Spirits Board, Virginia

Agriculture and Forestry

Purpose

The Virginia Spirits Board is established within the Department. The purpose of the Board is to foster the development of the Virginia spirits industry by expanding spirits research, increasing education, and promoting the production of ingredients necessary for alcohol distillation and the production of spirits in the Commonwealth.

Term

Following the initial staggering of terms, nonlegislative citizen members shall serve terms of four years, which shall begin on July 1 of the year of the appointment. No nonlegislative citizen member shall serve more than two consecutive four-year terms.

Composition

The Board shall consist of 11 members as follows: the Commissioner and the Chief Executive Officer of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, both of whom shall serve ex officio without voting privileges, or their designees, and nine voting nonlegislative citizen members to be appointed by the Governor, three of whom shall be coopers or maltsters and six of whom shall be owners or operators of a distillery in the Commonwealth. Nonlegislative citizen members shall be citizens of the Commonwealth. The Governor shall make his appointments upon consideration of the recommendations made by any cooper or maltster or any owner or operator of a distillery. Each entity or person shall submit two or more recommendations for each available position at least 90 days before the expiration of the member's term for which the recommendation is being provided. If such entities or persons fail to provide the nominations at least 90 days before the expiration date pursuant to this section, the Governor may appoint other nominees that meet the foregoing criteria. A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum, but a two-thirds vote of the members present shall be required for passage of items taken up by the Board. The Board shall meet at least four times each year. The meetings of the Board shall be held at the call of the chairman or whenever the majority of the members so request.

Vacant Seats

No vacant seats available...

Current Board Members

Member:Mr Thomas H. Nichols
Seat: Owner or Operator of a Distillery in the Commonwealth
End Date:6/30/2026
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Member:Mr Scott E. Harris
Seat: Owner or Operator of a Distillery in the Commonwealth
End Date:6/30/2026
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Member:Joshua Chandler
Seat: Cooper or Maltster
End Date:6/30/2026
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Member:Kelly Gordon
Seat: Owner or Operator of a Distillery in the Commonwealth
End Date:6/30/2027
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Member:Mr/ Thomas W. Murray
Seat: Owner or Operator of a Distillery in the Commonwealth
End Date:6/30/2027
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Member:Jeffrey Bloem
Seat: Cooper or Maltster
End Date:6/30/2027
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Member:Andrew Yancey
Seat: Owner or Operator of a Distillery in the Commonwealth
End Date:6/30/2029
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Member:Mr Mark Smith
Seat: Owner or Operator of a Distillery in the Commonwealth
End Date:6/30/2029
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Member:Matthew Harris
Seat: Cooper or Maltster
End Date:6/30/2029
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