Board of Directors
KATIE MOYER (PRESIDENT)
Kentucky Hemp Works (Founder)
Katie Moyer is the founder of Kentucky Hemp Works, a seed and root processing facility in Western Kentucky. Her efforts to legalize hemp began in 2007 when she drafted the first version of Kentucky’s hemp legislation. As a result of her efforts educating and lobbying across the state, Katie was appointed to the Kentucky Industrial Hemp Commission, where she served on the education and legislation committees. When hemp became legal under the Farm Bill of 2014, Katie had the chance to grow the first legal, privately owned plot since World War II. This crop led to the start of Kentucky Hemp Works, which continues to produce top-quality hemp products from every part of the plant. Katie currently sits on the Kentucky Industrial Hemp Advisory Board where she advises state government as a hemp producer. She also sits on the Kentucky Agriculture Development Board, which administers Tobacco Settlement Funds to help farmers diversify crops and fosters new growth and industries in agriculture.
MITCHELL “TATE” HALL (VICE PRESIDENT)
Mystic Energy Services (Chief of Operations)
Coming from a family boat business with humble roots in Owensboro, KY, Tate has always had an appreciation for farmers and small businesses alike. Upon receiving his Business Administration degree from Western Kentucky University in the spring of 2014, Tate went straight to Seattle, WA to pursue the new I-502 Recreational Marijuana Industry as a consultant for RMMC Consulting.
After leaving in the spring of 2015, Tate went into the insurance industry, but also maintained his relationship with the Hemp Industries Association as the Western Kentucky Manager, becoming a board member in 2018. From 2017-2019, Tate worked in Business Development for Terra Farma in Owensboro, KY. Tate is now a consultant under his own company, Hilltop Commodity and Consulting and also Chief of Operations at Mystic Energy Services.
In the summer of 2018, Tate was also selected to the board of the inaugural Kentucky Hemp Farmers Association. His expertise in insurance, sales, small business, and the hemp industry brings an interesting dynamic to the development of the hemp industry in Western Kentucky and beyond. He served as President of the KYHIA and now the KYHA from February 2019 to August of 2021. He and the board helped the transition and merger from the HIA umbrella to an independent state association after they released all chapter affiliates in the summer of 2020 and is still actively involved to better our hemp industry and the environment!
Richard Vance (TREASURER)
Stites & Harbison PLLC (Attorney)
Rick Vance’s practice focuses on real estate law, antitrust, trade associations, financial institutions and the industrial hemp industry. He is based in the Louisville office and specializes in advising industrial hemp entrepreneurs and financial institutions on federal and Kentucky compliance issues. Rick graduated with a B.A. with distinction, in Government and Foreign Affairs in 1978 from the University of Virginia, then received his J.D. with high distinction in 1984 from the University of Kentucky College of Law.
Jason Marshall (SECRETARY)
Hemp & Cattle Farmer; Rocky Ridge Hemp Co. / Marshall's Tractor Service (Farmer & Business Owner)
Jason’s efforts in the hemp industry began in 2013 in Frankfort working to promote SB 50 and the 2014 Farm Bill and further the hemp cause. Coming from a strong, family-farm background, and having raised tobacco and cattle for 25+ years, he knew the need for hemp as a possible cash crop for the state was immense. He started his first hemp crop in 2014 and has increased its production each year since. Through dedication and more hard work, he became one of the first and few USDA/ Kentucky Department of Agriculture certified organic hemp farmers in the state.
Jason currently raises approximately 10 acres of hemp alongside his wife and their three sons, in addition to continuing to raise beef cattle and operate the two businesses. Rocky Ridge Hemp Co. is the product line of locally raised and sourced CBD products straight from Marshall’s farm. The brick and mortar store is right in downtown Cynthiana, KY. Marshall’s Tractor Service has been in operation for over 30 years, having been started by his father. Service work, replacement parts, and implement sales are all a part of the business.
