Office of Professional Responsibility (Internal Affairs)
Region 3 - The Houston Region
The Houston Region is located in Southeast Texas and shares a border with Louisiana. It encompasses 29 counties – this region holds one fourth of the state's issued alcoholic beverage permits. Houston is the 4th largest city in the United States.
The Houston Region currently includes a staff of 97 regulatory, legal and licensing personnel, and it has offices located in Beaumont, Brazoria, Conroe, Dickinson, Houston, Huntsville, Lufkin, Richmond and Wharton.
Counties in this region
Click on your county name to find a TABC office near you.
Angelina Brazoria Chambers Colorado Fort Bend Galveston Hardin Harris Houston Jasper Jefferson Leon Liberty Madison Matagorda Montgomery Nacogdoches Newton Orange Polk Sabine San Augustine San Jacinto Shelby Trinity Tyler Walker Waller Wharton
Major Carla Thompson
Houston main number: (713) 426-7900
Major Carla Thompson began her career with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission in October 2005 as an Agent in Amarillo. Carla promoted to Sergeant in July 2012 and to Lieutenant in November 2013 in the Arlington Regional Office. Carla then promoted to Captain in the Houston Regional Office in March 2017. In her position as Captain, Carla has been the commander of the TABC Special Response Team which included deployments during Hurricane Harvey to Victoria and Houston and a deployment to Laredo to assist the Ports of Entry during the Paisano Season. In 2018 Thompson was promoted to Major at the Houston Regional Office.
Carla's law enforcement career began in 1992 as a traffic safety analyst for the Amarillo Police Department. She was a Deputy Sheriff with the Oldham County Sheriff's Office from 1996 to 2005.
Carla earned her Bachelor of Science Degree from Wayland Baptist University and is a Certified Fraud Examiner. She holds a Master Peace Officer Certificate and Instructor Proficiency Certificate from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement and recently received the Trilogy Award from the FBI-Law Enforcement Executive Development Association's Leadership Institute.
Nicole Phillips, Regional Supervisor of Audit and Investigations
Nicole Phillips began her career with TABC in 2008 as an auditor and was promoted to Compliance Regional Supervisor in 2013. Prior to TABC, Nicole gained experience working for private industry energy companies as well as working five years with the Texas Workforce Commission initially as a recruiter, and leaving as an auditor. Nicole has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting and a Masters degree in Finance from Texas Southern University in Houston Texas. She holds both a basic Instructors certification from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education and a Certified Fraud Examiner certification. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc, and enjoys participating in community educational projects.
Twila Williams, Assistant Regional Supervisor of Audit and Investigations
Twila began working at TABC in 2013 as an administrative assistant in the Audit & Investigations division. She promoted to Auditor January 2016 and became the Assistant Regional Supervisor in 2018. Prior to joining TABC, Twila's experience included an assistant office manager position with a radiology clinic for 12 years; and a senior clerk position at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Michael Gallardo, Regional Supervisor of Licensing
Michael first joined TABC in February 2015 as an intern with the Licensing Division in San Antonio while he worked his way through graduate school. He was later hired as a License and Permit Specialist in August of 2015. Michael later promoted to Lead License and Permit Specialist for San Antonio, then promoted to Regional Supervisor of Licensing in the Houston Regional Office in August of 2019. Michael has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and a Master's in Public Administration from St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas.
Lieutenant Joe Cavazos
Lieutenant Joe Cavazos was hired by TABC in 1998 and assigned to the Dallas Regional Office. Over the span of his 16-year career, he has served in a various capacities in several locations throughout Texas including McAllen, Odessa and Victoria. Most recently, Joe served in the McAllen Area Office as the outpost supervisor. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2014 and transferred to the Houston office. Joe began his law enforcement career in 1995 when he was hired by the South Padre Island Police Department. In 1997, he accepted a position as a Brownsville Police Patrol Officer.
In 1993, Joe graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Police Science and Administration from Hardin Simmons University where he had been a member of the Army ROTC program. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant assigned to the Signal Corps Branch of the United States Army. Joe completed his military obligation as a member of the United States Army Reserve Corps.
Lieutenant Randy Chatham
Randy Chatham joined the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission in January 2003. During Randy's tenure with TABC, he has been stationed in Galveston, South East Harris counties and Amarillo. He served as an agent in the Galveston County office from January 2003 to December 2010. In December 2010 he was promoted to Sergeant and transferred to the Amarillo office. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2013 and transferred to the Houston office. Randy started his law enforcement career with the Galveston County Sheriff's Office in November 1991 and left as a Sergeant assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division working with the Galveston County Narcotics Task Force.
Randy earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Houston-Downtown. He holds a Master Peace Officer Certificate and Instructor Proficiency Certificate from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
Lieutenant Ryan Decuire
Lieutenant Ryan Decuire Ryan began his law enforcement career with the Galveston County Sheriff's Office in 1998. He left as a Sergeant in 2002 to work for the TABC where he was assigned to the Galveston Outpost. In October 2009, Ryan was appointed as an Acting Sergeant in the Houston Office. He was promoted to Sergeant in December 2009 and supervised agents in Galveston County and southern Harris County. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2012. Ryan earned his Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics from the University of Houston – Clear Lake.
Lieutenant David Whitt
David Whitt has over thirty years of law enforcement experience. He began his career with the Houston Police Department in 1984. David had numerous assignments while with the Houston Police Department. He was assigned to investigative divisions, patrol division, jail division, and evidence division while with the department. David retired from the Houston Police Department after twenty five years of service.
David joined the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission in 2013 and has been assigned to the Houston Region. He promoted to Sergeant in 2017 and then promoted to Lieutenant in 2018.
Last Updated: Tuesday, December 3, 2019