The Cannabis Alliance Board of Directors is comprised of a diverse roster of leaders in business, policy, government affairs, and logistics. Their expertise helps define our direction, assess our impact, and drive our vision for a fair and prosperous cannabis industry in Washington state.
Executive Boad of Directors
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Jason Lammers, Board President & Chief Financial Officer
An active member of The Cannabis Alliance since 2017, Lammers spearheaded the Sustainability Committee in 2018, and through collaborative efforts, championed crucial industry rule changes aimed at reducing plastic waste including eliminating infused-beverage dosing caps and reducing bag thickness requirements by fifty percent resulting in over 200 tons of plastic use reduction.
Lammers is the chief financial officer for The Cannabis Alliance and general manager for 420 Wholesale Pack. Before entering the cannabis industry, Lammers was president of Jurgen Industries for two decades.
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Jessica Pichardo, Vice President
In addition to serving as board vice president, Jessica Pichardo also co-chairs the Equity and Justice Committee.
Pichardo entered the cannabis space in 2013 and is the founder of Canna Luz, a consulting and education company and resource fueled to create a more equitable cannabis industry.
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Matthew Friedlander, Treasurer
Matthew Friedlander is currently serves as Board Treasurer, and as previously served as an adjunct board member. As owner and Chief Executive Officer of Skagit Organics, a Washington cannabis brand dedicated to serving the medical cannabis community, Friedlander is committed to bringing about positive change in this area as an advocate for the needs and desires of the patients.
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Shawn Denae Wagenseller, Secretary
Shawn DeNae Wagenseller is the co-founder of Washington Bud Company and a founding member of The Cannabis Alliance and proudly serves as secretary on the executive board.
Shawn DeNae has dedicated her advocacy and service to the industry by serving on various boards including Sun and Craft Growers Association, Craft Cannabis Coalition, Marijuana Women’s Business Association, Cannabis Farmer’s Council, and Cannabis Defense Coalition. Her “Living the Dream” column for Marijuana Venture and speaking engagements keeps Shawn focused on the ever-changing cannabis landscape.
Board of Directors
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Neil Juneja, Gleam Law
Neil Juneja is the founder of Gleam Law, a cannabis-focused law firm based in Seattle. Gleam Law represents clients of all sizes and types in the cannabis industry in most legal states and countries with clients in 46 US States and on 5 continents.
Neil has been a guest speaker for the National Mall in Washington DC, Seattle Hempfest, ABA CLEs, LawProCLEs, NBI CLEs, and other industry events throughout the U.S., South America, and Europe.
Neil has appeared in Newsweek and Time Magazine, and has received accolades including 40 under 40 most influential people in the cannabis recognition, five SuperLawyer’s Rising Star awards, and the National Law Journal Cannabis Trailblazer award.
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Ryan Sevigny, Cannabis Co-op
Ryan Sevigny has a decade of expertise in both the domestic and international wine industry, and is the founder of Cannabis Co-op, a Washington state cannabis farm. Since joining the legalized cannabis industry in 2016, Ryan has served as a board member for The Cannabis Alliance and the Washington Sun and Craft Association.
Ryan has participated as a guest lecturer at Evergreen State College, a presenter at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), a contributor to the WSLCB, and has been featured guest on several cannabis-related podcasts.
Ryan is passionate about sensible and intelligent reforms for cannabis farmers, holding regulatory authorities accountable, and advocating for a sustainable, small business-centered cannabis industry.
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Bryan Mathis, Mathis Corporation
Bryan Mathis has worked in the cannabis sector since 2010, with a background in processing and sales.
Bryan is chair of the Social Consumption Committee where his goal is to normalize the safe and responsible condition of cannabis in social atmospheres.
Bryan attended the University of Illinois where he studied marketing.
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Doug Henderson, Painted Rooster
Doug Henderson joined the recreational cannabis market at its inception, both in Washington and as a consultant nationally, and currently serves as CEO of Painted Rooster Cannabis Company.
Doug has worked diligently on perfecting post processing technologies and has also leaned on his training as an expert witness regarding the contamination of cannabis products. His overarching goal is to improve the ecological outcomes for our planet through cannabis.
Doug holds a B.S. in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Washington. He has been focused on Science Forward cannabis cultivation and processing since 2010.
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Keith Boyce
Keith Boyce is the founder and former president of the Washington Marijuana Association, one of four nonprofit organizations that partners to form The Cannabis Alliance.
Keith is a prominent figure in the home automation field, specializing in designing home theater, security, and automation systems for both commercial and residential clients across the Pacific Northwest. With a wealth of experience in the industry, he transitioned to the wholesale and distribution side of home A/V and automation in 2003, further expanding his expertise.
Following the passage of Washington's I-502 initiative, Keith recognized the challenges people faced in navigating the emerging cannabis landscape. In response, he founded the NWCannabis.Zone, a comprehensive resource for news and information on cannabis in the Pacific Northwest.
Adjunct Boad of Directors
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Kim Davis
Kim Davis is a freelance marketing professional. Born into a military family and later becoming a military spouse, her life’s journey has been shaped by a unique blend of experiences that have not only given her a global perspective but also an ability to connect with people from all walks of life.