Mr. Marshall is presently serving as a founding member and Treasurer of the Kentucky Hemp Farmers Association, is a member of OAK (Organic Association of KY), and is a KYHA board director.
John Smith
Essentially Hemp (Co-Owner)
John graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Agriculture Economics. He and his wife, Phyllis became licensed growers of industrial hemp in 2016, and licensed processors in 2017 under the Kentucky Department of Agriculture Industrial Hemp research pilot program. John is the co-owner of Essentially Hemp, a retail and wholesale hemp CBD company. John has been on the board of the KYHIA and now KYHA since 2019.
Joseph W. Hickey
Halcyon Holdings, Inc. (Founder)
Mr. Hickey’s roots in the hemp industry began in 1993 as founder and Executive Director of the Kentucky Hemp Growers Cooperative. Soon after, he was convincing then Gov. Brereton Jones to form the Hemp Task Force (to study the feasibility of hemp as a Kentucky cash crop). In 1998, Mr. Hickey was a founder and board member of Kenex Ltd, Canada’s first commercial hemp seed and fiber processing company. For over a decade, Mr. Hickey helped start and grow a number of environmentally conscious organizations, including Tierra Madre, LLC with Woody Harrelson, Baswood, and Prairie Pulp & Paper. Upon Kentucky’s reintroduction of hemp in early 2014, Mr. Hickey became a founding member of Hemp Oil Kentucky, Kentucky Hemp Seed Research & Development Co. and Kenex Kentucky. He is currently working with farmers, state regulators and attorneys to bring Kentucky its first commercial scale hemp seed breeding, crushing, and fiber processing facility.
Alva Baker
Pharmco by Greenfield Global (National Category Manager for the Extraction Market Segment)
Alva is the National Category Manager of the Extraction Market for Pharmco by Greenfield Global. Greenfield is an ethanol producer and manufacturer in Shelbyville KY that supplies high purity ethanol and solvents to the extraction industry. Alva leads a team of dedicated sales professionals across the country who are 100% focused on this market and how to add value to the supply chain. Alva has entrenched herself into this world for many years and has an obvious passion for this industry, especially in her home state of KY. Alva and the team want to help educate on the importance of quality supply and products to all types of extraction related companies and the like. She has been a Board Member of the KYHA (previously KYHIA) for 3 years and has been heavily involved since her initial year in helping facilitate meetings and coordinate events. As an ancillary business, Alva is offers a valuable and unique perspective to the group.
Moseley Putney, AIA
Putney Architecture PLLC / Kentucky Hemp Industries (Principal)
Moseley Putney is a 6th generation Kentuckian, landowner, architect, and founder of Kentucky Hemp Industries. A well-known advocate for the legalization of hemp in the U.S., Mose brings his eye for design and a keen interest in land, buildings and construction, energy, and transportation systems to the establishment of Kentucky Hemp Industries. Kentucky Hemp Industries is a Kentucky LLC established in 2013 and is a member of Kentucky Proud and the KYHA.
Moseley has played an engaged and vocal role in the recent reversal of industrial hemp legalization in Kentucky and the nation. He has been engaged in meetings and hearings, information dissemination, and educational efforts to bring the public, and relevant politicians up to speed on the opportunities we have here in Kentucky for hemp food, fiber, health & beauty aids, medicine, and much more.
He has participated in and has investments with fiber and extraction businesses in KY and is currently a consultant with a Canadian group that has set up operations here for the creation of products and pet treats for distribution in the US and EU.
Moseley was one of the founding members of the KYHIA and previously served on the original KYHIA founding Board of Directors. He is happy to serve the new KYHA organization’s members as a board director.
KellyAnn Salmon
Kentucky Gold CBD (Hemp Farmer, Founder), Greenhouse Growers (Owner)
Kellyann started in the hemp industry in 2015, as a Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) approved hemp farmer with her husband, Tim Sparks. They planted on her father’s farm in Louisville, KY.
