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NCIA Accepting Applications For 2023-2025 Board of Directors Term

NCIA has extended the application deadline for members seeking to apply for a seat on our board of directors. We are now accepting applications for eligible candidates to apply for the board through Friday, November 25, 2022.

The National Cannabis Industry Association is a nonprofit organization run for and by its membership, so we hope you’ll consider this opportunity to apply for a seat on the NCIA Board.

Serving on NCIA’s Board of Directors is no small task. Board members are responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of the largest and most influential cannabis industry organization in the country. Board Members are also responsible for building membership, fundraising, and ensuring that NCIA continues to be the strongest force advocating for the fair and equal treatment of the industry on Capitol Hill.

Learn more about our current Board Members

Annual Board Selection Process

Current NCIA members in good standing are eligible to apply for a seat on the board. NCIA members who are interested and qualified to serve on our board are encouraged to submit an application for review by our nominating committee before the November 25 deadline.

Candidates may apply directly for a board position during the open application process. The application form asks for information about the candidate’s professional background, unique talents, skills, and viewpoints, and ability to contribute or raise financial resources for NCIA. Candidates must be fiduciaries of a NCIA member-business

Who Qualifies To Run For A Board Position?

To be considered for a seat on the board, a candidate must be a fiduciary (e.g. owner, president, CEO) of a current member business at any level of membership or must be a representative of the business that has been appointed to serve by a fiduciary. Candidates must submit an application online by November 25.

What Are The Requirements For An NCIA Board Member?

Board members serve two-year terms and are responsible for overseeing the association’s overall strategy and budget, assist in the development of strategic relationships, and as ambassadors of NCIA, they represent more than 1,000 member businesses. In general, the NCIA board meets in person twice and conducts 2-3 video conferences per year.

How Are The Board Positions Selected?

Once the application period closes, NCIA’s Nominations Committee will convene to carefully review and score all applications. The committee will ultimately select a slate of nominees to fill six (6) available board seats that are best suited to bring additional talent, resources, and diversity to our growing organization, based on their qualifications.

Our Nominating Committee will be comprised of the chairs of our 14 member committees as well as a select number of current board members whose terms are not expiring this year. Once the Nominating Committee selects the slate of six, members will be notified at the end of this year.

SUBMIT AN APPLICATION

2017 Board of Directors Election Results

National Cannabis Industry Association members have voted in the association’s annual board of directors election and 11 candidates have been elected to serve on the board for the 2017-19 term.

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to all of the candidates for their commitment to NCIA!

2017 Board Election Winners:

Cody Bass – Tahoe Wellness Cooperative
Jessica Billingsley – MJ Freeway
AC Braddock – Eden Labs
Alex Cooley – Solstice
Steve DeAngelo – Harborside Health Center
Shannon Fender – Native Roots
Rob Kampia – Marijuana Policy Project
Kayvan Khalatbari – Denver Relief Consulting
Khurshid Khoja – Greenbridge Corporate Counsel
Christie Lunsford – Pro MAX Grow
Sean McAllister – McAllister Garfield, P.C.

NCIA is proud of its open and transparent process for selecting board members. The board has oversight over the association’s strategic direction and budget, so it’s important that they represent the membership’s interest. The new board members-elect will join the NCIA executive director and the 11 other elected members at the next board meeting.

Members can contact us any time for more information about the board election results or the election process.

If your business is not yet a part of the movement, please join NCIA today.

Board Candidate – Sean McAllister, McAllister Garfield, P.C.

If you don’t know me yet, ask leaders in the cannabis industry about me. TheyMcAllister Law Office will tell you:

  1. I’m old school. I’ve been working for cannabis law reform for 21 years, beginning on a prison moratorium campaign, leading to my role as Chair of the Board of Directors of Sensible Colorado funded by MPP, and now evolving into a well-respected cannabis business lawyer.
  2. I’m a fighter. I’m not afraid to speak truth to power. Cannabis law reform is not done and we need aggressive advocates for the industry who don’t apologize for wanting to be treated like any other industry.
  3. I’m not an extremist. I have supported reasonable regulations on cannabis, similar to alcohol (but not identical). But I have opposed unreasonably high taxes and other efforts to over-regulate cannabis. I will resist efforts to regulate marijuana so strictly that all profitability is taken out of it.
  4. I favor a free market approach whenever possible. I understand local reasons why limits on licenses might be needed or desired, but I generally favor open licensing processes that let the market sort out the best actors rather than the state.
  5. My firm is growing. I now have 14 lawyers in four states, Colorado, California, Oregon, and Florida. I am one of the only major cannabis lawyers licensed in both Colorado and California. I have the national perspective needed to help the Board make good decisions.
  6. I value inclusion and diversity in our industry. I will work to build our membership through my growing client base and ensure that all stakeholders have a voice in NCIA, including women and people of color.
  7. I understand the problems with 280E. I have represented numerous companies in IRS audits and have seen how this issue is an existential threat to our industry.
  8. I want to support and build the NCIA PAC. We must exert more political power to get laws changed.
  9. I am a problem solver who believes in win-win situations.
  10. I will be an articulate and professional voice for the industry as a Board member.

Sean McAllister Bio for NCIA Board Elections

  1. 21 years working on marijuana law reform, including founding Sensible Colorado in 2004 and serving as chair of its Board of Directors through adult use legalization in 2012.
  2. McAllister Garfield has 14 lawyers, licensed in 5 states: Colorado, California, Oregon, Illinois and Florida.
  3. Sean represents some of the largest infused products manufacturers in Colorado, which have been expanding to multiple states through licensing agreements and independent operations.
  4. Sean’s firm has a Tribal Law Group that represents Native American tribes in multiple states seeking to do cannabis/hemp projects
  5. Sean has litigated several groundbreaking cannabis cases, including defending the nation’s first cannabis products liability case, suing state regulators over enforcement actions, litigating pesticide standards, negotiating settlements for some of the most serious rules violations, litigating local bans on cannabis dispensaries; and assisting in authoring state and local ballot initiatives.
  6. Sean handled the only federal prosecution of a licensed dispensary owner in Colorado, who was charged wrongly with federal money laundering and achieved a favorable outcome.
  7. Sean is focused on being a top corporate counsel to dispensaries. His work involves all aspects of corporate formation, dissolution, governance, M&A, IP, promissory notes, civil litigation and land use matters.
  8. Sean is a regular speaker at the nation’s largest cannabis conferences and is regularly quoted in the national press.
  9. Sean has won several awards recognizing his advocacy for cannabis reform, including: Friend of Reform Award, Sensible Colorado, 2013 and 2015 MVP Award at the Cannabis Business Awards, and 2016 and 2017 named a Top Marijuana Lawyer by Denver’s 5280 Magazine.
  10. Sean’s Firm is a sustaining member of NCIA. He also supports CCIA, NORML, DPA, MPP, Colorado Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, and National Cannabis Bar Association.  

To vote in NCIA’s 2017 Board of Directors election, you must be a current NCIA Member.
Read more about the Board Election process. 
Log in to view the Voter Guide and cast your ballot between April 27 through May 22.

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