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Newly appointed liquor-board chairman Richard Sperry vowed to continue opening meetings to the public, despite a newly enacted law allowing closed deliberations in awarding coveted restaurant and club alcohol permits.
A self-described nondrinker, Sperry also heads a board whose majority eschews alcohol.
On Thursday, Sperry chaired his first meeting after being named by Gov. Gary Herbert to head the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.
Sperry, who succeeds Sam Granato as chairman, was appointed by then-Gov. Jon Huntsman in 2009 to the five member commission. The group sets liquor-control policy, governs liquor department staff and issues and revokes alcohol permits.
Granato, whose term expired, was the first chairman in more than 35 years to open deliberations to the public.
Sperry said in an interview that he does not anticipate closing meetings except under narrow circumstances, such as discussing the character or competence of an applicant, as outlined in the Utah Open Meetings Act.
Although Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, passed legislation giving commissioners much more latitude in closing meetings, Sperry said he does not see the need to do so.
The law, which went into effect this month, gives the board the authority to discuss behind closed doors issues including whether an application is for a bar or restaurant, whether applicants are local or out-of-state, and the type of entertainment applicants would offer.
"Our business can be done in the light of day," said Sperry. "In a year or two when only a limited number of [restaurant] licenses may be available, it will be a big deal to the people who are applying for them. I'm comfortable discussing and debating this in full view of the people who will be having their [business] fate decided."
David Gladwell, who took his board seat on Thursday, agreed that meetings should be open.
"The more business we do in public, the better," he said. "My only concern is that I would not want to openly engage in a discussion that may be embarrassing to someone or that is personal in nature."
As a state senator from 2001 to 2004, Gladwell was a strong advocate for closed political caucuses. But he said political caucuses are different from public bodies, such as the liquor commission. Political groups should be able to exchanges ideas out of public view, while the commission "should debate issues openly."
Like Sperry, Gladwell also is a self-described nondrinker. Sperry said whether commissioners can be fair and compassionate is more important than whether they drink or not.
His chair appointment comes after the law allowing closed meetings also takes away the commission's power to elect its own leader.
Sperry is past president of the Utah Medical Association and a University of Utah professor of anesthesiology, adjunct associate professor of economics, associate vice president for Health Sciences and director of the Matheson Center for Health Care Studies.
After medical school, Sperry served a residency and fellowship at the University of Virginia.
In addition to his medical training, Sperry has graduate degree training in health care economics and policy. His specific focus areas for health policy are health care insurance, the uninsured and the efficiency of health care delivery.
Sperry is a Salt Lake City native is married with five children and one grandchild.
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Sperry's bio
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New board member
Gov. Gary Herbert has filled one of two vacancies on the five-member liquor-control commission.
On Thursday, David Gladwell, an Ogden attorney and a former state legislator, began serving a four-year term on the liquor-control board. The governor also appointed board member Richard Sperry as board chairman.
Once a remaining board seat is filled, a search is expected to begin for a new executive director for the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which puts more than $100 million into state and local treasuries each year.
The current director, 36-year veteran Dennis Kellen, has delayed retiring until all board seats are filled.
Gladwell, a Republican, represented Ogden in the House of Representatives from 1997 to 2001 and served as a state senator from 2001 to 2004, representing Senate District 19 for Morgan, Summit and Weber counties.