Profile
- Experienced and innovative scientist/executive who has led several teams in both R&D and Manufacturing divisions to multiple industry awards
- Holds patent for Thin Film Composite membrane for Reverse Osmosis Seawater Desalination, at one point responsible for over 10 million gallons of fresh water produced per day in the Middle East.
- Lead first production team of distilled cannabis oil in United States
- Two-time High Times Concentrate Cup award winner
Professional Background
Chief Science Officer
2017 – Present
- Developed Quality program to follow cGMP/ISO guidelines following all California Department of Public Health compliance regulations
- Design and develop all manufacturing processes for cannabis extraction and refinement
- Scale production of Cannabis Beverage brand into a commercial product line
- Launch of multiple brands in various formats including vape pens, concentrates, topicals, and tinctures
- Development and implementation of all safety protocols to meet CalOSHA and CDPH standards
- Run day to day Manufacturing operations and oversee entire production facility
- Design and scale up of new extraction and refinement methodologies
- Developed new processes for extraction, separation, and refinement of cannabis derived terpenes and constituents
- Optimize distillation processes to consistently produce 93-95% active THC potencies, 99%+ total cannabinoid content
- Model costs of all production, overhead, and new CPG product lines
- Implement ERP system (NAV Dynamic)
- Developed presentation to give in front of the Maltese Minister of Medicine resulting in one of the country’s first cannabis license LOI’s
Chief Science Officer
2014 – 2019
- Design and develop standard operating procedures for production of all products involving distilled cannabis oil for internal brand and any of its white label clients
- Run day to day manufacturing of distilled cannabis oil
- Design new R&D experiments to find innovative separation processes previously unknown to the cannabis industry
- Design new equipment to expand on and optimize current industry processes
Director of Chemical Engineering
2013 – 2014
- Design and run all equipment for vacuum distillation of cannabis oil
- Build systems for cannabis oil distillation scale-up
- Develop standard operating procedures for cannabis oil distillation
- Built several distillation systems to be operated in other states
- Trained new clients on running distillation equipment
- Designed new equipment and upgrades for current systems
Chemical Engineer
2010 – 2013
- Design experiments for new formulations of membrane compositions both in lab setting and for
scale?up manufacturing processes
- Hand?cast fabrication, development, and design of Polyamide Thin Film Composite membranes in lab environments in coordination with manufacturing for scale?up of procedures
- Coordination with equipment operators to run manufacturing coater for R & D trial runs
- Maintaining, optimizing, and designing vacuum distillation process of organic chemicals
- Process development and implementation of new module construction procedures
- Quality analysis of incoming materials for use in manufacturing and coordination with suppliers
- Analysis of aqueous and organic solutions through use of FTIR and UV?Vis spectroscopy
- Chemical extractions from membranes to analyze level of specific chemicals in thin?film
- Developed formulation patented and sold to LG for increased salt rejection and lower energy consumption
University of Florida, Laboratory of Dr. Gar Hofflund, Ph.D., Lab Tech
2009 – 2010
- Development of processes to separate hydrogen sulfide into sulfur and hydrobromic acid
- Completion of these processes through electrolysis to break down hydrobromic acid into hydrogen and bromine
- Titration of solutions to determine quantity levels of bromine and hydrobromic acid
- Preparation of new solutions for lab
- Processing acid bomb reactions under high temperature and pressure
University of Florida Cancer and Genetics Research Complex, Lab Tech
2007 – 2008
- Maintaining fly stock through the development of food and proper upkeep of the organisms
- Perform radiation swipe tests on lab equipment in order to ensure the safety of the lab environment
- Quantitatively reporting and documenting cell activity with a focus on reproduction through the aid of a microscope
- Preparation of various chemical mixtures to assist scientists in research
- Preserve the integrity and value of all lab equipment by conducting necessary maintenance
Overall areas of expertise include ?
Leadership
Operations
Cost Analysis
Manufacturing Optimization
Membrane Filtration
Vacuum and fractional distillation
System/Process design and scale up
Solvent Recovery Equipment
Hydrocarbon Extraction
Quality Program development
Education
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering – August, 2010
Certificates include: Process Engineering Program
Safety and Chemical Engineering Education Program
