local licensing authorities to enhance customer service.

In 2021, the Division established the Nicotine/Tobacco Retailer licensing program, which educates and regulates approximately 4,500 Colorado retailers, due to the enactment of HB20-1001. Michelle also collaborated on the Liquor Advisory Report for the Colorado General Assembly, leading to the enactment of Senate Bill 24-231 with thirty-three advancements in the liquor code. In June 2024, she assumed the additional role of Director for the newly established Firearms Dealer Division, which established a permitting process for firearms dealers who sell at retail in the State of Colorado. Michelle is a member of the Colorado Task Force on Drunk and Impaired Driving and the Western Regional Chair of the National Association of State Liquor Administrators. In July 2025, she received the Department of Revenue’s "Outstanding Leader Award." In August of 2026 the Center for Alcohol Policy presented Michelle with their 2026 Leadership in Alcohol Regulation award.

Before her work with the Department of Revenue, Michelle honorably served the City of Lakewood as a Law Enforcement Professional in various capacities, including Agent, Detective, Sergeant, and Detective Sergeant, for 17 years. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Metropolitan State College of Denver.

In addition to his role as CEO, Kerry L. Stumpe is the firm's National Director of Licensing and Permits; and he is a founding member of the firm’s Restaurant, Food and Beverage, and Licensing Department. For the past 25 years, Mr. Stumpe has worked with public and private hospitality and alcohol retail clients to expedite their alcohol, business, health and fire permits. He started his career in 1990 as an architect, where he developed an expertise in the licensing and permitting process. After 10 years in architecture, Mr. Stumpe began working in the legal profession and expanded his practice to include alcohol licensing. Throughout his career as a Licensing and Permitting Consultant, he has developed a wealth of contacts in numerous jurisdictions, which brings an added value to our clients.

Tammy has been with the S C Department of Revenue for 38 years. She has 26 years’ experience with alcohol beverage licensing, 15 of those years were supervising the department. She became the Sr. Compliance Analyst for Alcohol Beverage Licensing in May of 2021.

Michael Tarkoff is a complex alcohol Regulatory Consultant, assisting primarily with administrative litigation and compliance matters. He also has extensive experience with trade practice compliance surveys and related due diligence regulatory analysis and communications with various state agencies. Mr. Tarkoff draws on his varied background and experience having served as a Florida Parole and Probation Supervisor and an instructor at trial advocacy workshops.

Amanda Taylor has been with Skene Law Firm since its formation in 2006 and has over two decades of experience in the alcoholic beverage industry. She advises on a wide range of nationwide alcoholic beverage compliance matters for a diverse clientele, consisting of national restaurant and hotel chains, high end concessionaires and corporate caterers, as well as alcoholic beverage manufacturers and importers.
She graduated cum laude from Mitchell Hamline School of Law where she also served as an editor on the Mitchell Hamline Law Review. She received her bachelor’s degree from Marymount Manhattan College. She is admitted to practice in New Jersey.

Associate General Counsel, Brands & Technology at SSP America. Lives and works in New Orleans, LA.

Corporate Counsel at Alterra Mountain Company, advising our family of unique mountain resorts on all aspects of alcohol beverage licensing, compliance, marketing, and trade practices. Former Senior Counsel at Live Nation Entertainment/House of Blues, and former Vice President of Legal Affairs at Mimi's Cafe Restaurants.

Christin Templeton has served as Acting State Supervisor for the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control since October 2024, while also maintaining the role of Chief of Enforcement. She started her career with the division in 2016, progressing from Agent to District Supervisor to Deputy Chief before accepting the role of Chief in 2019. Christin also served as Acting State Supervisor in 2023.

During her tenure with the division, Christin has worked to modernize processes by procuring a report writing system for enforcement, digitizing enforcement records, and helping launch a comprehensive online system.

Before her work with the division, Christin worked in law enforcement in various other capacities including Communications Operator, Officer, Corporal, and Sergeant for 11 years. She holds Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Lincoln University.

Louis J. Terminello is Chair of the Hospitality, Alcohol and Leisure Industry Group and member of the Firm Management Committee at Greenspoon Marder LLP. He concentrates his practice on administrative law and providing legal services to all tiers of the alcohol beverage industry, including retailers, suppliers and wholesalers. He handles a wide array of transactional, civil, criminal, and administrative matters for hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and package stores.

