Hemp Industries Association Hires New Executive Director
The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) has hired Jody McGinness as its new executive director. 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 comes to the Hemp Industries Association with greater than 20 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.”
