July 2, 2020
NASHVILLE – The Hemp Industries Association® (HIA®) announces the hiring of a new Executive Director, Jody McGinness. The position has been empty since the departure of Colleen K. Lanier at the end of 2019 after a 3-year period.
“It was an exhaustive process with nearly 100 very qualified applicants,” said HIA President Rick Trojan. “We wanted someone with a strong record of leadership when it comes to revamping non-profits, empowering diverse teams for success, and strategic planning and alignment. For nearly 3 decades HIA has been the leading voice in educating the public about the versatility and importance of hemp. We are excited to work with him as we continue our expansion and to craft new strategies to lead hemp into the future.”
Jody McGinness
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Jody McGinness comes to the Hemp Industries Association with greater than twenty years of experience in leading associations and membership organizations in the nonprofit sector. Most recently he served as the head of fundraising for the Marijuana Policy Project while that organization campaigned successfully to pass adult-use legalization legislation in Illinois and Vermont as well as engineering the passage of medical cannabis legalization in Utah. His passion for hemp is informed by personal experience, having witnessed family members directly harmed by prohibition, and he is inspired by the potential of the U.S. hemp industries to provide opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation to the benefit of all Americans. He makes his home just outside the nation’s capital, where he resides with his wife and three young children, and -in what free time he’s able to find- enjoys hiking in the beauty of nature, reading great books, and writing short fiction.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the HIA team at what is truly a pivotal moment for the association and the industry,” said McGinness. “It is truly exciting to have an opportunity to partner with such a dedicated and capable group of staff and volunteer leaders to help chart a course to delivering increased values to members across all sectors of the burgeoning hemp economy.”
ABOUT THE HEMP INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION
Founded in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1994 by a group of hemp business owners and activists, The Hemp Industries Association® (HIA®) is a membership-based non-profit trade association. Its mission is to advance the hemp economy and educate the market for the benefit of our members, the public, and the planet. For more information please go to www.thehia.org