TABC Executive Staff

An administrator, appointed by the three-member governing board, directs the daily operations of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Current Administrator Alan Steen was appointed August 1, 2003. He is responsible for employing staff to ensure that the policies established by the commission and the laws enacted by the legislature are implemented in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Sharing in that responsibility is an assistant administrator for regulatory and business operations, chief of field operations, general counsel, director of the office of professional responsibility, and the director of communications and governmental relations.

An independent audit firm performs internal audit functions for the agency, reporting directly to the commissioners.

Meet the Executive Team:

Alan Ray Steen
Administrator
Alan Steen has served as Administrator of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission since August 2003. He has served in leadership roles in both corrections and law enforcement for over 20 years.

A native of Granbury, Texas, he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Tarleton State University in 1985 and a Master of Science degree from the University of North Texas in 1990. He received his state peace officer certification in November 2007.

Under Alan's direction, TABC has shifted its focus from the symptoms of alcohol regulatory problems to becoming a more proactive investigative agency that intervenes early to address the root cause and support a responsible alcohol environment. The agency is committed to keeping good actors in business while taking out the bad actors to ensure a safe community and a stable marketplace.

He believes that the balance between public safety and public service is critical to effectively regulating alcohol in the state of Texas. He is committed to dedicating TABC resources, and introducing forward-thinking initiatives and technological advancements that will help the agency maintain this balance.

Alan was named Distinguished Alumni for Tarleton State University in October 2004, and served as a member of the Tarleton Alumni Foundation. He also serves on other numerous boards and committees. He is past champion of the Houston Livestock and Rodeo Cutting Horse Event and a two-time world finalist for the National Cutting Horse Association. In his spare time, he enjoys outdoor activities with his family.

Sherry Cook
Assistant Administrator for Regulatory and Business Operations
Sherry Cook joined TABC in 2006 as the Information Technology Director and Information Resources Manager. Sherry was hired in 2008 for the Assistant Administrator for Regulatory and Business Operations. In that role, she oversees the following divisions: Business Services, Licensing, Human Resources, Information Resource Division, Tax, Ports of Entry and Education and Prevention. Prior to coming to TABC, she had worked with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) since 1978, in various management and executive management capacities. Cook's career with the DPS included nine years with the Texas Rangers Division as a Crime Analyst.

Sherry has earned associate degrees from Austin Community College in Information Technology in 1998 and from Alvin Community College in Criminal Justice and Corrections in 2008. She received her Bachelor's of Applied Arts and Science from Texas State University in 2004 and a Master's of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas State in 2008, where she has received several awards including Outstanding Graduate and Research Student. She is a TCLEOSE Certified Peace Officer, Certified Public Manager and a member of various professional and civic organizations.

Joel Moreno
Chief of Field Operations
Chief Moreno has over 30 years of law enforcement experience, beginning his career with the McAllen Police Department in 1980. Chief Moreno was hired by TABC in 1985 as an Agent working in different locations such as Laredo, McAllen, and Harlingen. In 1994 he was promoted to Sergeant stationed in Houston and promoted to Lieutenant in 1998 stationed in Corpus Christi. In 2002 he was promoted to Regional Captain of West Texas which includes the Midland/Odessa and El Paso area where he was assigned to 28 counties. Moreno was then promoted to Deputy Assistant Chief of Enforcement in 2004 and to Chief of Enforcement in 2007, becoming the only Hispanic to serve TABC as Chief of Enforcement in its 75 year history. In February 2008, he accepted a new position in the agency - Chief of Field Operations - and currently supervises both enforcement and compliance operations for TABC.

Chief Moreno received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice at the University of Texas Pan American in Edinburg, and he has been awarded a TCLEOSE Master Peace Officer Certification. He is a graduate of the Governor's Executive Development Program at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin.

Carolyn Beck
Director of Communications and Governmental Relations
Carolyn Beck joined TABC in October 2003 as the Public Information Officer and was promoted to Director of Communications and Governmental Relations in 2009. Her primary duties include agency spokesperson and legislative liaison. She also spearheads various special projects such as the agency's biennial strategic plan.

Prior to joining TABC, Carolyn spent 13 years at the Texas Youth Commission, working in various divisions including Policy Manuals and American Correctional Association Accreditation, Staff Development, Internal Audit, and Juvenile Corrections. Carolyn also has seven years of experience in the private sector, managing internal operations for a start-up company. She earned a bachelor's degree from the Plan II Liberal Arts Honors Program and a master's degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, both at The University of Texas at Austin. She is also a graduate of the Governor's Executive Development Program at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs.

