CEO Departures

Smith stepping down at cannabis group

Aaron Smith will step down Aug. 15 as CEO of the $1.1M-revenue National Cannabis Industry Association after 15 years leading the group he co-founded. He will remain on NCIA’s board of directors to support the leadership transition and the group’s continued policy advocacy.

“NCIA was founded to give cannabis businesses a seat at the policymaking table at a time when we were fighting just to be taken seriously,” Smith said. “Today, our industry is safely serving tens of millions of adult consumers, generating billions in economic activity and tax revenue, and is more politically engaged than ever.”

Following his departure, Smith will become political director at Unite America, a cross-partisan group focused on electoral reforms.

The NCIA Board of Directors has promoted Chief Strategy Officer Brooke Gilbert to the role of chief operating officer, where she will oversee all day-to-day operations, including staff and contractor management.

NCIA’s board chair, Adam Rosenberg, will lead the organization while the board searches for Smith’s successor.

CEO Arrivals

Pollard appointed leader of community colleges group

DeRionne Pollard has been named the next president and CEO of the $17M-revenue American Association of Community Colleges. She succeeds Walter Bumphus, who retired in 2025 after 15 years at the helm.

“Dr. Pollard’s impressive career has demonstrated that she is a leader among leaders,” said Dr. Sunita “Sunny” Cooke, AACC past board chair and chair of the search committee. “Her vision, energy and passion will propel AACC and the sector forward to meet the evolving needs of learners and dynamic workplaces, integrate disruptive technologies, and produce critical workforce solutions for a global economy.”

Pollard has spent the past four years as president of Nevada State University. Previously, she held the same role at Montgomery College in Montgomery County, Md., and Las Positas College in Livermore, Calif.

Pollard has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in English from Iowa State University and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies in higher education from Loyola University Chicago.

Spencer Stuart assisted in the search.

Kim to lead crypto council

Ji Hun Kim has been appointed CEO of the Crypto Council for Innovation, where he had served as acting CEO since January and previously as chief legal and policy officer. He succeeds Sheila Warren, who stepped down earlier this year.

“Ji has led with credibility and clarity, supporting major legislative efforts in Congress, engaging international regulators, and serving as a trusted resource for CCI members across jurisdictions,” said Avichal Garg, chair of the CCI Board of Directors. “His ability to navigate complex regulatory landscapes at the U.S. federal and state level, as well as in the UK, EU, and in Asia, while strategically growing our membership, makes him the right leader for CCI’s next phase of growth.”

After joining CCI in May 2023 as chief legal and policy officer, Kim was named president and acting CEO in early 2025. Previously, he served as acting general counsel and head of policy and regulatory affairs at cryptocurrency platform Gemini, where he spent over three years. Earlier in his career, he was a senior associate attorney for law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

Kim has a bachelor’s degree in history from Boston College and a law degree from Fordham University School of Law.

Staff Arrivals

Bank Policy Institute — Daniel Grodzicki and Evan Sekeris are both joining $32M-revenue BPI as senior vice president and senior economist.

            Grodzicki was most recently a principal economist at the Federal Housing Finance Agency and previously worked at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Penn State University.

            Sekeris most recently served as chief model risk officer at Capital One. He previously held leadership roles in risk and model validation at MUFG and PNC.

            Additionally, Laurie Bristow will join BPI as vice president and research associate. He previously spent over four years at the Reserve Bank of Australia, where he held roles including lead analyst and senior analyst, contributing to monetary policy implementation, financial market analysis and data transformation initiatives.

Independent Community Bankers of America — Loughlin Cleary has rejoined $45M-revenue ICBA as executive vice president for member relations. He most recently served as president and national sales director at Lenders Cooperative. Earlier, he spent six years at ICBA in business development roles and also held positions with FIS and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston.

National Association of Manufacturers — Joe Murphy has been appointed director of strategic communications at the $62M‑revenue NAM. He has worked at NAM since 2018, most recently as director of rapid response and special projects, after prior roles including associate director and manager of rapid response.

            Christine Ravold joins NAM as director of strategic communications. She comes from Stand Together where she was regional communications manager, handling media relations for multiple state chapters of Americans for Prosperity. Earlier in her career, Ravold served as communications director for the U.S. House of Representatives.

National Association of Realtors®— Leslie Nettleford-Freeman has joined $358M-revenue NAR as associate general counsel and vice president of legal affairs and brand protection. She spent nearly 20 years at AARP, most recently as associate general counsel. She is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center.

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America — $483M-revenue PhRMA announced several changes to its public affairs team.

Mark Allen has joined as deputy vice president of strategic insights. He was previously managing director at Purple Strategies and has served as president of opinion research firm AmericanPublic.us for over 20 years.

Kristen Booze has joined as senior director of public affairs. She spent more than seven years at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, most recently as deputy division director of health communication. She also held earlier public affairs roles at USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Cait DeBaun has been named chief of staff. She was previously vice president and head of public affairs at the American Beverage Association and spent nearly five years at the American Gaming Association, where she led strategic communications and responsibility initiatives.

Elise Shutzer has joined as vice president of public affairs. She was most recently global issues manager at ExxonMobil and previously served as director of field operations at The Pew Charitable Trusts. She also spent more than a decade at Dewey Square Group in grassroots and strategic campaign roles.