ALEXANDRIA, VA – The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) is proud to announce the Board of Directors Officers for the 2009-2010 term. Mitch Watkins, president of Watkins Distributing, Sales & Service based Twin Falls, Idaho, will take the helm as Chairman of the Board. Other Board Officers include:
-Vice Chair Larry Del Papa Jr., president of Del Papa Distributing Co., Inc., in Galveston, Texas
-Treasurer Steve Lytle, chairman of Columbia Distributing, based in Portland, Oregon
-Secretary Bob Archer, president of Blue Ridge Beverage Co., Inc., based in Salem, Virginia
-Immediate Past Chair Phil Terry, president and CEO of Monarch Beverage Co., Inc., in Indianapolis, Indiana
As Chair, Watkins will lead the Association as it works to advocate for licensed, independent beer distributors and educate elected officials, regulators, media and the public about the important role of beer distributors and effective state-based alcohol regulation. He has served on the NBWA Board of Directors since 2002 and has held all elected positions giving him a full background and working knowledge of the Association’s goals and agenda.
Watkins is the president of Watkins Distributing, Sales & Service, a position he has held since 1988. Like many beer distribution companies, Watkins Distributing is a family-owned and -operated business with operations in Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Running an independent, locally-operated company, Watkins recognizes the importance of being active in his community. He participates in several local charities and serves and many local industry boards including Business Plus and the South Idaho Economic Development Organization.
NBWA represents the more than 2,850 licensed, independent beer distribution businesses throughout the country. NBWA and America’s beer distributors support the state system of alcohol controls that ensures an orderly marketplace and the public health by providing transparency and accountability in the manufacture, distribution and sale of alcohol.
Beer distributors, licensed by both state and federal governments, serve as the critical link in the American beer distribution system sourcing products from brewers and importers and delivering products to state-licensed retailers. This effective system provides American consumers with the widest choice and variety of products in the world – nearly 13,000 labels of beer – and works to ensure that only authentic beer reaches American consumers of legal drinking age.