Cannabis Control Board Members

 

Tremaine S. Wright is a former member of the New York State Assembly who thereafter, served as the first Director of the DFS Statewide Office of Financial Inclusion and Empowerment. Ms. Wright is an attorney, entrepreneur, and activist who is a second-generation Bedford Stuyvesant resident invested in preserving the rich legacy of her community and building a strong foundation for the future. She has dedicated her career to empowering and creating opportunities for her neighbors and her community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jessica García serves as a board member on the Cannabis Control Board. She is Assistant to the President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), a national labor union representing workers along the food supply chain, as well as workers in non-food retail and healthcare. She previously served as Deputy Political Director for the RWDSU, where she worked to advance the union's legislative and political agendas. She currently serves as president of the board of directors of the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, vice-president of the Rural & Migrant Ministry board of directors, and chair of the advisory board of the Advocacy Institute. In 2021, she was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Labor to serve on the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH).

Hope Knight is the President, CEO and Commissioner of Empire State Development, New York State’s economic development agency. She was nominated to the position by Governor Kathy Hochul in October 2021, and confirmed by the New York State Senate in May 2022. 

At ESD, Commissioner Knight is dedicated to policies that advance sustainable and inclusive economic growth. She has been instrumental in the creation of the state’s Office of Strategic Workforce Development, which will focus on improving New York's workforce development programs and practices to better align with the needs and priorities of today's employers. Knight has also focused efforts on supporting New York State’s small businesses, ensuring that they have the resources needed to grow and thrive, and growing the state’s Minority and Women-Owned Business community. 

Prior to her appointment, Commissioner Knight served as President & CEO of Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, one of the nation’s first community development corporations. In that capacity, she advanced economic growth, community-building, and sustainable real estate development that has immeasurably revitalized and strengthened the Southeast Queens region. Additionally, from 2015 to 2021 she was a Commissioner on the New York City Planning Commission. 

Commissioner Knight was Chief Operating Officer of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, overseeing more than $150 million in investments and leveraging over $1 billion in private capital. She also served as a Vice President at Morgan Stanley in domestic and international capacities. Earlier in her career, Knight worked at Accenture and in New York City government. She holds a BA from Marymount Manhattan College and an MBA from the Graduate School of Business of the University of Chicago.

 

Attorney and longtime public servant, Crystal Rodriguez-Dabney is a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion professional with experience in local government, higher education and healthcare industries. As Chief Diversity Officer and Senior Vice President at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, she leads ongoing efforts to advance diversity, equity, inclusion and access within the cancer center and realm of health equity throughout the communities it serves.

A Buffalo native and proud resident, Crystal joined Roswell Park in June 2023 after serving as First Deputy Mayor and Chief of Staff for the City of Buffalo. Prior to this position, she was Chief Diversity Officer and Chief of Staff at SUNY Buffalo State University from 2018 to 2022 under the leadership of Dr. Katherine Conway-Turner. Less than a year since she joined Roswell Park, Crystal has been recognized for her impact both regionally and nationally. She recently was presented in April 2024 with the Minority Bar Association of Western New York’s Excellence in Promoting Diversity Award, given to a senior executive who has demonstrated exceptional commitment and achievement in fostering DEI within the legal profession. Shortly thereafter, she was appointed to the American Cancer Society (ACS) Chief Diversity Officer Roundtable, a new national panel formed to address the unequal burden of cancer in diverse and multicultural communities.

Rodriguez-Dabney, who holds an Advanced certificate from Cornell University in Diversity and Inclusion and an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education, helped steer the City of Buffalo’s successful efforts to engage and support richly diverse communities and organizations and played a central role in the community’s response to the May 14, 2022, racially targeted mass shooting on Buffalo’s East Side, while serving as 1st Deputy Mayor. She developed the City’s Opportunity Pledge and spearheaded Mayor Brown’s Opportunity Agenda as the City’s first Chief Diversity Officer, and as one of the first Chief Diversity Officers in the nation serving a large municipality. At Buffalo State, she assisted the college in eliminating barriers by driving intentional, productive guidelines and policies, helping create a resource center to address the needs of historically underrepresented students, working with stakeholders to advance an anti-racist culture, helping to coach faculty, and establishing meaningful connections with diverse alumni.

Rodriguez-Dabney earned a BA in social sciences, with concentrations in History, Political Science and Sociology from California State University San Marcos (2003) and a JD (2006) and LLM (2007) from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law. She proudly serves on various boards and councils including: the American Cancer Society’s Diversity Roundtable; The New York State Cannabis Control Board; The Park School; Canisus University; Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy; WNY Women’s Foundation; and, Read to Succeed Buffalo. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc & the Buffalo (NY) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated.

Brad Usher served as Chief of Staff to State Senator Liz Krueger from 2002 to 2022, and worked on developing a wide range of legislation, particularly around government and electoral reform, tax policy and economic development transparency.  He was deeply involved in the drafting and development of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which established the Office of Cannabis Management and the Cannabis Control Board.  Prior to joining Senator Krueger’s office he served on the staff of State Senator Tom Duane. He holds a PhD in Political Science and an MA in Political Science and Historical Studies from the New School for Social Research and a BA in Social Welfare from the University of California at Berkeley.