Casteel named director of the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control

Gov. Asa Hutchinson has appointed Mary Robin Casteel as director of the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control. Casteel was named interim director in May after the departure of former director Bud Roberts.

“The ABC faces a number of challenges in the near future, and continuity of leadership will help ensure the success of the agency,” Hutchinson said in a statement. “Mary Robin has proven herself a capable leader and an authority on ABC operations. We’re glad she’s agreed to stay on.”

Casteel, a licensed attorney, had previously submitted her resignation and planned to return to private practice. The former director, Bud Roberts, resigned May 26, and Casteel agreed to serve as interim director.

Casteel, 38, joined ABC in 2013. The ABC regulates the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages in Arkansas, and currently oversees more than 5,000 permit holders in the state. Under the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment, which voters adopted in November, the ABC will also regulate licensed dispensaries and cultivation facilities.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do in the coming months related to medical marijuana, as well as the always busy work of regulating alcohol,” Casteel said. “But we have a good team, and I’m glad to remain a part of it.”