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Personnel transition at Virginia ABC

virginia-blue-oversizeGovernor Terry McAuliffe today announced that Rick Holcomb, the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, will become acting Chief Operating Officer at the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) following the retirement of W. Curtis Coleburn.

Rick Holcomb is a proven leader in Virginia government who has excelled at DMV, an agency where customer service, sound financial management and responsible law enforcement are key,” said Governor McAuliffe. “I am glad he has agreed to take on this new temporary role while continuing the great work he is doing at dmv as my team and I search for a permanent replacement to fill Curtis Coleburn’s shoes and lead the Virginia ABC into the future.”

W. Curtis Coleburn III will retire as Chief Operating Officer of the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control after more than 30 years of service to the Commonwealth.

“I want to thank Curtis Coleburn for his leadership and service to the people of Virginia,” said Governor McAuliffe. “During his time as Chief Operating Officer, the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control became the professional and profitable state agency it is today. Few people have earned their retirement more than Curtis has.

Giving Virginians the best possible customer experience and the highest return on their tax dollars is one of my top priorities. I am looking forward to working with Rick Holcomb, Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran and their entire team to continue modernizing the ABC and making it as successful, responsible and responsive to taxpayers as it can possibly be.”

Richard D. Holcomb was reappointed as Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles by Governor Terry McAuliffe in 2014, after serving in the same capacity for four years under Governor Robert F. McDonnell.

As dmv Commissioner, Holcomb manages a state agency with a budget of approximately $215 million and a statewide workforce of about 2,000 employees. Holcomb oversees the collection of approximately $2.2 billion dollars in revenue annually, which funds a significant portion of the state’s highway construction and maintenance.

In addition, he serves as the Governor’s Highway Safety Representative, on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Commission, and as vice chair of the Virginia’s Information Technology Advisory Council. He is chairman of the Virginia Motor Vehicle Dealer Board and serves as Secretary of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators International Board of Directors.  In 2014, he was nominated to receive the White House’s “Champions of Change” award.

Prior to his 2010 appointment, Holcomb served as dmv Commissioner from 1994 to 2001.  During Holcomb’s initial seven-year tenure at DMV, he oversaw a dramatic transformation of the agency’s workforce training model and approach to customer service that improved Virginians’ experience at dmv branches and increased the agency’s efficiency.

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