CEO - Proper Cannabis 

John Pennington is the CEO and co-founder of Proper Brands, a fully vertical Missouri-based cannabis company. John oversees Proper’s strategy vision, culture, and M&A activity. Leading and inspiring the community through the power of cannabis, with quality brands, experiences, and service is paramount to Proper’s vision and in John’s personal life.

John has served on numerous civic and non-for-profit organizations and formed New Growth Charitable
Foundation, the philanthropy arm of Proper. He is a founding member of the Missouri Cannabis
Trade Association where he serves as an executive board member. John is also co-owner of
Savoy Properties, a commercial real estate development and investment company where he
worked since 2007 before founding Proper. John is married to his high school sweetheart, Genna, and has 4 kids, Franklin, Rose, Stella, and Rider. A fan of The Grateful Dead, competing in sports, outdoor activities, journeying to and from kid activities, and traveling when he can, is how John spends his free time. Hopeful to see cannabis reformed nationally, John is motivated to help those victimized and disenfranchised by the same business that he is now doing legally and is tied to the mission and commitment of Proper.

Strategist – Amendment 2 Consultants

John Payne served as the Campaign Manager for both the New Approach Missouri campaign to legalize medical marijuana in 2018 and the Legal Missouri 2022 campaign, which passed adult use legalization via Amendment 3 in 2022. After the 2018 campaign, John founded Amendment 2 Consultants, where he and his team helped their clients win nearly 20 medical marijuana licenses in Missouri's first round of marijuana business licenses. In addition to the campaign work, Amendment 2 Consultants provides compliance, marketing, and strategic consulting for numerous licensees in Missouri, and they have assisted in winning cannabis licenses outside Missouri in Connecticut and Ohio.

Daniel Ambrosino is one of the founding members of V3 Holdings MO, LLC (“V3”). V3 was awarded five dispensary facilities and one manufacturing facility. They are opening these facilities under the name Terrabis. Dan holds a B.S. in Finance from Marquette University, began his career at the Chicago Board of Trade, and eventually became Chairman of the Corn Options. Prior to entering the medical cannabis industry, he acted as the Managing Partner of a commodity options brokerage business that spanned 25 years.

Having a career continually overseen by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, and the National Futures Association, Dan has grown comfortable operating in highly regulated industries. He understands the importance of compliant operations and will be a trusted member of the Dispensary Committee. He looks forward to contributing to the establishment of this new Missouri industry.
 

Tom Bommarito, Focus Partners and Greenlight Dispensaries

Tom Bommarito has two years of legal cannabis experience developed while commuting between St. Louis, Missouri and Detroit, Michigan for T.D.H, Michigan’s premier fully licensed medical marijuana dispensary. Serving over 1,200 patients daily and generating monthly revenue in excess of $1,500,000. Tom’s responsibilities included assisting in patient care operations, working to streamline third-party testing requirements, overseeing and managing state compliance procedures, and integrating seed-to-sale tracking with internal ERP software systems. While working with T.D.H Dispensary, Tom became proficient in medical marijuana sales, cannabis-related research, and supply chain management.

David Brodsky, Founding Partner, West Egg Cannabis Partners

David Brodsky is the Founding Partner of West Egg Cannabis Partners, serving the Missouri cannabis microbusiness community and managing the operations for several microbusiness dispensaries. With over a decade of experience in the cannabis industry, David has cultivated a wealth of expertise in directing overall business operations, driving growth initiatives, and ensuring regulatory compliance within the cannabis industry.

During his time with The Farmer’s Wife Dispensaries, David's strategic oversight led to significant achievements in market share and operational excellence across multiple dispensary locations. His ability to navigate complex regulatory environments, combined with a thorough appreciation for consumer demands, has been pivotal in establishing a successful operational model that includes a variety of product categories, catering to both budget-conscious and premium consumers.

David has been instrumental in developing the Missouri microbusiness community, dedicating substantial time to mentoring new microbusiness dispensary and wholesale operators, providing them with a clear understanding of industry standards and realistic expectations. His pragmatic approach and deep industry insight have guided many through the complexities of establishing successful operations. David’s proven track record of success, coupled with his dedication to operational excellence and customer satisfaction, positions him to be an essential member of MoCannTrade’s Dispensary Committee.

My name is Johnathan Harper, and I am one of the managing partners for Stairway Cannabis. I oversee the day-to-day operations of our two locations. Our two stores are in Blue Springs and Branson Missouri. My professional background is in retail as well as entertainment marketing and public relations. I toured with many entertainers as well as marketed their music to radio stations, booking agents, and festivals. My journey through retail has been a very cool one. I worked at almost every retail store known to man,  haha. I have gotten to meet some amazing people and have multiple store locations. I started at Greenlight in Harrisonville as their store manager working with the Muellers which I must say was a great experience. It taught me a lot. All of that has led me here at Stairway. My team and I were able to get Stairway voted the best dispensary by the Kansas City Star and its readers for 2022. A lot has gone into building Stairway into a premier brand in the state. I couldn’t do it without the great owners and staff that I have. I hope to continue to grow and help as many people as I can along my journey in the cannabis industry. P.S.I’m just trying to not suck at life.

