News Release

March 24, 2008
News Release Contact:
Becky Gettings - (804) 213-4419
E-mail: pubrel@abc.virginia.gov

ABC Advisory Council to Hold First Meeting for West Region

The first meeting of The Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Community Advisory Council for the West region will be held March 29 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Augusta Medical Center in Fishersville, Va.

The Advisory Council, whose members include ABC licensees, members of civic and government organizations and members of community associations, has been established to facilitate additional vision, insight, accountability and support to ABC through linkages and partnerships with public safety, educational and other community groups and citizens through the Commonwealth. There are four regions where the council has been formed: North, which would include the Alexandria office; South Central, which would include both of the Richmond offices; East, which would include Chesapeake and Hampton offices; and West, which includes offices in Abingdon, Lynchburg, Staunton and Charlottesville. Each region will meet once a year with the option of adding meetings based on issues that arise in their communities.

Heading the West district, Special Agents in Charge Earl Driskill (Lynchburg) and Roger Stevens (Staunton) along with Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chris Goodman (Roanoke), serve as chairpersons and will lead the meeting with discussion topics such as new laws and regulations, reports on trouble establishments from ABC and the community, recent ABC decisions from the Hearings and Appeals Division and various community issues and concerns.

The South and East regions held their first meetings on January 26 and February 23 respectively with excellent turnouts at both. The North region will meet on Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the ABC Bureau of Law Enforcement - Alexandria Regional Office. For more information about the ABC Community Advisory Council or to express interest in serving, log onto www.abc.virginia.gov, or you can e-mail abc_ac@abc.virginia.gov.