President’s Message

It is an incredible honor to serve as President of the National Liquor Law Enforcement Association during this historic year for our organization.
For nearly four decades, NLLEA has brought together professionals who understand that alcohol law enforcement and regulation occupy a unique and essential place in public safety. While our agencies, authorities, and responsibilities may vary from state to state, the challenges we face often cross those same boundaries. NLLEA provides a forum where professionals can share knowledge, develop partnerships, exchange best practices, and strengthen the profession as a whole.
Much has changed since this association was founded. The issues facing our agencies have become increasingly complex. Alcohol remains at the center of our mission, but many of our members are also navigating challenges involving hemp-derived THC products, legalized cannabis, tobacco and vape enforcement, emerging technologies, organized criminal activity, evolving regulatory environments, and growing demands on limited resources.
Through all of that change, one thing has remained constant: the value of bringing the right people together. That principle has sustained NLLEA for nearly forty years, and it will continue to guide us into the future.
As President, my vision is to build upon the strong foundation established by those who came before us while ensuring NLLEA remains stronger, more engaged, more visible, and more valuable to its members than ever before. Honoring our past does not mean standing still. Rather, it means embracing the responsibility to prepare our association and our profession for the challenges ahead.
Our mission remains as important today as it was when NLLEA was founded: improving standards and best practices for the enforcement of alcoholic beverage control laws and regulations. Our commitment to networking, professional development, training, collaboration, and public safety remains unwavering. The values that have guided this association for decades, Excellence, Integrity, and Professionalism, must continue to be reflected in everything we do.
Over the coming year, we will focus on strengthening membership, expanding partnerships, increasing collaboration among agencies, improving communication, and ensuring that NLLEA membership provides meaningful value. Through our Professional Development Committee and the continued advancement of Alcohol Compliance Training (ACT), we will support the development of knowledgeable, capable, and well-prepared alcohol law enforcement professionals.
As we celebrate our 40th year, we also have an opportunity to define our future. Our previous Strategic Plan provided a strong foundation for progress and success. As that plan concludes, now is the ideal time to begin developing the roadmap for what comes next. Our next strategic plan should establish clear priorities, strengthen our foundation, and position NLLEA for continued success over the next decade and beyond.
Our greatest strength has always been our members. Every day, professionals across the country willingly share ideas, answer questions, provide resources, and help one another solve problems. Those relationships matter. In a profession as specialized as ours, no agency should have to face challenges alone. The collective knowledge and experience of NLLEA remains one of our most valuable assets.
As we reflect on forty years of progress, we should be proud of what NLLEA represents. At the same time, we must never become complacent about its future. Forty years of history should not be our finish line. It should be our foundation. Our responsibility is not simply to preserve what previous generations created. It is to leave it stronger than we found it.
The 40th Annual NLLEA Conference in Cleveland, Ohio will be more than another conference. It will be an opportunity to celebrate four decades of friendships, partnerships, accomplishments, challenges, and progress while beginning to write the next chapter of NLLEA's history. We will recognize those who helped shape this association and celebrate 40 years of leadership, service, and collaboration in alcohol law enforcement.
And a milestone this significant deserves a legendary stage.
Thank you for your trust and support,
Kellette Mayberry
President, 2026–2027
National Liquor Law Enforcement Association
Agent in Charge, Ohio Investigative Unit