Emily Helm
General Counsel and Director of Legal Services
Emily E. Helm joined TABC in March 2008, as a Staff Attorney prosecuting Code violations. On February 15, 2010, Helm was promoted as the new General Counsel and Director of the Legal Services Division for TABC. Helm graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington, received her juris doctorate degree from Baylor Law School, and acquired her master's of business administration degree from The University of Texas at Austin.

Helm's legal career began as the Assistant Criminal District Attorney for Gregg County in Longview, Texas. By 1983, Helm dove into private practice. After a year, she moved to public service with the Texas Department of Human Services (TDHS), and was appointed as their Assistant Regional Attorney in Paris, Texas. In 1988, she promoted to assistant general counsel with TDHS and relocated to Austin, Texas. Prior to arriving at TABC, she was working for the Texas Youth Commission, first as Director of Legal Services and then as Deputy General Counsel.

Loretta Doty
Director of Human Resources
Loretta Doty joined TABC as the Director of Human Resources in 2004. She has more than seventeen years of state service and was employed in several public sector human resources positions prior to being employed with the TABC.

Loretta is certified as a Senior Professional of Human Resources (SPHR) by the Society for Human Resources Management. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in management from the University of Texas at Tyler. She is a graduate of the Governor's Executive Development Program at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin. Loretta currently serves as Chair of the Texas State Human Resources Management Association (TSHRA). She is an active member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and the Austin Human Resources Management Association (AHRMA).

Shelby Eskew
Director of Business Services
Shelby Eskew joined TABC in August 2004 and was selected as Director of Business Services in April 2010. In this role Shelby oversees the Accounting, Payroll, and Purchasing functions as well as oversees fleet and inventory management. Shelby received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin and brings over 25 years of experience in the financial arena to the agency.

Prior to joining TABC, Shelby was business manager for KUT-FM, the National Public Radio Affiliate licensed to the University of Texas at Austin. In 1996, she went to work at the Texas Youth Commission in the budget department and was promoted in October 2001 to Budget Director. She joined TABC in August 2004 to assist with the budget administration of the agency and has been very involved in the budget and strategic planning process. She is also a graduate of the 2008 Texas Fiscal Officers Academy.

Amy Harrison
Director of Licensing
Amy Harrison joined the TABC in January of 1990. She is the Director of Licensing which is responsible for the issuance of over 100,000 licenses and permits all over the world. Amy has held various positions in the agency before her promotion to Director in 2004. Prior to joining the TABC, Amy spent five years at the State Comptroller's Office. Amy held several positions there including Licensing Supervisor of the Regulatory Division. Amy's experience at the Comptroller's Office, coupled with the TABC, has given her over 24 years of state regulatory experience.

Amy earned a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and a minor in Business Administration from Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. It was the experience of working several Legislative Sessions that inspired Amy to pursue a career in state government after graduation.

Dexter Jones
Assistant Chief of Field Operations
Dexter K. Jones was selected as Assistant Chief of Compliance for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission in January 2008. He became an Assistant Chief of Field Operations on August 1, 2011. Dexter began his career with the TABC in 1999 as an entry-level Auditor. He was promoted to Regional Compliance Supervisor for the South Texas Region, and later served as Marketing Practices Director.

Dexter served in the United States Marine Corps from 1988 to 1992. He earned his bachelor's degree in finance in 1998 from the University of North Texas in Denton. He is a graduate of the Governor's Executive Development Program Class XXIV at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin. He is a TCLEOSE Certified Peace Officer and is Commissioned by the Agency.

Earl Pearson
Assistant Chief of Field Operations
Earl Pearson joined TABC as the Chief of Staff in January 2009, bringing with over 30 years of management, legislative and law enforcement experience. He became an Assistant Chief of Field Operations on August 1, 2011. Earl attended McMurry University in Abilene where he was a starting football player. While at McMurry, a friend encouraged him to join the Texas Department of Public Safety, which he did, graduating from the Recruit Academy in 1976. He then spent 13 years as a trooper with the Texas Highway Patrol. In 1989, he joined the ranks of the Texas Rangers.