Since the conception of the Industrial Hemp Program, Kellyann founded Kentucky Gold CBD which is a product line that has been developed to serve all levels of CBD uses. She currently has two brick and mortar stores in Louisville, as well as distributors throughout the U.S.
In 2018, she helped establish the Kentucky Hemp Farmers Association (KHFA). KHFA was formed to educate and lobby for the Kentucky hemp farmer. She has been able to help farmers make connections, through a network of relationships she has built with processors and labs across the U.S.
Kellyann is the owner of Greenhouse Growers, which supplies clones to Kentucky hemp farmers. She also continues to farm hemp in Louisville alongside her husband and son-in Law Eric Ramos. Her daughter Jillian and sisters, Ellie and Lora assist in managing the stores.
In addition to farming and CBD oil distribution, Kellyann is active in the Quarter Horse industry. She shows her NSBA World Champion horse, “Hot Star.” For 12 years, she also served on the board of directors for the Kentucky Quarter Horse Association.
Kellyann is the proud mother of six daughters, two granddaughters and one grandson.
DENISE RAINE
HERITAGE GARDEN, LLC (OWNER / FOUNDER)
As a young adult in Louisville and empowered by a deep sense of both appreciation and responsibility Denise Raine forged a path as an emerging leader. Denise has been involved in Youth Alive, Sisters for Life, West Louisville Urban Coalition and many other noteworthy organizations that have had tremendous impact on those underprivileged and underserved throughout her community.
She began in the hemp industry by simply reaching out to Comer’s team back in 2014 when the pilot program was introduced in KY. It was in 2016 when her industry presence took root. She solicited the city of Louisville to develop 24 acres in west Louisville into a development that was both revenue and programmatically driven by industrial hemp.
Denise currently resides in 43rd district in a collage of Louisville neighborhoods, such as Chickasaw, Portland and Phoenix Hill and small cities, such as Indian Hills, St. Matthews and Woodland Park, which encompass the realities of the racial diverse mix of the district. The benefit of this is that Denise can represent industry diversity just as gracefully as she has embraced representativeness of her residential blended community.
Greg Keeley
Bluegrass Green: highyr CBD, Courage CBD, Barber & Commander (Founder/President)
From national security professional to hemp distiller & veteran’s advocate. LCDR Greg Keeley, USN (ret) is a Service-Disabled Navy Combat Veteran. He is owner of Bluegrass Green, the parent of a small brand family which includes Courage, plus highyr, Barber & Commander and Fremantle Farm, where we grow about 10 acres.
How did a decorated Navy Vet, having never smoked a joint and served in two wars end up in the hemp industry? Simple. It was an accident. An accident his wife, an R.N. believes likely saved his life. After years taking seven different VA prescribed medications every day for ailments including PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury – he shook the dependency on VA drugs, thanks to CBD. Simply put, CBD changed his life.
Feeling inspired, Greg launched his first CBD company in 2017. He quickly realized problems such as PTSD aren’t limited to those who have seen combat. In 2021 Greg founded Courage with a simple, defined mission – to help ALL those who put service before self. Greg is a regular national security analyst on cable news and a contributor to several national publications. He spent several years as a senior staffer in both the U.S. House of Reps and the U.S. Senate.
Greg is a former lobbyist, and Dept. of Defense & NATO spokesman. Married to Katie for 18 years, they have two dogs, Betsy Ross and Raylan Givens. Greg is passionate about hemp and what it can do for those who serve.
Michael Smith
Russell Smith Attorneys (Attorney / Co-Owner)
Mike, a native to Louisville, KY, is passionate about two things: cannabis and advocacy. While Mike is new to the Kentucky hemp world, he is familiar with the fight and has been an ally to KYHA (and KyHIA before) for some time. Mike believes that hemp represents a huge opportunity for Kentuckians. This opportunity, however, is often impeded by haphazard and/or misinformed legislation. Mike wants to advocate for Kentuckians who engage in the various hemp industries, at all levels. Mike is an attorney engaged in private practice here in the Commonwealth. Mike is a zealous and honest litigator. Mike believes family is the bedrock to society, he has the best wife a man could ask for and three of the most rambunctious, yet well mannered, kids.
