Columbia lawyer leaves state role

After just seven months on the job, the director of Missouri’s Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control announced his resignation Wednesday.

Columbia attorney Dale Roberts is leaving the position to manage the campaign of state Sen. Jon Loudon, who is running for state auditor, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Public Safety.

Roberts could not be reached for comment.

Roberts took over the job after Columbia attorney Keith Fuller was dismissed last April. Terri Durdaller, a spokeswoman for the public safety department, declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding Fuller’s firing, saying only that it was a “personnel issue.”

Gov. Matt Blunt will appoint Roberts’ replacement, who must be confirmed by the Senate. Jessica Robinson, a spokeswoman for Blunt, could not give an exact timetable of how long it will take to find a replacement.

“We are very fortunate that a number of very qualified individuals expressed a desire to work for this administration in a variety of positions,” Robinson said. “We are confident that we will find a qualified successor.”

The Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control focuses on licensing, collecting taxes and fees, and enforcing Missouri’s Liquor Control Act, according to its Web site.