The National Hemp Association is currently governed by a 4 member volunteer Board. Each member serves a two year term automatically renewed for a maximum of 5 terms. Board members come from many of the nation’s most experienced hemp professionals.
Below are our current NHA Board members.
Geoff Whaling – Chair –Geoffrey W. Whaling served as Co-founder and President of publicly traded Collective Growth Corporation, which combined on April 5, 2021, with Innoviz Technologies in a $1.4 billion transaction. Collective Growth Corporation raised $150 million before beginning public trading under the ticker symbol CGRO in April 2020. Today, continuing his work to bring private sectors capital to the hemp industry, Whaling established rePlant Hemp LLC, a $500 M VC/PE fund, and launched rePlant Hemp Impact Fund 1 LLC, which is currently raising $75-$100M. Mr. Whaling has worked for over seven years to advance the farming, deregulation, and market development of the hemp crop in North America; he has served for six years as Chair of the National Hemp Association (NHA), one of the world’s largest Hemp advocacy groups. NHA is based in Washington D.C. and is considered the leading non-partisan voice for the hemp industry. Mr. Whaling is considered one of the leading global voices and experts on hemp as a food-and-fiber commodity crop. Through his leadership, NHA has provided platforms to address Social Equity, State and now International support for this growing industry which has a TAM globally estimated at $15 Trillion. He continues intensive ongoing dialog with The White House and Members of Congress to pass federal legislation to remove barriers to hemp industry growth; he had a seat at the table in the formation of the critical 2018 US Farm Bill, which made hemp legal to grow and research in all 50 states. He is now working on drafts of the 2023 Farm Bill while NNHA works in collaboration with key stakeholders to address relevant and necessary industry regulations. Mr. Whaling continues educating politicians and policymakers, regularly addressing groups including USDA, State Regulators, the WTO, EU and the United Nations as this industry evolves. Whaling was Co-Founder and former President of Canopy Growth Corporation HIP and Strategic Advisor, CBD, and Hemp, the world’s largest Hemp and Cannabis Company. In those roles, Geoff lead CGC’s expansion into the Hemp and CBD industry. With an extensive network within the hemp industry, major adjacent industries, and global governing bodies, Mr. Whaling is uniquely positioned to help develop, support and maintain the global hemp supply chain. Born in Canada (a dual US/Canadian citizen), Mr. Whaling’s areas of expertise are wide-ranging, given the diversity of his government, business, entrepreneurial and philanthropic work. A profound sense of “wanting to serve” remains an integral part of his life.
Alex Seleznov – Treasurer – Alex is an experienced financial officer and business executive specializing in non-profits, Board of Directors, and Fin-Tech including Blockchain and Cryptocurrency.
Alex is the National Director of Finance at PC’s for People, a national non-profit recycling computer electronics to provide the life-changing impact of low-cost computers and mobile internet to low-income and disadvantaged individuals. As a long-time vegan and animal rights supporter, Alex also offers business consulting and coaching services to plant-based companies.
His hemp experience includes being the Founder of the Pure Hemp Botanicals CBD brand and former CEO of a vertically integrated hemp operation from 2015 to 2020. The business operated several divisions including growing, processing, manufacturing, and retailing hemp products.
Prior to those positions, Alex spent three years in the horticulture industry with one of the largest greenhouse growers in the western United States. Alex joined the NHA in October of 2014 and became a Board Member in 2015. Named one of the top 100 people to know in Cannabis by The Hemp Connoisseur magazine, Alex brings over 20 years of financial and business acumen to the NHA from a diverse array of industries including manufacturing, public accounting, health care, and financial services.
Faye Coleman – Ms. Coleman has extensive knowledge of operations, company culture, and employee engagement. Her expertise includes program implementations in key corporate areas such as supply chain, global diversity and inclusion, and talent management strategies designed to build “employer of choice” organizations.
Before launching Pure Genesis (PG), LLC, Ms. Coleman began her agile career successfully serving in diverse leadership positions with Kraft General Foods, Campbell Soup, and Vlasic Foods International. Next, Ms. Coleman successfully transitioned into retail leadership with the Home Depot, Target, and CVS Pharmacy where she led significant market teams to drive business excellence as it relates to sales, supply-chain optimization, customer service, pharmacy operations as well as Brand standards while leading with a team-first mentality. Today Ms. Coleman is a multi-state operator, educator, and consultant within the cannabis industry with an extensive list of community first business initiatives that PG is excited to move forward.
Pablo Fallo – Pablo graduated in Marketing at the University of Texas as a Colombian-born native. In the year 2000, he started in the real estate world by creating Prime American Homes. Pablo founded Best Brothers Coffee, serving as CEO to date in Costa Rica – Central America.
