MJBizMag January 2022 - 60

INDUSTRY PLAYERS New Hires & Promotions by Omar Sacirbey
Attorney Takes CEO Post at Colorado-based Dalwhinnie
Dalwhinnie Enterprises, a vertically integrated cannabis company in
Ridgway, Colorado, installed attorney Brandon Barksdale as CEO.
Barksdale joins from the Los Angeles office of the law firm CohnReznick,
where he spent nearly five years, including two as director of the risk
and business advisory practice. While at CohnReznick, Barksdale advised
Dalwhinnie as well as multistate operators and cannabis startups.
The company's goals include " establishing processes that will lead us
to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) and GACP (Good Agricultural and
Collection Practice) certification, " Barksdale said.
Growing MSO Appoints
VP for Social Equity
Ascend Wellness Holdings, a
vertically integrated multistate
cannabis operator, hired Danielle
Drummond as vice president
of social equity, a newly created
position in which she will develop
and lead community partnerships
and restorative justice initiatives
across the company's existing fivestate
footprint and spearhead its
entrance into the New York market.
Before joining Ascend, she served
as deputy chief of community
engagement at the Suffolk County
District Attorney's Office in Boston.
Drummond will focus much of
her initial efforts on developing and
implementing social equity initiatives
in New York, including helping
social equity applicants, developing
a diversity-focused hiring plan and
holding expungement clinics.
Jushi Gets New CFO
Jushi Holdings, a vertically
integrated, multistate cannabis
operator based in Florida, appointed
retail veteran Edward Kremer as
chief financial officer.
Kremer most recently served as
chief operating and restructuring
officer of Le Tote and Lord & Taylor.
Before that, Kremer held various
executive leadership and finance
roles with consumer products
companies such as Oakley, Oliver
60 January 2022 | MJBizMagazine
Peoples and Beats Electronics
(Beats by Dr. Dre).
Kremer replaces Kimberly
Bambach, who will stay with the
company through the end of March
to help with the transition.
Molly
Duplechian
interim executive director for the
department. Duplechian joined the
Office of Marijuana Policy in 2014
and remained Kilroy's top deputy
when the two offices merged.
Denver Regulator Leaves Post
Ashley Kilroy is stepping down
Jan. 7 as executive director of the
Denver Department of Excise and
Licenses, a role in which she helped
shape the Colorado city's legalized
marijuana industry. Kilroy has
worked for the city and county of
Denver since 1997 and served as
executive director of the Department
of Excise and Licenses since 2016.
Mayor Michael Hancock appointed
Kilroy as the first director of the
Office of Marijuana Policy in 2014.
Hancock merged the Office of Marijuana
Policy and the Department of
Excise and Licenses in 2016, appointing
Kilroy as executive director.
Kilroy's longtime deputy director
of policy and administration,
Molly Duplechian, will serve as
Top Oklahoma Regulator
Joins VS Strategies
Taylor Hartin left her post
as director of compliance and
enforcement for the Oklahoma
Medical Marijuana Authority
to become senior associate at
VS Strategies, a cannabis policy and
public affairs firm headquartered
in Denver. Hartin will remain
in Oklahoma to build VS Strategies'
local practice.
MPP Hires Communications Vet
The Marijuana Policy Project in
Washington DC hired political
communications veteran Denise
Tolliver as its communications
director. Tolliver spent 11 years as
chief of staff for the DC Council and
four years as chief of staff for the
Detroit City Council.
Tolliver also has been a communications
director for the U.S. House
of Representatives and held other
congressional posts.
Hired or promoted someone for a
senior-level position? Send a news
release or general information to
Omar Sacirbey at omar.sacirbey@
mjbizdaily.com.
MJBizMag January 2022

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