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Well, we started off the summer with a bang! The Metrc launch was successful, the Phase 1 move to the Connors Building went off without a hitch (thanks to the hard work of some amazing colleagues that worked their tails off) and we’re making progress on our transition to a stand-alone agency.
I want to take the chance to show my sincere gratitude to the OMMA staff who have shown up and been flexible through this transition. Watching people bloom and tap into their highest potential brings me more pride than I can describe in words. Seeing dedicated, high-performing employees move on to bigger and better roles is a leader’s greatest goal. To that end, I want to remind everyone that we will continue posting open positions as we work towards transitioning to a stand-alone agency. While applying for a job does not necessarily guarantee a call or an interview, it does show me that you’re interested in moving up, which is something I will remember as we’re finding the right fit for each position. I wish we had the time to call every applicant, but we just don’t. Please don’t take it personally if you’re not chosen for a promotion at this time. If you keep working hard, your work will speak for itself, and you will be noticed.
Speaking of being noticed, I’d like to highlight a department that often gets labeled as the “bad guys”: Legal. Lawyers don’t take joy in shutting down your ideas or giving you rules to follow (believe me, I know!). But when they do these things, they are literally doing their jobs and doing them well. Protecting OMMA from liability and building a robust Legal Department ready to take on a myriad of challenges is exactly what I’ve tasked the General Counsel’s office with doing. So, if you feel the urge to complain about their guidance — or worse, if you don’t think you need to follow their guidance — think again! This is my message to every single department at OMMA: Listen to our lawyers! They have our best interests in mind. Be friendly with them — they don’t like telling you “no” every day, and they don’t like bossing you around either. But it’s their job, so be kind and understand that we all must work together to make this place run smoothly.
Finally, I hope you’ll take time to rest this summer and use some of your earned time off. Even if traveling isn’t in the budget, I challenge you to get outside and enjoy nature. Summertime is perfect for fishing, swimming, getting out for an early morning hike or going for an evening walk at the park. Being out in nature and moving your body are proven to improve mental health and sleep habits. With the stress that comes with working at a place like OMMA, we could all use some healthy, stress-relieving activities. I know I’m always looking for some fun, relaxing activities for me and my family, so feel free to send me a Teams message if you find any good ones this summer!
As always, thank you for all you do to serve the people of this great state. It’s an honor to lead this team!
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Adria G. Berry
Executive Director
Leadership
Leadership completed an early step towards becoming our own state agency by filling a few crucial leadership positions:
- Angie Woodrow will begin as Chief of Operations on July 1. Angie comes to OMMA after serving as the Chief of Staff at the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, and prior to that, she held multiple roles at the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
- Joshua Maxey will be the inaugural Chief Financial Officer for OMMA on July 5. Joshua has a lot of valuable experience and relationships in state government, from the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to the state House of Representatives and the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission.
- OMMA’s Director of Human Resources will be our very own Erin Medley.
In addition, the Audit Department is now part of the Compliance Department, and there will be a new organization chart debuting on July 1 incorporating the new members of the Leadership team as we prepare to become our own state agency on Nov. 1!
Licensing
Licensing named Adam Rogers Director of Licensing and Stacey Henderson Assistant Director of Licensing. Keep an eye on OMMA's Career webpage as we will be posting to fill the Commercial Licensing Manager and Patient Licensing Level III positions!
 Members of OMMA’s Leadership team attend a Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA) conference in Washington state. From L-R: Director of Compliance Michelle Reddish, Director of Laboratory Oversight Lee Rhoades and Executive Director Adria Berry. Not pictured because he’s probably taking the photo: Deputy Director & Director of Public Policy Barrett Brown.
The Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA) held a four-day event in Washington state recently where members of OMMA leadership were able to network with other state cannabis regulators and learn from expert panelists on a wide variety of topics, including federal legalization, interstate cannabis compacts, lab standardization and tribal relations.
