Edward J. Lopez Jr. is well aware that some people in the liquor industry are glad he is no longer superintendent of the state Regulation & Licensing Department, which includes the state Alcohol & Gaming Division.

"I know the industry wanted my head on a platter," Lopez said in an interview last week.

But others who have dealt with the department are going to miss him.

"I'm so sad," said Terry Huertaz, executive director of MADD New Mexico.

MADD New Mexico honored Lopez on Nov. 17 with a special award for the efforts he has made against DWI as head of the department, Huertaz said. "He's faced some enormous challenges, and he's gone in the right direction," she said.

Lopez has accepted the position of vice president of public affairs and communications for Coca-Cola Enterprises Bottling Companies, based in Atlanta, Ga. The company sells no products that contain alcohol, Lopez said.

During his two-year tenure at the department, Lopez stopped ex parte communications between liquor brokers and hearing examiners, publicized the high cost of licenses for hard liquor, required airlines flying into New Mexico to have liquor licenses and began the first-ever liquor-license revocations under the state's new "three-strikes-and-you're-out" law.

Most recently, Lopez denied U.S. Airways a liquor license after investigators alleged the airline twice over served passengers on flights to New Mexico.

But state Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, D-Las Cruces, who owns a nightclub and is in touch with many people in the liquor industry, said Lopez could be wrong about people in the industry being glad he is gone. "I haven't heard a single person say anything bad about him," she said.

Lopez is a bright man and will do well in private industry, Garcia said.

Lopez, however, said he fully expects members of the liquor industry to try and roll back the reforms he has made. Kelly O'Donnell, most recently deputy cabinet secretary at the state Economic Development Department, replaced him Saturday.

O'Donnell is experienced, tough and smart, Lopez said, and he is confident that she'll do an excellent job. "I think it's going to be tough to turn the clock back," he said.

O'Donnell said she will do everything she can to improve public safety and DWI rates in New Mexico, and said she hopes members of the industry will be partners in that effort.

"Clearly, Ed Lopez has had a strong record of success at the department," O'Donnell said.

Lopez said some members of the liquor industry are trying to get legislators to repeal the three-strikes-and-you're-out law, which requires that the state permanently revoke the liquor license of any establishment that is found guilty of three or more liquor violations in a year. The average dispenser liquor license sells for nearly $300,000. Previously, five or more liquor violations in a year were required for a license to be revoked.

"They've never before had to be accountable for their actions," Lopez said of the liquor industry. "The state has never revoked a liquor license. The industry wrote the liquor control act."

Enforcing the three-strikes law will likely be O'Donnell's biggest challenge, Lopez said.

Lopez said in addition to making sure the state's liquor laws were enforced, Gov. Bill Richardson asked him to help with tougher regulations for payday lenders and a crackdown on unlicensed contractors.

The payday lending regulations became effective this year. The new regulations prohibit the loans from rolling over and require automatic 130-day payment plans for those who can't pay their loans on time. The state also started a database so officials can monitor the industry.

The department has also made headway on the problem of unlicensed contractors, Lopez said.

In addition, the department plans to send a report to the Governor's Office on mortgage companies and lenders soon, Lopez said. The inspections revealed that one man was running a mortgage company out of his mother's garage, he said.

Although Lopez said some people in the liquor industry might have wanted him to leave, he left on his own accord. He said he decided to return to the private sector because Richardson is running for president and is on his way out of office.

Richardson said in a news release: "Ed Lopez brought a no-nonsense business approach to state government. He looked for tough assignments and got things done."

Contact Wendy Brown at 986-3072 or wbrown@sfnewmexican.com.