Overview
As a leader in the firm’s Global Economic Development, Commerce and Government Relations (GECON) practice, a full-service public affairs consultancy, Travis applies skills acquired during his years of senior leadership in the public and private sector to support clients with multifaceted legal and non-legal needs. Clients who find their business interests at the intersection of law and policy benefit from his distinct experiences across a range of industries as a lawyer, executive, and regulator.
Travis’s practice includes both legal and non-legal services with an emphasis on administrative law, alcohol and other regulated products and services, as well as economic development, capital deployment, and legislative and regulatory matters. For nearly a decade, Travis served as the head of Virginia’s state-operated spirits retailer and alcohol regulatory body, developing extensive experience and providing leadership and legal insight at both executive and organizational levels. His experience transforming large organizations while meeting customer demands and legal mandates enables him to advise companies who face external pressures on many fronts.
Prior to joining the firm, Travis served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC). Under Travis’ leadership, the Authority achieved record profits while being recognized by industry publications for its innovations and strong customer service. While an executive at Virginia ABC, Travis led a three-year transformation resulting in the creation of Virginia’s independent ABC Authority and led efforts to provide regulatory guidance to stakeholders. He reformed the Commonwealth’s alcohol licensing structure, with an emphasis on maintaining a fair and predictable marketplace that adapts to new approaches to business. Based on his senior executive roles at ABC, he also served as an ex-officio board member on the Virginia Higher Education Substance Use Advisory Committee and the Virginia Spirits Board.
Prior to his time at ABC, Travis served as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry. Travis was the primary point of contact on management, legal, and regulatory issues coming before the secretariat and led efforts across local, state, and federal agencies to implement policy and business strategies. He helped conceptualize and implement the first agriculture and forestry-specific state economic development program in Virginia.
Travis began his career at an AmLaw 200 firm with an emphasis on legislative and regulatory efforts before the Virginia General Assembly, executive agencies, and regulatory boards. He handled matters involving water quality, financial, insurance, utility, and energy regulation.
Experience
- Chief Executive Officer, Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Authority, 2018-2023
- Chief Operating Officer, Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Authority, 2014-2018
- Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, Office of the Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia, 2011-2014
Accolades
Honors & Recognitions
- Recognized in “The Power List” as one of Virginia’s 500 “Most Powerful Leaders,” Virginia Business, 2020-2023
Affiliations
Professional
- Member, National Conference of State Liquor Administrators (NCSLA), 2015-2023, Executive Committee–2019-2023
- Member, Virginia Bar Association Board of Governors, 2012–2013, 2019-2020
- Member, Virginia Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, 2004-2014, Chair–2013
- Member, Virginia Law Foundation Committee on Continuing Legal Education, 2008-2012
News
Education
JD, University of North Carolina School of Law, 2003
BA, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2000
Admissions
Virginia