Suzanne Morrison - 

Suzanne began her leadership career 20 years ago in the hospitality industry. There she created Leadership Development programs, shoulder-to-shoulder training, LSM training, food safety audits and so much more.

Joining the Missouri Cannabis Industry in 2020, Suzanne was actively involved in local community engagement, marketing, operations, training and education, and compliance & sales. Suzanne’s passion and commitment to educate on Cannabis as medicine is unwavering. She has presented for local police departments, developed patient education sessions, and created a top-of-the-line dispensary training program.

In 2022, Suzanne began her own consulting firm specializing in cannabis compliance. From facility audits to QMS buildout, Suzanne’s experience in cannabis compliance runs the gamut. In the years since, Suzanne’s firm now offers a wide array of additional services, including Human Resources/Training, Retail Compliance, Operational consulting and Sales & Purchasing. Suzanne’s experience of operational compliance makes her a natural fit for MoCann’s Dispensary Committee. 

Dan Nelson is the CEO and Co-founder of Kansas City Cannabis Company(KCC). Throughout his tenure with KCC, Dan has proved himself a natural leader whose ability to inspire and motivate his team has been evident in the successful and cohesive workforce he has built. His knack for fostering strong, respectful relationships with partners and vendors has been pivotal in the establishment and growth of the business.

Leveraging his background in construction and business. Dan leans heavily into customer experience, employee culture, community engagement and within and outside the Missouri Cannabis Industry. Dan, a Kansas City native of 43 years, was instrumental during the application process, networking, raising capital, designing and physically building out each of KCC's five locations. His perspective as the CEO of a cannabis business by way of "school of hard knocks" being on the ground level of the developing Missouri medical market uniquely positions Dan to understand and manage the complexities of the cannabis industry. Dan’s valuable insights and a forward-thinking perspective will be a benefit as an Advisory Board Member to MoCann’s Dispensary Committee.

Family, friends, food, fishing and travel.

"Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it's a start." Anthony Bourdain 

Zane Newsome - Director of Operations, Elevate Missouri

Zane Newsom is the Director of Operations for Elevate Missouri. A seasoned professional with a wealth of experience in the cannabis industry, Zane has spent 9 years honing his expertise, working in cultivation before pivoting to retail operations.

As Retail Director, he was responsible for hiring and training retail staff to open and compliantly operate three dispensaries in Kansas City. Zane’s achievements in 2023 include transitioning 3 Kansas City dispensaries into the adult-use recreational market, acquiring and transitioning 7 new dispensaries in Missouri, and opening Elevate’s first dispensary in Arizona. Zane’s success paired with his knowledge and experience in seed to sale processes led to his promotion to Director of Operations.

Before embarking on his cannabis career, Zane served in the US Navy, earning the distinction of Sailor of the Quarter twice and achieving early promotions. This military background instilled in him valuable leadership and discipline, skills that continue to shape his professional journey.

Zane takes pride in his leadership, integrity, and work ethic; he hopes to inspire those around him. Zane remains focused on growing Elevate and helping shape the future of the cannabis industry through his work as an Advisory Board Member to MoCannTrade’s Dispensary Committee.

Joe Patterson, Founder and CEO Ceres Management Group 

In 2008,Patterson began a career as a Police Officer for the St.Louis County Police Department where he served in a myriad of positions including: Patrol Officer, Community Policing Officer and Intelligence Officer before becoming a Narcotics Detective in 2010. Upon appointment to Detective, Mr.Patterson was assigned to the St. Louis County Multi Jurisdictional Drug Task Force and later to the St.Louis Area FBI/DEA Violent Crime Task Force as a Special Federal Officer, Task Force Officer, and Special Deputy US Marshall.

In 2019, Mr.Patterson retired early from the St.Louis County Police Department to become Co Founder and CEO of Ceres Management Group LLC., a Missouri based consultancy and management firm that serves the Missouri Medical Marijuana Industry. In that capacity, Mr.Patterson led a team of professionals that performed competitive application writing and security program development and compliance management for the industry.

Leonard Volner,  President of North Dispensaries

North is a two-location dispensary chain with ambitions to grow its footprint. Leonard is also an alumnus of Missouri University of Science and Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. His early child hood was deeply impacted by the incarceration of a well-respected family member for non violent cannabis offenses. While attending college in Rolla, Missouri, he was actively engaged with the Show Me Cannabis Regulation campaign by collecting signatures and organizing events.

After graduation, he began his career as an engineer and gained experience on a wide variety of public and private projects. As soon as Leonard learned that medical marijuana legalization had qualified for a vote in Missouri, he began working to help license applicants in the state with facility zoning coordination, design, and construction. His hard work and networking has given him an opportunity to help form a highly qualified license-winning team.