OBITUARY: HARRY G. WILES

HARRY G. WILES
A leading member of the beverage alcohol community and the Executive Director of the American Beverage Licensees since 2OO2 , Harry G. Wiles passed away unexpectedly on August 18.  Harry was chosen to lead the association and its nearly 2O,OOO members following its creation after the merger of the National Association of Beverage Retailers and the National Licensed Beverage Association.  Under his leadership, ABL grew in scope and strength as he oversaw the partnering of on-premise and off-premise beverage licensees into a single, unified voice for the beverage retail community.  “Not only has our industry lost a leading advocate, we all have lost a dear friend,” said ABL President David Jabour.  “Harry was the consummate industry ambassador and steward, and will be remembered for years to come.  He was truly part of our industry family.” An attorney and member of the Bar in the State of Kansas, the District of Columbia, and the United States Supreme Court, Harry worked on Capitol Hill before becoming a fixture in the beverage alcohol community, when, in 1987, he became Senior Vice President of Federal Government Relations & Senior Counsel for the WSWA, a position he held for thirteen years.  In 2O1O, Harry was inducted into the Sky Ranch Hall of Fame, and served on the Executive Committee of the Sky Ranch Foundation.  He also served as a board member of the Responsible Hospitality Institute (RHI), the Responsible Retailing Forum (RRF) and the Night Club & Bar Advisory Board.  An avid supporter of the western lifestyle and horseback riding, Harry was a member of western riding organizations Rancheros Visitadores, based in Santa Barbara, CA, and El Viaje De Portola in San Juan Capistrano, CA.  He was also a board member of the Heartland Alliance of America, the association for rural Americans.