Former State Sen. Joe Conti Named Chief Executive Officer of PA Liquor Control Board
HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 13 /PRNewswire/ — The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board today approved the appointment of former state Sen. Joe Conti as chief executive officer of the PLCB. The newly created position will assume responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the PLCB and will report to the board, which will continue to provide policy and regulation authority.
“Joe Conti is eminently qualified to do this job, and after years of considering the creation of this position we are tremendously fortunate that he was available and willing to take on this important post,” said board member Patrick J. Stapleton III. “We expect that Joe will work to reduce expenses, while continuing to improve our success as a leading seller of wine and spirits in the country.”
“Joe is the perfect choice to run the day-to-day operations at the PLCB,” said board member Tom Goldsmith. “His extensive knowledge of the PLCB, after serving as chairman of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, combined with years of management experience as a well-respected, successful restaurant owner means he can hit the ground running as the operational manager for our 643 stores.”
Conti’s role as CEO will complement the work of the board, and continue the ongoing modernization of the PLCB. As a Senator, Conti chaired the Senate Law and Justice Committee that worked with board members to implement legislation to allow for Sunday sales and wine tastings, among other modernizations that have helped shaped the PLCB.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue my career in public service in such a suitable position,” Conti said. “As a licensee for more than 20 years while running my two Bucks County restaurants I know the value in finding efficiencies and improving the bottom line. As the PLCB continues to operate more and more like a private business, I am proud to be a part of its ongoing modernization.”
Conti was a licensee from 1976 until 1999 when he sold his restaurants: Conti Crosskeys Inn and Pipersville Inn in Bucks County. His father, a past president of the National Restaurant Association, along with his brother has helped earn the Contis a reputation as one of the top family restaurant owners in the commonwealth.
In November, Conti retired from the Pennsylvania State Senate, where he most recently served as Republican Caucus Chairman. His public service began in 1984 as a member of the Doylestown Township Board of Supervisors. He was elected as a state Representative of the 143rd district, where he served until 1997 when he was elected to state Senate for the 10th District.
Conti received his Bachelor of Arts in 1976 and Master’s degree in American Studies in 2000 from the Pennsylvania State University. Conti, 52, lives in Bucks County with his wife Molli. They have three children, Joseph, Scott and Patricia.
Since 1933, the PLCB has been the independent government agency that manages the beverage alcohol industry in Pennsylvania. In fiscal year 2005, the PLCB generated more than $1.6 billion in sales of wine and spirits, while concurrently preventing nearly 800,000 underage purchases of alcohol at its 643 stores. The PLCB has more than 4,500 employees and retail operations in each of the 67 counties of the commonwealth.
The board is responsible for licensing the possession, sale, storage, transportation, importation and manufacture of wine, spirits and malt or brewed beverages in the commonwealth. Currently, the board regulates over 16,000 licensees, ranging from restaurants and hotels to beer distributors and performing arts facilities. The board also operates the retail distribution system of wine and spirits throughout the commonwealth as well as educates consumers about the harmful effects of alcohol misuse.
CONTACT: Dawn Petrosky
(717) 783-8864
Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board
CONTACT: Dawn Petrosky, Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board,+1-717-783-8864