Leadership is excited to implement many of the things learned at CANNRA. A few items and notes you may be interested in reading are below! Enjoy these resources and keep an eye out for more in the future. Executive Director Berry is looking at ways to get more OMMA staff involved in CANNRA moving forward, so please make sure to reach out to her via Teams if you're interested in learning more!
Director of Compliance Michelle Reddish will be updating all staff on the transformation of the OMMA Compliance Department. Like the last town hall, there will be time set aside at the end for a live Q&A with Executive Director Berry. We’ll also provide a form you can fill out should you have a question that didn’t get answered or you’d like to submit one anonymously.
MMAC Meeting
The Medical Marijuana Advisory Council (MMAC) met on Monday, June 20, at the state Capitol. To watch the meeting and view the meeting materials, visit our website.
When you think of a laboratory, you probably imagine the stereotype in the stock photo above: People in white coats conducting scientific experiments, taking notes, etc.
What you probably don’t think about are the standards behind the science. Every proper lab should have rigorous standards in place for testing, retesting, sampling, procedures, equipment, safety and more. Science without these standards is chaos at best — dangerous at worst.
Perhaps no one knows this better than OMMA’s Lab Compliance team. Led by Katelyn Metzger, Manager of Lab Compliance, the team of Lab Compliance Inspectors Matthew Tsonetokoy, Dillon Hart, Kyle Kluding, Imani McGill and Bryan Niblett inspects the nearly 30 medical marijuana testing labs across the state.
Their job entails inspecting OMMA-licensed labs to ensure they comply with state laws and follow standards that protect public safety. To do this, the team looks at a lab’s standard operating procedures (SOPs) and their quality assurance (QA) methods for medical marijuana testing. And along with ensuring document verification, the team also verifies a lab’s accreditation and ensures the lab only tests for what they are accredited.
In terms of patient safety, one of the most important tasks assigned to Lab Compliance is to take the certificates of analysis (COAs) and trace back the data to ensure the accuracy of the results reported. It’s a daunting task, no doubt, but it’s of the utmost importance: On May 19, 2022, during a routine lab inspection, OMMA discovered results that were not accurately reported by the testing lab, forcing OMMA to issue a product recall.
As the medical marijuana industry continues to grow in Oklahoma, standards and procedures for laboratories that test products will continue to be paramount. Thanks to this team for being the compliance behind medical marijuana science!
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OMMA’s SharePoint!
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Congratulations to this month's OMMA MVPs — our Monthly Value Promoters! Each month, OMMA leadership selects up to five MVPs who embody at least one of our core values. Use the button at the bottom of this section to send us nominees for next month!
NEW: OMMA leadership will select one of the five MVPs every month as OMMA’s Employee of the Month. The Employee of the Month will get their own reserved parking space at the Connors Building for a month. If someone at a different work site is selected, we’ll let them know about a special reward for them!
Consumer Protection: Ensuring patient health and safety is first and foremost in all agency actions.
Kristin Siegel, Assistant General Counsel
“OMMA’s recent recall — the largest in our history — could not have happened without Kristin’s hard work and dedication. She dug into a huge pile of information and worked hard to build a case file of solid evidence. Protecting patient health and safety was at the top of her mind throughout the process. Kristin’s hard work ensured we were able to get unsafe products out of dispensaries and protect OMMA patient licensees.”
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Integrity: Being honest, trustworthy and transparent in all that we do.
Levi Lloyd, Internal Service Manager
“Levi is a model of integrity in the way he handles his day-to-day duties — he wants to do it right and protect OMMA’s interests at all times. He was indispensable in organizing the logistical effort to send letters to thousands of licensees who missed the deadline to be Metrc-compliant. He found a last-minute solution to a sudden problem in the first wave of our move to the Connors Building, getting everyone’s computer monitors taken care of by their first day in the office.”
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Collaboration: Developing and maintaining strong partnerships through open and respectful communication and trust-building.
