MJBizMag March 2023 - 46

INDUSTRY PLAYERS New Hires & Promotions by Omar Sacirbey
Schwazze Gets New CFO,
Makes Other Changes
Denver-based Schwazze, formerly known as
Medicine Man Technologies, hired Forrest
Hoffmaster as its new chief financial officer.
Hoffmaster replaces Nancy Huber, who previously
announced her plan to retire once the company
hired her replacement.
Hoffmaster spent nearly five years with New
Seasons Market, a specialty food retailer in
Portland, Oregon, where he was chief financial
officer, co-president and, for nearly 21/2 years, CEO.
Before New Seasons, he spent almost 14 years with
Whole Foods Market, serving as global executive
coordinator of finance.
At Schwazze, Hoffmaster will be responsible for
accounting, audit, financial planning and analysis,
investor relations, risk, tax, treasury and capital
markets.
Schwazze also hired Todd Williams as executive
vice president of mergers and acquisitions and
real estate. For the past three years, he was a
real estate and M&A consultant for Schwazze.
MCBA Elects 2023 Directors
The Minority Cannabis Business
Association, a nationwide trade
association representing the
interests of minority-owned
businesses in the marijuana industry,
elected its board of directors for
2023. New board members include:
* Frederika Easley, director
of strategic initiatives at
The People's Ecosystem
and an expert in campaign
development and crisis
management.
* Tahir Johnson, CEO of Simply
Pure Trenton Dispensary, an
adult-use cannabis store in
New Jersey, and a former
wealth-management adviser.
* Kimberly Napoli,
counsel at The Mensing
Group representing local and
national cannabis operators
and a board member at the
Marijuana Policy Project.
* Kelly Perez, CEO of Cannabis
46 March 2023 | MJBizMagazine
Previously, Williams
was vice president of
corporate development
at Albertsons, where he
managed the acquisition
of more than 1,600
operating grocery stores
with more than
$40 billion in sales and
$10 billion in transaction
value, as well as
divesting 168 stores.
Steve Pear is moving from head of Schwazze's
Forrest
Hoffmaster
New Mexico division to become president of the
wholesale division. The post is a newly created role
within the company's executive leadership team.
Replacing Pear as president of the New Mexico
division is Ken Diehl. Most recently, Diehl was
chief merchant for Leslie's Pool Supplies. He has
held executive posts including CEO, chief marketer,
chief operator and chief merchant at numerous
grocery operations including Kroger, Albertsons
and Jewel-Osco.
Doing Good and co-founder
of the Cannabis Impact Fund
supporting racial equity,
community impact and
environmental sustainability.
* Belicia Royster, founder of the
Social Equity Empowerment
Network and risk manager for a
global recycling and renewable
energy firm.
* Jervonne Singletary, director
of government and regulatory
affairs at GoodBlend PA, a retail
division of Parallel, developing
and implementing social equity
and diversity initiatives.
The newly elected MCBA board
members join returning board
members including Brandon Banks,
CEO of Nebrina Holdings; Kaliko
Castille, MCBA board president;
Mario Guzman, founder of
Sherbinskis; Cedric Hayes, associate
vice president of government
relations at Weedmaps; Todd
Hughes, founder of Entrevation;
Kika Keith, owner of Gorilla RX
Wellness; Willie Mack, co-founder
and CEO of Frank White and Think
Big; Brandon Wyatt, principal
at Wyatt Legal & Consulting; and
Jessica Velazquez, managing
partner of Indiva Advisors.
Accounting Personnel
Changes at Trulieve
Florida-based
multistate
operator Trulieve
Cannabis Corp.
appointed Joy
Malivuk to vice
president of
accounting.
Before joining Trulieve, Malivuk
spent nearly 15 years at HSN, a
subsidiary of QVC. Her career at
HSN culminated as director of
accounting, a position in which
she was responsible for financial
reporting, general accounting and
compliance.
Joy Malivuk
MJBizMag March 2023

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