Ivory Ellis is the President of the Cannabis Business Association of Virginia and Chief Executive Officer of 757 Smokes. Mrs. Ellis is a proud 2011 graduate of Old Dominion University with a B.S. in Fashion Merchandising.

Kerry McCormick is the Treasurer of the Cannabis Business Association of Virginia and Chief Executive Officer of Pure and Cure Innovations. Mr. McCormick moved to Virginia in 2019 after leaving the Kentucky hemp industry and has poured his life into its long history of entrepreneur and agricultural enterprises. After graduating from UNC Chapel Hill with a degree in Biology he founded a marijuana care taking business in Colorado, worked in the capital markets, then started a few hemp farming and manufacturing startups starting in 2016. Presently located in Cleveland VA, Mr. McCormick’s newest venture, Pure and Cure Innovations, not only grows and manufactures hemp related products, but provides dozens of well-paying jobs in rural Virginia. He resides with his wife and their son in Cleveland, VA.

Heather Monique Langston is the Secretary of the Cannabis Business Association of Virginia and the founder and administrator at Purely Appalachia as well as the President of Appalachian Women Entrepreneurs. Purely Appalachia is a nonprofit organization created to be a reliable resource to our local farmers and business owners who are interested in and need help navigating the cannabis industry and legislative journey. Through her community outreach and being a legislative liaison, Heather works diligently to ensure that economic conditions evolve in Southwest Virginia. She is a proud graduate of King University where she obtained her MBA. Heather and her husband reside in Southwest Virginia with their two children and are excited to see them grow up in a familiar but ever progressing Appalachian region.

Dylan Bishop is an attorney / lobbyist at Eckert Seamans providing strategic counsel to businesses and trade associations on utilizing the legislative, regulatory, and administrative processes to further their respective interests. Beyond advocacy, Mr. Bishop helps clients navigate licensing, regulatory compliance, and other complex legal issues inherent to highly regulated industries. Mr. Bishop brings knowledge and experience from nearly every aspect of the legislative and regulatory arenas. As Chief of Staff, he led the office of the Virginia Senator who then served as Chairman of the Virginia Senate Transportation Committee and the Virginia Joint Commission on Health Care. Mr. Bishop also helped to craft the Virginia regulatory framework for transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Mr. Bishop regularly lobbies the Virginia General Assembly and state agencies on behalf a diverse group of business interests and trade associations. He is also known for his experience in managing matters involving gaming, controlled substances, heavy construction, and state employees. Mr. Bishop is a graduate of both Hampden-Sydney College, where he attained his B.A. cum laude in 2013, as well as the University of Richmond School of Law where he attained his J.D. cum laude in 2016.