Miami Ohio grad is new state Division of Liquor Control superintendent

COLUMBUS — A Miami University graduate is the new superintendent of the Division of Liquor Control.

Jacqueline DeGenova was appointed to the post Thursday by Ohio Department of Commerce Director Sherry Maxfield.

>> Ohio company that can deliver legal cannabis looks to expand

DeGenova will assume the role on May 6 and replace James V. Canepa, who was appointed superintendent of Commerce’s recently created Division of Cannabis Control in December 2023.

DeGenova has more than three decades of public service experience and comes to Commerce from the Ohio Department of Aging (ODA) where she most recently served as state long-term care ombudsman. Prior to that, she served as chief of the Division for Community Living. She also has served as a member of the Ohio Governor’s Nursing Home Quality and Accountability Task Force, during which time she helped to identify and implement various solutions to improve the quality of care and quality of life provided at nursing homes throughout the state.

“Jackie’s impressive and exemplary record of success, along with her tireless commitment to both consumers and businesses throughout her notable career, give me great confidence she not only is the right leader for the Division of Liquor Control, but she will continue to pursue and implement innovative strategies that will allow us to better serve our licensees, stakeholders and consumers,” Maxfield said.

Prior to her time at ODA, DeGenova worked for nearly 30 years as an attorney, serving in numerous senior leadership positions, often implementing priority initiatives involving the collaboration of businesses and consumers centered on consumer advocacy, according to Commerce.

>> Vultures found to be ‘literally too drunk to fly’

“I am grateful to Director Maxfield for the opportunity to join the Ohio Department of Commerce and lead the Division of Liquor Control, where I look forward to building from the positive momentum that has been generated to date,” DeGenova said in a prepared statement.

“The Division of Liquor Control plays a critical role throughout Ohio, not only as it relates to the regulation of alcohol, but particularly its impact on economic growth and investment throughout the state. I am excited at what our division will achieve in the years to come, and the effect our work will have on Ohio’s businesses and communities.”

DeGenova earned a Juris Doctor from Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio, and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

©2024 Cox Media Group