Team – CCTA

Meet Our Team Members

Brian Applegarth | Founder and Executive Director

Brian Applegarth has led the advancement of cannabis tourism in California. He founded the California Cannabis Tourism Association in 2017 and is a sought-after advisor for hospitality and tourism-based businesses and organizations. He works with destinations, hotels, and travel industry leaders to create customized hemp and cannabis strategies that mitigate risk and drive revenue. Brian is an international speaker and subject matter expert for the evolving cannabis and hemp opportunity in tourism. He has traveled and lived around the world, holds a B.A. from the University of California, Irvine and speaks several languages.

Amanda Reiman | Board Member

Dr. Reiman is the Head of Community Relations for Flow Kana, a branded cannabis distribution company. She is an internationally recognized cannabis expert and public health researcher as well as a leader in the field of cannabis as a substitute for alcohol and other drugs, having presented her research all over the world. Also an expert in cannabis policy on the local, national and international level, Dr. Reiman was the first Chairwoman of the Berkeley Medical Cannabis Commission and also sat on the Oakland Cannabis Regulatory Commission.

Jerred Kiloh | Board Member

Omar Figueroa | Board Member

Yvonne Brown | Director of Events

Angelica Muhammad | Membership and Events

Advisory Board Members

Antonio Flores | Advisory Board

Antonio Flores is currently the General Manager at Hotel Zeppelin in San Francisco. A rebellious hotel that celebrates San Francisco’s counterculture tradition with a mischievous approach to hospitality. Antonio brings more than 20 years of experience to his role as General Manager at Hotel Zeppelin. Prior to joining Viceroy Hotel Group, Antonio held positions with Kimpton Hotels as General Manager at both Hotel Triton and The Prescott Hotel, both in San Francisco since 2006. He was previously with Hilton Hotels for several years in Southern California.

Jonathan Grella | Advisory Board

Jonathan Grella launched JAG Public Affairs in 2019, specializing in high-impact advocacy and communications. For the past 20 years, Grella has built a stellar reputation as a dynamic leader, communicator, and advocate across a wide array of arenas: political, corporate, association, and professional sports. For six years, Grella quarterbacked the U.S. Travel Association’s renowned public affairs operation as executive vice president, leading the association’s government relations, communications, marketing, research, grassroots and political action committee (PAC) to new heights. Since Grella’s arrival in 2013, U.S. Travel bolstered its stature and success. Under his stewardship, National Journal and APCO’s comprehensive TradeMarks study rated U.S. Travel as one of the top four associations overall and first in three categories. He has been honored as a top association advocate in The Hill for the past two years.