Kristy Porter, Inventory Specialist
“Kristy Porter has been instrumental in the project of moving OMMA from Oklahoma Commons to the newly renovated space at the Connors Building. She has worked closely with every area of OMMA to make sure their needs are met in the new space. She has been able to problem solve throughout the process with a kind and straightforward demeanor that makes it so easy for everyone to work alongside her. Although most of her work is behind the scenes, I hope she realizes that her hard work does not go unnoticed.”
Kristy is also our Employee of the Month! Congratulations!
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Innovation: Establishing a culture of continuous learning and process improvement.
Michelle Reddish, Director of Compliance
“Michelle embodies OMMA’s innovation efforts every day because she is helping her team do things OMMA has never done before. The Compliance staff is always learning and improving even as they take on difficult tasks and a changing regulatory environment, and Michelle’s leadership is a critical part of it. Michelle’s efforts to improve and expand training, onboard many new staff members and implement new strategies require innovation and determination every day.”
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Quality Service: Demonstrating professionalism, courtesy and efficiency to effectively satisfy customer needs.
Toni LoVecchio, Risk Manager and Program Services Manager
“Toni has been such a great addition to OMMA. Between her multi-faceted state experience and her we-can-do-this demeanor, Toni is an asset to everyone lucky enough to work with her. She has been helping with moving OMMA to the Connors Building and has been such an integral part of the moving team. I think this woman could do anything!”
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To submit someone for staff member of the month, click the button below!
If you have feedback for OMMA leadership or maybe you have a few questions you'd like answered or clarified, use the button at the bottom of this section! It's anonymous, but we do ask you to provide which department you're in order to determine if questions or concerns are isolated or if they're occurring throughout OMMA.
There were several things we received last month addressed below, and you can look for more responses in future newsletters.
State Sen. Jessica Garvin Update
A reader asked for an update on the individual that left state Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan, a threatening voicemail regarding tiered commercial licensing fees. The reader thinks that the person who left the voicemail should have their business license revoked.
Executive Director Berry had this response: “Great question! As you may have read, this has been turned over to the proper authorities. Unfortunately, I can’t provide a comment due to the ongoing nature of the legal matter. Any license action OMMA may take would be public after the litigation is no longer pending.”
Leadership Training and Career Development
A new employee asked about leadership training and career development here at OMMA and wanted to know about incorporating those items into OMMA policies and procedures as we become our own state agency.
Executive Director Berry had this response: “Thank you for this feedback. Leadership training, career development, mentorship and more are on the horizon. We are tackling things one at a time — crawling before we walk, if you will — but will invest in OMMA staff as a core part of our Mission, Vision and Values in the long run. Right now, Erin Medley and her team are working closely with Sam McClendon and his Training team to implement several opportunities for training and development. Currently, our priority is solidifying an onboarding process for new hires as we transition into an independent agency. Sam and Erin are working on the types of training to offer, including career development, leadership and other soft skills trainings. If you have any specific ideas on trainings you feel would be beneficial, please let Erin know!”
Work/Life Balance
A reader was told by their supervisor that reporting to the office is now mandatory on Mondays and Fridays even though a work-from-home option was very specifically noted in the reader’s initial job description. The reader was very distraught by this change and wanted to point out the job satisfaction that results in having a little work/life balance.
Executive Director Berry had this response: “This is not a personal affront to any one person — it’s one of those “greater goods” that being part of a team sometimes requires. If you are productive and consistently meet expectations, you will be able to telework again in the future, but there’s a big picture need right now to bring everyone into the office for accountability, training and culture-building. I enjoy teleworking when possible, so I understand where you’re coming from and hope you can push through this disruption in your ideal schedule as much as possible.”
To give feedback for next month's newsletter, click the button below!
If you have some photos from the field (tours and the like), please share them with us! Just let us know who you are, where you are, who you’re with and what you’re doing!
 Director of Compliance Michelle Reddish participates in the CANNRA conference in Washington state.
 State Agency Liaison Jerin Presley presents to the Tulsa Chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors.
 Director of Laboratory Oversight Lee Rhoades speaks at the CANNRA conference in Washington state.
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