Bea Tolsdorf's practice focuses on healthcare regulatory and compliance work. She provides advice to clients ranging from individual practitioners to large hospital systems on a wide variety of issues including Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement, issues related to certificate of need, federal and state licensure and certification, professional board licensure, audits, and compliance issues such as HIPAA, the False Claims Act, Stark and Anti-Kickback. Bea also helps licensees holding various Mississippi Medical Cannabis Program licenses navigate complex issues involving the MMCP. Bea makes it a top priority to get to know her clients and the issues that they face in the ever-evolving world of healthcare.

Shannon Trotter serves as the City of Chicago Local Liquor Control Commissioner, having been appointed in March 2017. Commissioner Trotter has spent her entire professional career working for the City of Chicago where she brings a wealth of legal expertise and a reputation for creative problem-solving. As Local Liquor Control Commissioner, Commissioner Trotter handles a wide range of duties and responsibilities which include reviewing all liquor and public place of amusement license applications; overseeing special event liquor permits; and regulating and imposing liquor license discipline. Commissioner Trotter works closely with members of the hospitality.

As the Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for Fintech, Wendy maintains relationships with regulators across the country, tracks legislation and regulatory changes, and serves as an on-demand resource for regulatory information and resources.

Arianne is strong supporter of NALCP's growth over the past 15 years and has been awarded NALCP's "Most Valuable Associate Member". As the Product Director for License Pro and LicenseHQ, she helps license and compliance professionals create more control and efficiencies around their compliance processes, delivering industry leading technology and tools.

With over 25 years in the movie theatre industry with AMC, Celina has worked in Operations Excellence, Staff Operations, and now manages the Licensing team. The team obtains and maintains alcohol and operational licenses for all domestic AMC movie theatres.

I have been with the company since day 1. My area of expertise within the company is after the sale, to keep everything moving towards a closing I work closely with buyers and sellers to keep them infomed as to the progress of the sale. I also work closely with Richs on a daily basis.

Executive with over 20 years of experience in legal, consulting, and regulatory affairs, including the restaurant and hospitality industries. Expertise in licensing, compliance, and regulatory matters, with a proven track record of ensuring adherence to applicable laws and regulations. Experienced in responsible alcohol service practices, managing regulatory complaints, government investigations, and legal proceedings, with a strong commitment to compliance, operational integrity, and public safety.

If you have enjoyed an adult beverage in Massachusetts, chances are you have been to an establishment where we have worked on their liquor licensing issues. From Internationally-known hotels to celebrity chef restaurants, to national chains and casual family dining establishments, we have worked on hundreds of alcohol license applications, transactions, violations, and compliance issues. Our relationships with local and state regulatory bodies and deep ties to elected and appointed officials throughout Massachusetts help our clients navigate the complexities of Massachusetts liquor licensing comfortably and efficiently.

Jill joined Dave & Buster’s in 2006, mere months before the inaugural NALCP conference in Austin at the Holiday Inn Express (y’all know her, right?!). The first NALCP conference was an anxiety-laced realization that this job is hard coupled with Amy Harrison's infectious laugh. Little did Jill know that the 2006 conference was the beginning of an incredible career, finding life-long friends and learning that a Holiday Inn Express actually exists in Austin. Through the years, she served as Vice President of Membership (2010-2012), President-Elect (2013-2014), President (2014-2016) and Director (2016-2019) of NALCP. She was in-house with Dave & Buter’s until 2019, when she made the jump to become NALCP’s first Executive Director.

JAVS Fingerprints is a nationwide provider of fingerprinting and compliance-driven archiving services, supporting licensing and regulatory requirements across a broad range of industries. Our core focus is on helping organizations meet state-mandated fingerprinting standards through a network of trained professionals and a secure, CJIS-conscious fingerprint archiving platform. The company was launched by the same leadership team behind one of the most widely used fingerprinting service networks in the country, now operating independently with a renewed focus on responsiveness, compliance, and long-term record management. JAVS is uniquely positioned to support NALCP members by offering scalable solutions for recurring fingerprinting requirements, compliance record retention, and multi-jurisdictional coordination. Our goal is to make fingerprint-based compliance simple, secure, and seamless for licensing professionals and the organizations they support.

Molly Vigour focuses her practice on business, transactional, and licensing matters. She helps local and national clients with alcohol licensing in the New Orleans area and throughout Louisiana. Molly brings a unique perspective to our clients based nearly 20 years serving as an in-house counsel.

My name is Brandye Ward. I have been proud to serve with the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Division since 2010. As a lifelong Arkansas resident, I have a strong connection to the people and communities of this state and take great pride in the opportunity to serve Arkansas through my work.

