PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. (CSE: HARV, OTCQX: HRVSF), a vertically integrated public cannabis company with one of the largest footprints in the U.S., announced the appointments of two new local advisors, who will focus on helping guide the strategic direction of the company in the City of Boston. The City of Boston Ombudsman and humanitarian executive J. Larry Mayes will serve as the Strategic Advisor for Humanitarian and Public Affairs, and 34-year veteran of the Boston Police Department Detective and former president of Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, Inc. (MAMLEO) Larry Ellison joins the company as the Assistant Director of Security. Mayes and Ellison have also agreed to become minority equity owners of Harvest Health & Recreation Inc.’s subsidiary applicant entity Suns Mass, Inc.
“We are thrilled to welcome Larry Mayes and Larry Ellison to our team,” said Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. (Harvest) Founder and CEO Steve White. “Both leaders are highly respected experts in their fields, who bring an invaluable understanding of key issues in the City of Boston and its diverse communities. With their guidance, we will work to strengthen our understanding of key issues facing the City of Boston and drive more responsible policies and practices forward that ensure a responsible cannabis industry is implemented across the City.”
About J. Larry Mayes
J. Larry Mayes, a current resident of
Hyde Park, brings two decades of experience working with government
officials, elected officials and community leaders to create public
safety initiatives and drive human development and social capital
forward.
In 2014, Mayes was appointed by the City of Boston Mayor
Martin J. Walsh as the Community
Ombudsman Oversight Panel (CO-OP), which reviews Boston Police
Department Internal Affairs Division cases that are on appeal from
citizens and certain investigated cases.
From 2004 to 2010, Mayes
served as the Cabinet Chief of Human Services under the Mayor Thomas M.
Menino Administration. In that role, he led: joint government- and
community-based initiatives focused on reducing crime and stabilize
communities; launching a campaign to counter “Stop Snitching” sentiments
in the court system; and expanding access to summer programs for youth.
Mayes has also served on the boards of several human services
organizations, including Beth
Israel Deaconess Medical Center, The
Greater Boston Food Bank and Tenacity,
which works to close the opportunity and achievements gaps and increase
high school and college graduation for Boston Public School students.
Throughout
his career, Mr. Mayes has been a contributor to the Boston Globe, Boston
Herald, Commonwealth Magazine, CNN, WBUR, ABC News, along
with a variety of other media outlets. Mayes holds a Master of Arts in
Public Policy from Regent University.
About Larry Ellison
In 1982, a year after graduation from
South Boston High School, Larry Ellison entered the Boston
Police Academy as a cadet at the same time he was pursuing a
Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice at Northeastern
University on a full academic scholarship. Upon graduation from the
Boston Police Academy in 1985, Ellison served at a number of District
Area Stations.
From 1989 to 2005, Larry served as a Boston Police
Department Detective working in the Narcotics Division. Then in 2005,
Ellison was assigned to the Boston School Unit Investigations, where he
continues to serve.
In 2010 and serving five consecutive terms,
Ellison was elected President of the Massachusetts
Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, Inc. (MAMLEO), a
400 member organization that advocates for more minority officers in
higher positions, protection of minority officers’ rights and provides
pro bono attorneys in challenging lawsuits. During his tenure at MAMLEO,
Ellison focused on forming strong partnerships with community agencies
for youth programming, food basket giveaways at Thanksgiving time, toy
drives at Christmas and working to encourage MAMLEO membership to
volunteer in neighborhoods. Upon ending his tenure as president of
MAMLEO, Ellison stated to the membership, “I know it is not an easy
fight, but it is simply wrong if someone is intimidated when voicing
their rights. We can help pave the way. I know I can, and we can be the
change agent for our future, just like someone has done for us.”
After
three decades serving in the Boston Police Department, Larry remains
committed and determined to see his peers and incoming police members
treated fairly and given the same level of access to promotions.
Larry
and his wife Monique live in the Greater Boston area with their daughter
Lauren.
About Harvest Health & Recreation, Inc.
Harvest
Health & Recreation Inc. is one of the first consistently profitable,
vertically integrated cannabis companies with one of the largest
footprints in the U.S. Harvest’s complete vertical solution includes
industry-leading cultivation, manufacturing, and retail facilities,
construction, real estate, technology, operational, and brand building
expertise — leveraging in-house legal, HR and marketing teams, along
with proven experts in writing and winning state-based applications. The
company has more than 525 employees with proven experience, expertise
and knowledge of in-house best practices that are drawn upon whenever
Harvest enters new markets. Harvest’s executive team is comprised of
leaders in finance, compliance, real estate and operations. Since its
founding in 2011, Harvest has grown its footprint every year, has been
ranked as the third largest cultivator in the U.S. and currently owns
licenses for more than 130 facilities across the U.S. Harvest shares
timely updates and releases as part of its regular course of business
with the media and the interested public. For more information, visit: https://www.harvestinc.com/.
Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains
statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the
meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding
the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of Harvest with
respect to future business activities. Forward-looking information is
often identified by the words "may," "would," "could," "should," "will,"
"intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect" or
similar expressions and include information regarding: (i) expectations
regarding the size of the U.S. cannabis market, (ii) the ability of the
Company to successfully achieve its business objectives, (iii) plans for
expansion of Harvest, and (iv) expectations for other economic,
business, and/or competitive factors.
Investors are
cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical
facts but instead reflects Harvest management's expectations, estimates
or projections concerning future results or events based on the
opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable
at the date the statements are made. Although Harvest believes that the
expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are
reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue
reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or
unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future
results, performance or achievements of the Company. Among the key
factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
projected in the forward-looking information are the following: the
potential impact of an announcement of a going public transaction on
relationships, including with regulatory bodies, employees, suppliers,
customers and competitors; changes in general economic, business and
political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; and in
particular in the ability of the Company to raise debt and equity
capital in the amounts and at the costs that it expects; adverse changes
in the public perception of cannabis; decreases in the prevailing prices
for cannabis and cannabis products in the markets that the Company
operates in; adverse changes in applicable laws; or adverse changes in
the application or enforcement of current laws, including those related
to taxation; the inability to locate and acquire suitable companies,
properties and assets necessary to execute on the Company's business
plans; and increasing costs of compliance with extensive government
regulation. This forward-looking information may be affected by risks
and uncertainties in the business of Harvest and market conditions.
Should
one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should
assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect,
actual results may vary materially from those described herein as
intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected.
Although Harvest has attempted to identify important risks,
uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ
materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as
anticipated, estimated or intended. Harvest does not intend, and does
not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information
except as otherwise required by applicable law.