Taylor Marret
Sugar Creek Ag (President)
Taylor Marret is the President of Sugar Creek Ag and previously spent 6 years with Montys Plant Food Company as their Hemp consultant. He is an experienced hemp farmer and fertilizer consultant that has been in the farming industry for over 20 years. He is well informed on the growing of hemp, having raised the crop himself and having worked with growers from around the country. He is a staunch advocate for the industry and is very well versed on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
C.J. Carter
Founder/CEO of The CannaMercial Realty Group
C.J. Carter has been involved in the Cannabis space since 2015 consulting, developing brands, and hosting licensing/educational seminars. He’s the Founder/CEO of The CannaMercial Realty Group which he founded in February of 2022. After becoming a licensed commercial real estate agent in April of 2022, C.J. decided to join Coldwell Banker McMahan with a shared vision of growing relationships around property changes, challenges and transactions within the Cannabis Space. His philosophy is built around being an educational resource in this young, influx and inherently risky Cannabis Real Estate marketplace where due diligence is a necessity. C.J. is a recent graduate of the Leadership Louisville Center, Ignite Louisville program, Spring 2021 class representing Minorities for Medical Marijuana where he currently serves as Kentucky State Director since 2019. His role as director includes opening the doors of access by being a resource to individuals and communities adversely affected by poverty and social injustice through information, referrals, advocacy coordination and education. C.J. also serves as the COO of The Hola Cannabi Group which is a Cannabis products and technologies company.
Justin Darnell
Appalachian Entrepreneur
Justin Darnell is an Appalachian Entrepreneur who seeks to elevate his community. Justin’s positive contributions of bringing new businesses and employment opportunities to his ton have been felt throughout the entire region. In three years, Justin has founded three successful business ventures. He has 20+ employees and is always looking to expand. Additionally, Justin looks to give back to his beloved community by supporting local charitable efforts, fundraisers, and community events.
Justin continually sources and advocates for organic solutions within the hemp industry for the people of Kentucky. He believes that together we can influence legislative and regulatory issues impacting the hemp industry with one unified voice.
LaToya Goodin-Húnfjörð
Aesthetician at Amore Salon
LaToya, a native of Campbellsville, Ky, was an aesthetician in Louisville, Ky from 2009-2017 where she worked for Cosmetic Laser. In 2017, she was introduced to the hemp industry through her uncle, Merion Haskins (South Central Leaf Service, Greensburg, KY). She currently resides in Campbellsville, Ky. She is an Aesthetician at Amore Salon, a CBD salon, where everything is infused with CBD (Sweet Hope Full Spectrum). She attended Sullivan University in Oct 2021 for Cannabusiness. She graduated in Oct 2022, Cum Laude.
Denise O’Donnell
Founder and Chief Vision Officer (CVO) of Joint profits
Denise O’Donnell is the Founder and Chief Vision Officer (CVO) of Joint profits. An innovative and modern C-Suite executive, she earned her first Vice Presidency role at 26- years old, as a Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Bringing a wealth of knowledge to the table from accounting and business, Denise has a finite focus and is licensed in three key areas: money, people, and systems. With a history of 14+ years in the field Denise has express strengths in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), financial reporting and analysis, strategic planning, policy and governance, and long-term budgetary oversight.
A natural born entrepreneur Denise works with others to help them build successful and sustainable business ecosystems. Throughout her career, Denise has kept a roster of clients while working full-time but has decided that it is time to take the next step and begin putting 100% effort and focus into Joint Profits with an emphasis on education and advocacy in the cannabis space discovering that she is at her best when helping others succeed. Denise showcases where she has led, designed, built, and implemented projects such as opening the State of Ohio’s inaugural Medical Marijuana Testing Lab, a Water Park, a Dog Grooming and Boarding Facility, and a Distillery to name a few.