Outside of work, my family is the heart of my life. I am happily married and have 3 wonderful children. Our family also includes three dogs, which keeps life busy, fun, and full of entertainment. I enjoy spending time with my family, making memories, and appreciating the simple things that make life special.

I am grateful for the years I have spent with the ABC, the relationships I have built along the way, and the opportunity to continue serving the state that I have always called home.

Norris is the Sr Director of Licensing for Flynn Restaurant Group with 20+ years of experience with national licensing and regulatory compliance in the Gaming, Financial Services, Club Leisure and Hospitality industries. High level of technical and working knowledge of best practices and industry standards regarding operational and liquor licensure laws, policies and procedures on Federal, State and local levels.

Solution-oriented Regulatory Compliance Paralegal with over 19 years experience managing licensing projects, specializing in the hotel, alcoholic beverage and hospitality industries. Support licensing and permitting for hotels and provide operations-related legal support for hotel transitions and vendor contract review. Work directly with Business and Hotel teams, as well as outside counsel, and work cross-functionally with Corporate Data, Finance, and Operations teams. Work with Environmental Compliance Group to maintain hotel environmental data tracking system.

Senior Licensing & Compliance Paralegal at Brydon, Swearengen & England P.C. Over 25 years of experience in representing corporate clients in the hospitality and beverage industry in preparing and processing various state agency liquor and business applications as well as annual renewals of city, county and state licenses. Extensive years of developing relationships with government authorities at the City, County and State levels and firm lead in alcohol compliance matters. Proud 20 year Associate Member of the NALCP and NCSLA Member.

Lieutenant Risa Williams has been with the Arizona Department of Liquor for thirteen years, she has been a police officer for eighteen years. During her time with the Arizona Department of Liquor, she has filled many different roles, including being a field investigator in the Tucson office and Phoenix offices. She has been a CUB(Covert Underage Buyer) coordinator, ran the trade practice unit working with wholesalers and suppliers, trained many local governing bodies, and worked with many community coalitions. Lieutenant Williams is an expert on Trade Practice Matters. Lieutenant Williams is currently the Admin Lieutenant for the investigations division. She holds a Bachelor's from Northern Arizona University and a Masters from Grand Canyon University.  Lieutenant Williams, has been married to for 10 years, and has an eight year old son, she enjoys camping and watching her son play baseball.

Raven is a seasoned paralegal with nearly a decade of experience in the legal and alcohol compliance field. She has worked extensively with state and local regulatory agencies, focusing on administrative processes and licensing, including business, alcohol, food service, and non-profit special event licensing. Her background in alcohol compliance enables her to provide knowledgeable, practical support in navigating complex regulatory environments while maintaining clear and consistent communication with clients and government agencies.

Maggie Woods was appointed Distilled Spirits Administrator by Governor Beshear in January of 2024. Prior to that she was the Malt Beverage Administrator for 4 years. Maggie started her state career at the Public Service Commission before moving to the Department of Insurance.

Grace is the deputy chair of GrayRobinson's Regulated Products Section and its Nationwide Alcohol Industry Team, one of the largest and highest-ranked alcohol practices in the U.S., per Chambers, focusing on the manufacture, distribution, retail sale and consumption of licensed beverages. Grace and the Team represent clients in all segments and at all levels of the U.S. three-tiered system. Emphasizing quality, consistency and accountability, the Team assists retail-tier clients with liquor licensing, regulatory compliance for mergers & acquisitions, trade practice guidance, advertising/promotions, litigation, and government relations.

Alissa Yohey is the founder and managing partner of Yohey Law PLLC. On behalf of her clients, including restaurants, bars, hotels, caterers, cruise lines, airlines, liquor stores, wholesalers, manufacturers and other businesses, Alissa assists clients in efficiently navigating the complex state and federal alcohol beverage laws and licensing processes. Her experience in this area encompasses a broad array of issues, including, but not limited to, new retail and wholesale liquor licenses, renewals, corporate changes, approvals for establishment alterations, 500-foot hearings, community board meetings, permits for offsite special events, warehouse permits, declaratory rulings, disciplinary matters, brand label approval, post-licensing regulatory compliance, alcohol beverage marketing promotions, state and federal label and packaging compliance, and distribution issues.

Derek’s practice is focused on real estate and land use development, and helping businesses navigate complex contracts and transactions. His related experience includes leasing, franchising, mergers and acquisitions, financing, and liquor licensing. Outside of work Derek enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, and live music.