Shapiro taps Darrell Clarke to chair the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board

Former Philadelphia City Council President Darrell Clarke has been named the next chair of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, succeeding outgoing Chair Tim Holden, whose term expired on Thursday. Gov. Josh Shapiro named Clarke chair of the PLCB on Friday, a little over a year after nominating him to serve on the board in September 2023. 

In a statement, Clarke said he was honored to lead the agency, which was created in 1933 following the end of Prohibition and championed by noted prohibitionist and then-Gov. Gifford Pinchot. 

The PLCB runs Pennsylvania’s state-owned liquor store system and regulates the manufacturing, distribution and sale of alcohol throughout the commonwealth.

“For almost 91 years, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has worked to benefit the Commonwealth by regulating the beverage alcohol industry, serving as a responsible retailer and wholesaler, promoting responsible consumption and alcohol education, and generating significant dollars for state and local coffers,” Clarke said in a statement on Friday. “I have committed my life to public service and I am honored that Governor Shapiro has entrusted me with this position. I look forward to continuing to serve our Commonwealth.”

Clarke was confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate in February, and went on to serve on the Stop-and-Go Legislative Task Force, an entity created to study and address problems created by “stop-and-go’s” – convenience stores and delis that sell alcohol and have been plagued by nuisance behavior, problematic levels of drinking and, at times, criminal activity and violence. 

The task force issued a slate of recommendations in early October in an attempt to better regulate stop-and-go locations, including streamlining the citation process for stop-and-go’s, increasing penalties and fines for citations, increasing recruitment efforts for agents at the Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement and requiring locations to pay city taxes and fines to receive or renew their liquor licenses, among other suggestions.

Prior to his time on the PLCB, Clarke served as president of Philadelphia City Council from 2012 to 2024. Clarke announced in February 2023 that he would not seek reelection after representing the city’s 5th councilmanic district since 1999. 

Clarke will succeed Holden, a former U.S. congressman, as chair – a position Holden held from Feb. 17, 2015 to Nov. 21, 2024.

As a rank-and-file member of the Liquor Control Board, Clarke had a salary of $92,786. He’s likely set to receive a slight pay bump as chair, as Holden, the outgoing chair, made $96,590 per year as of the middle of October, according to salary data published on PennWatch. 

The PLCB is currently set to meet 18 times in 2025, with its first meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 15.