Earl rose to Lieutenant in 1992, Captain in 1996 and Assistant Chief in 2001. In 2004, he was named Chief of the Texas Ranger Division, becoming the first African American Department of Public Safety Division Chief. Earl retired from public service in 2005 to start his own security services company, but he re-joined the State of Texas in 2009. Earl holds a TCLEOSE Master Peace Officer Certification and is a graduate of the Governor's Executive Development Program at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin.

Andy Pena
Director of the Office of Professional Responsibility (Internal Affairs)
Captain Andy Pena joined TABC in November 2007 as the Lieutenant of the Office of Professional Responsibility (Internal Affairs). Prior to arriving at TABC, Captain Pena was employed by the Texas Department of Public Safety for 26 years. He began his law enforcement career with DPS in 1982. Upon graduation from the DPS Academy, he was a State Trooper assigned to the Lake Jackson Highway Patrol office for 10 years. He promoted to Sergeant in 1992 and was assigned to the DPS Training Academy in Austin. In 1995, he was promoted to Lieutenant and assigned the Internal Affairs Unit at DPS Headquarters for 12 years.

In November 2007, Pena retired from DPS and was hired by TABC. In February 2009, Lieutenant Pena was designated the Acting Director of Internal Affairs. In July 2009, Pena was promoted to Captain as the Director of the Office of Professional Responsibility. Andy is a graduate of the 205th F.B.I. National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Rod Venner
Assistant Chief of Field Operations
Assistant Chief Rod Venner joined TABC in 1987 as an agent assigned to the Lubbock District Office. Since that time, he has been assigned to posts in Amarillo and El Paso. Rod was promoted to Deputy Assistant Chief of Enforcement in 2004 and again to Assistant Chief of Enforcement in 2007. He became an Assistant Chief of Field Operations on August 1, 2011.

A native of Southlake, Texas, Rod received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, and he has been awarded a TCLEOSE Master Peace Officer Certification. He is a graduate of the Governor's Executive Development Program at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin.

Jay Webster
Director of Information Resources
Jay Webster began his career with the TABC in January 1980 as the agency's first computer programmer. During his career at TABC, he has held positions of programmer, project manager, Information Resources Manager, and most recently IT Director. Over his career, he has directed or managed numerous information technology initiatives including the migration to IBM mainframe computing, the introduction of desktop personal computing, the deployment of internet access throughout the agency, the transformation to Versa's LicenseEase licensing solution, and the recent transition of server support to the statewide data center services contractor.

During his 29 years at TABC, Jay has represented the agency on numerous statewide IT task forces, steering committees, and advisory boards including serving six years as Treasurer for the Texas Association of State Systems for Computing and Communications (TASSCC). Jay was raised in Austin and graduated with a BBA in MIS from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos.

Roland Luna
Director of Ports of Entry
Roland D. Luna joined TABC in January of 2010 as a Lieutenant with the Office of Professional Responsibility (Internal Affairs). In August of 2011, Roland was promoted to the Director of Ports of Entry. Roland began his career with the Texas Department of Public Safety as a Texas State Trooper, and has served in other positions which include a Lead Agent on the Protective Detail for Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, a Criminal Investigations Division Sergeant, and a Lead Lieutenant and supervisor for a Special Investigative Response Unit responsible for combating fraud, waste, and abuse.

Roland earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Sam Houston State University and a Master of Arts in Legal Studies from Texas State University. He is an Instructor, Certified Mediator from Texas State University, American Bar Association Certified Paralegal from Texas State University, Certified in Advanced Legal Research, and holds a TCLEOSE Master Peace Officer Certification.

Steve Greinert
Director of Tax and Marketing Practices
Steve Greinert joined TABC in 1987 as an Administrative Technician. Steve was promoted to Auditor in 1990 and Excise Tax Manager in 1999. In September 2011, he was promoted to Director of Tax & Marketing Practices.

Steve earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from Concordia Lutheran College. He represents TABC on the Wine Industry Development Advisory Committee with the Texas Department of Agriculture.

Mindy Carroll
Director of Education
After teaching in public education, Mindy started her career with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission in 2006 as the education specialist. In 2008, she was promoted to the assistant director of the Education Division and in 2011 was promoted to the director. The division is responsible for managing the States EUDL (Enforcement of Underage Drinking Laws) Block Grant and Mindy is the EUDL State Coordinator. In 2011, the division managed about $1.5 million in funding and distributed grants to 19 different projects. Mindy also oversees all educational programming including the seller server training program.