Your association, California Alcoholic Beverage Control Agents (CABCA), is currently holding an election for its Board of Directors and CABCA would greatly appreciate your voting participation.  Three positions on the Board are open and we have seven candidates.  Please vote for three of the seven.  You must be a member for your vote to be counted.  Membership will be verified.  The candidate statements are below as is a link to the electronic ballot.  The election closes at the end of business on July 19th.

Candidate Statements

Jeff McKay

Incumbant

I have been an active member of the California State Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) since 1998. During my tenure as a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Investigator, I served as a Membership Coordinator with the Association of Motor Vehicles Investigators California (AMVIC) for 5 years. In 2009, I lateraled to the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) and in 2013 became a Site Representative. Later assuming the position of Vice President and currently holding the position of President. While with CABCA, I assisted in establishing the 9/11 Memorial and Pink Patch project. Throughout my years as serving on various union positions, I have established an excellent working relationship with our Director.  As a result, CABCA and the Director have worked together to resolve/correct various issues without having to go through the formal grievance process. My promise to you is, if reelected to the board, we will reestablish good communication with our members and enter the upcoming negotiations with a united front (agents and licensing representatives) to get the best contract for all of our members.

Vincent Johnston

With a tenure of more than 16 years with the State of California, my experience outside CSLEA started as a Personnel Specialist in Human Resources and extended to a non-sworn Staff Services Manager.  For the last five years I have been an Agent and member of CABCA; working with agents from the central valley to ensure they are adequately represented and informed of changes to our contract.  Your vote will allow me the opportunity to formally represent you as a member of the CABCA executive team.

Mehul Patel

I would like to express my interest in one of these open Board positions. My name is Mehul “Mike” Patel and I’ve been a CSLEA member for approximately 7 years. I currently work out of SOU-South.

Prior to ABC, I worked at CDC as a Correctional Officer, and I was a CCPOA member there for approximately 7 years.

Salvador “Sal” Martinez

My name is Sal Martinez and I have worked as an Agent for the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for 15 years.

I have been assigned to the Special Operations Unit-Northern Division, for 13 years and this assignment has afforded me the opportunity to work and train many of the Agents currently working for ABC.

Based on my years with the department and my first-hand knowledge of how every agent can benefit from being a member of the union. I have familiarity with many of the Agents and it would be an honor to be represent our members.

Chandler Baird

My name is Chandler Baird and I wish to run for CABCA Board of Directors. I have been an ABC Agent for just over five years, and a Peace Officer in the State of California for almost 20 years. Including my time as a non-peace officer, I have over 23 years of law enforcement experience. I previously served as a police union board member, serving as a treasurer for the Eureka Police Officers Association. While I was serving on my past board I assisted in labor negotiations and employee representation. I look forward to working for each of you and bringing transparency to the CABCA.

Ryan Bittle

My name is Ryan Bittle and I am an Agent.  I have been an agent with ABC for just under 4 years.    I am interested in running for a vacancy on the CABCA board.  I am interested in working with the board to help transform the opinion of CABCA within the membership.

Michael Connolly

I have been a state employee for almost 13 years,  the last seven years with our Department. I have nearly 20 years of working in Law Enforcement as a sworn peace officer. While at previous agencies, I have engaged in various contract negotiations, which I found to be very rewarding and insightful.

I want to be a part of the board of directors because I believe my previous years of experience in law enforcement will provide additional knowledge to help serve our members better.

My main goal as a CABCA board member would be greater communication between CABCA and its members (Agents). Currently, the information I receive seems to be secondhand rather than directly from CABCA, which may not be as timely and accurate for our members.

Another important goal is to make an Agent’s job easier and more efficient by updating our reporting and daily forms, making these tasks more user-friendly and standardized. Additional goals I believe to be important include updating the online complaint process,  modernizing the current filling processes with city and district attorney offices, increasing the availability of outside optional training for our Department, and better communication between our specialized units and district offices.

Thank you for your consideration of my application for the CABCA board.