Our Board of Directors

Scott Treasure is the Chair for the Alberta Cannabis Council, and owner/founder of The Local Cannabist in Edmonton. He is a passionate advocate for our industry, particularly for the cannabis entrepreneurs who followed similar passions in Cannabis retail.

His experience includes the technology (Nortel Networks) and insurance industries (Treasures Insurance and Excel Insurance Group), and a significant amount of industry volunteering.  He views his situation as being in the right place at the right time: as a recent past-president of the Insurance Brokers Association of Alberta (IBAA), and the immediate past-president of the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada (IBAC), Scott is eager to use that experience to help cannabis retailers and the licensed producers in this province.  

Through Scott’s work with the IBAC and IBAA he was able to attend and lead hundreds of one-on-one industry specific meetings with MPs and MLAs both in Edmonton and Ottawa. He went as a representative of insurance brokers, large and small, from coast to coast. Scott feels that his position on the ACC allows him to leverage his contacts and the experience from those meetings as we work with government and the AGLC to focus on the rules and regulations that must change for our industry to be successful (for example, closing the AGLC online store ASAP).

Scott is proud to represent the ACC’s members as Chair of the Board.

Jesse is a senior executive with more than 20 years of business experience including leading high-performance teams and creating substantial value.  Jesse is responsible for leading the development and execution of Candre’s long term strategy.

Chris is the Co-Founder and CEO of Route 1 Cannabis Sales Agency, an Alberta-based organization representing Canadian producers of all sizes and categories in the local Canadian retail market. Route 1 has relationships with retailers (both corporate and independent), producers, brands, and affiliate companies of all kinds throughout Alberta and the rest of Canada.  On top of sales support, Route 1 also offers marketing and consulting services to their clients.  His company started in Alberta and has since grown to cover all of Western Canada with sales reps on the ground from Manitoba to BC.  They are currently expanding into the Ontario market with the aim to continue growing eastward.

Chris is an advocate for the craft cannabis movement and is passionate about contributing to the progress of this exciting industry.  He is a member of the Alberta Cannabis Council, the BC Craft Growers Cooperative, and the Association of Canadian Cannabis Retailers.  He holds a Cannabis Consultant certification from the Trichome Institute and has been a cannabis user and supporter for over 20 years. Prior to joining the cannabis industry, Chris worked in the hospitality industry all over the country in both an operations and management recruitment capacity. He has been a practicing Wine Sommelier, General Manager, and Beverage Buyer for several organizations in both Alberta and Ontario during his years in hotel and restaurant management. Chris is now a proud Calgary resident and family man.  He’s 42 years old, married to a health professional, and has a 3-year old son with a second on the way. You can learn more about his company at www.route1agency.com and can follow Route 1 on Instagram and LinkedIn at @route1agency.

My name is Chris Felgate and I’m the co-founder of Small Town Buds. We were the first store to receive a license from the AGLC and have been in this fight from day one! I am looking forward to being an active member of the ACC and seeing the positive change we can bring to this industry. If you know me at all, you know that I am very passionate about this industry and cannabis as a whole and I’m never afraid to share what’s on my mind. I look forward to meeting more members and getting to know all of you individually.

Julie Potestio is a uniquely qualified regulatory expert in the industry, that also holds a Director position with (Freedom Cannabis) a Licensed Producer. Julie is a pillar of the cannabis community and is the origin of the Freedom story and culture. A resolute collaborator that leads by example, from trimming, packaging, and quality control. Julie is an expert in the cultivation and processing workflows.

Highly professional with 23 years of experience leading for-profit organizations. Extreme diligence and a professional critic, with a history of maximizing investments, cutting spending, and increasing organizational efficiency. Strong knowledge of the Cannabis Act and how to implement company procedures.   The Responsible Person of a Licensed Producer, is an individual who has responsibility for all activities conducted under the license, possesses extensive knowledge of the provisions of the Cannabis Act and the regulations. Julie has navigated all phases of licensing under the Cannabis Act. As President of Freedom Cannabis, Julie has led the company in community outreach and talent management and has been a vital part of Cannabis training and education programs throughout the Alberta region. 

Female entrepreneur in the cannabiz. Owner and Operator of Canada’s Original Cannabis Gallery. Chair and Co-Founder of the Bridgeland Business Improvement Area (BIA), Board Member at the Alberta Cannabis Council.

Alena is a strong believer in supporting local, purchasing Canadian, and operating ethical businesses. At FivePoint, we continue to make measurable impacts for artists through direct purchasing and sales, marketing, coaching, and commodifying. Our brand aligns with Alena’s mission of operating fair business, supporting the arts, and enacting change through community. It was through the adversity faced during the initial stages of coming out of prohibition that inspired Alena to found the Bridgeland Business Association (BIA). The BIA works to promote diversity and the evolution of the Bridgeland Business community through advocacy and community stewardship. The Bridgeland Business Association helps to make Bridgeland a destination of choice and an economic center that supports the entire community.

Prior to building her own Cannabis brand, Alena helped to build other brands. Her background as a studio photographer specializing in food and product throughout Western Canada came after her decade of hospitality experience including both consulting and management.

A seasoned cannabis industry professional Omar comes to High Tide from one of the world’s leading global communications companies, where he served as National Cannabis Sector Lead. During his tenure, Omar worked with several licensed cannabis producers, retailers and companies involved in the cannabis ancillary space to affect public policy changes and build corporate profile.

He has over 15 years of experience working as a political and communications strategist in Canadian federal and provincial politics, including serving as Chief of Staff to several Ontario Ministers, including, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, the Minister of Economic Development and Trade and the Minister of Government Services. With a diverse policy background across healthcare, economics, regulatory affairs, and labour relations, Omar has a proven track record developing complex policy proposals, building stakeholder coalitions, and leading and executing communications plans