Kim is committed to community involvement and volunteering, and is passionate about educating others about cannabis, its benefits, and the evolving legal landscape surrounding it. Kim currently serves as co-chair of the Education and Outreach Committee.
She has a B.S. in International Business and Marketing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and earned a M.B.A. from East Carolina University.
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Norman Ives, Worldwide Facilities LLC
Norman Ives is a wholesale insurance broker specializing in custom insurance products and risk management for the cannabis, hemp and nutraceutical industries. He currently serves as a Cannabis Practice Leader at NutraRisk a division of AmWins and serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Cannabis Alliance.
As a founding member of the Marijuana Business Association (MJBA), Norman is a pioneer and subject matter expert in the nascent cannabis sector. He is often quoted in industry press and is a frequent panelist and speaker about the cannabis and natural products industries and its emerging insurance exposures and needs.
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Ryan Moses, Parker Smith and Feek
Ryan Moses is a Producer at Parker, Smith and Feek, providing benefit plan design and consulting services for small to mid-sized employers in a wide range of industries.
Ryan works with our account service teams to develop responsive insurance programs that address the special needs of a diverse group of clients, with a focus on cannabis, manufacturing, and hospitality organizations.
Ryan has expertise in a variety of health benefit areas, including employee benefit strategies, health promotion and wellness, employee education, and communication. Ryan is adept in developing comprehensive employee benefits plans that are advantageous to both the organization and its employees.
He received his B.A. in communications from Washington State University.
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Oscar Velasco-Schmitz, Dockside Cannabis
Oscar Velasco-Schmitz is an entrepreneur with a diverse background in the technology, cannabis, and hospitality industries. In 2011, he co-founded Dockside Co-op, a certified medical cannabis access point, and since 2014, he has co-launched multiple state-licensed cannabis retail stores under the design/architectural award-winning Dockside Cannabis. Additionally, Velasco-Schmitz works as a consultant and advisor for institutional and private clients across industries and markets in the U.S., Latin America, Canada, EMEA, and Oceania.
Oscar is a founding board member of the Coalition for Cannabis Standards and Ethics (CCSE), a co-founder of The Cannabis Alliance, and a founding member of the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA).
Oscar holds a B.A. in linguistics and education from the University of California.
Staff
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Caitlein Ryan, Executive Director
Caitlein Ryan was appointed Executive Director of The Cannabis Alliance in 2019, and has previously served as the organization’s Board President and Interim Executive Director.
With over a decade of experience, Caitlein is an expert advocate for sensible adult-use cannabis, collaborating with businesses, organizations, legislators, and government agencies to develop policies that have shaped the industry in Washington and beyond.
Caitlein holds a PhD from Arizona State University, with a focus on arts education, qualitative research, and social justice.
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Kristen Angelo, Membership & Marketing Director
Kristen Angelo joined The Cannabis Alliance in 2023, bringing two decades of experience in marketing, branding, creative direction, web design, and media to her new role as Membership and Marketing Director.
As the founder of a cannabis marketing and media company, she has worked with respected names from all facets of the industry, from legacy farmers to corporate producers, lifestyle brands to tech and services companies, and beyond. Her work has been featured in publications such as Forbes, Cannabis Now, Marijuana Venture, HEMP, and Northwest Leaf, among others.
Kristen holds a degree in criminal justice and legal studies, and is currently pursuing dual degrees in ethnic, gender, and labor studies and art, media, and culture at the University of Washington.
Advisory Board
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Ray Carveth, Strategic Advisor
Ray Carveth is the visionary owner of Purple Ink Solutions, a company dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations to shape their futures with purpose and clarity. For the past eight years, Carveth has advised The Cannabis Alliance, guiding the organization in innovative ways to activate our members and volunteers and enhance our operational efficiency. This strategic approach enables board members to concentrate on critical areas such as policy development, liability reduction, establishing a sustainable Board of Directors, and mentoring and development systems. By focusing the organization’s efforts, Carveth ensures that The Cannabis Alliance remains viable and financially sustainable for the long term. Carveth’s guiding principle: “It is amazing what nonprofits can accomplish when they are focused on having impact.”
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Dr. Alan Schreiber, Agricultural Advisor
Dr. Schreiber is widely recognized as an expert in Pacific Northwest agriculture and has written extensively on the subject including a book about agriculture. He is also the Executive Director of the Washington Blueberry Commission, Washington Asparagus Commission and Washington State Commission on Pesticide Registration. He conducts approximately 35 research projects on microbial products annually. Dr. Schreiber has a Ph.D. in entomology and pesticide toxicology from University of Missouri and has worked as an analyst for the Environmental Protection Agency and on a faculty at Washington State University.
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Al Ralston, Contract Lobbyist
With nearly 40 years of lobbying and public policy experience at the federal, state, and local government level, Al’s network of relationships and knowledge base on issues is unprecedented. Al’s career is best defined by his 21 successful years as the Senior Political Strategist, Corporate Leader, and Lead Lobbyist for the Boeing Company. Prior to working for Boeing, Al served as the Senior Representative for Government Relations of Blue Cross of Washington and Alaska, the Director of Intergovernmental Relations for the City of Seattle, the Program Development Director for the National Indian Activities Association and a Research Analyst for the Washington State House of Representatives.
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