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August 25, 2021

Lamont appoints Alverio to serve on cannabis Social Equity Council

Photo | Latinas & Power Marilyn Alverio.
By Sean Teehan

Gov. Ned Lamont on Wednesday announced he appointed Marilyn Alverio, CEO of Essex-based nonprofit Latinas & Power Corp., to the Social Equity Council (SEC), a key regulator for the state's forthcoming adult-use cannabis market.

Alverio established Latinas & Power Symposium in 2004 as an annual event in Hartford geared toward Hispanic women in business and other male-dominated spheres. The organization expanded in 2019 to become Latinas & Power Corp., and offers professional development programs on building wealth, entrepreneurship, career building and other areas.

The new SEC member also has corporate experience in several different sectors, Lamont's office said.

"Throughout [Alverio's] 35-year corporate career, she held numerous management positions in the airline, pharmaceutical, health, and financial services industries," Lamont's office said.

The SEC, which will have a large role in approving cannabis business licenses for both social equity and general applicants, is scheduled to hold its next meeting Sept. 2. Social equity applicants enjoy advantages like reduced fees and preferential spots in lottery drawings for cannabis licenses.

As HBJ reported Tuesday, Ginne-Rae Clay was tapped to serve as the SEC's executive director.

The council will operate as an independent body, but is administratively under the auspices of the Department of Economic and Community Development. The Council's 15 members -- who are appointed and unpaid -- will make decisions related to licensing and social equity measures and Clay will implement them.

The adult-use cannabis legalization statute Gov. Ned Lamont signed in June says SEC members must finalize and publicly post final social equity applicant qualifications by Sept. 1. Those applicants can begin submitting forms 30 days later, and non-equity businesses can start applying 30 days after that, the law says. Medical dispensaries may begin applying to convert their licenses to serve the adult-use market on Sept. 1.

It’s not clear if those deadlines will be met. 

So far members of the SEC include


Interim chairperson Andrea Comer, deputy commissioner of the Department of Consumer Protection


Joseph Williams, an international trade specialist for the Connecticut Small Business Development Center at UConn


Kelli Vallieres, director of the Connecticut Office of Workforce Strategies


David Lehman, commissioner of the Department of Economic & Community Development


Melissa McCaw, secretary of the state Office of Policy & Management


Shawn Wooden, state treasurer


Subira Gordon, a Speaker of the House appointee


Michael Jefferson, a Senate President appointee


Edwin Shirley, a Senate Majority Leader appointee


Corey Betts, a House Minority Leader appointee


Ramón Arroyo, a Black and Puerto Rican Caucus Chair appointee


Ojala Naeem, a House Majority Leader appointee


Marilyn Alverio, a Governor appointee

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