State alcohol policy alliances are statewide coalitions that work to educate communities and policymakers about evidence-based state and local alcohol policies to reduce alcohol-related harms in communities. This webinar will describe how the U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance uses technical assistance and information dissemination to ensure state alliances (1) have a meaningful voice in the state policy process and(2) are able to build the capacity of local coalitions to support local policy development. We will describe the steps involved in forming a state alcohol policy alliance and provide examples of the experiences in a few states.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the mission, organization, and membership of the US Alcohol Policy Alliance
• Understand the roles state alcohol policy alliances play in state and local policy development
• Explain key steps and considerations in forming a statewide alcohol policy alliance

About the Presenters:

Michael Sparks

Michael Sparks is an Alcohol Policy Specialist and the President of SparksInitiatives. His primary interest is working with communities to use policy to reduce alcohol-related problems. Michael currently serves as a consultant and trainer to communities across the country and is a trainer for Community Anti-drug Coalitions of America. He also works in a consulting role with Wake Forest University and Johns Hopkins University on alcohol policy issues. He has expertise in the alcohol policy field as well as in the areas of community building, using local control strategies to manage problematic alcohol and drug environments, the legislative process, and neighborhood revitalization.

Dylan Ellerbee

Dylan Ellerbee is an expert in community-level change, policy advocacy and excessive drinking prevention. Dylan has been a Research Associate at UNC Greensboro and Wake Forest School of Medicine; he has coordinated and worked on the North Carolina Preventing Underage Drinking Initiative for 15 years; serves as treasurer on the US Alcohol Policy Alliance Board of Directors; is a trainer for Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA); and is the founder of the North Carolina Alcohol Policy Alliance. Dylan travels the country speaking and training on substance misuse prevention and public health. He holds a BA from Beloit College and a Masters in Political Management from George Washington University.

Michael Mumper

Michael is Director of Programs at Fayette FACTOR, Inc. (part of the Georgia Family Connections Partnership) and its Drug-Free Fayette substance abuse prevention coalition, in Fayette County, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. He consults with SAMHSA’s Opioid Response Network, serves on the American Heart Association’s Advocacy Steering Committee in Georgia, catalyzed a “2019 Got Outcomes” award from CADCA, and was Let’s Be Clear Georgia’s 2020 Prevention Champion for work in marijuana prevention and policy.In2021, Michael helped launch the Georgia Alcohol Policy Alliance, a statewide collaborative aiming to bring public health balance to alcohol policy at the state and local level. Michael has an MBA from Emory University.