Expanding the Team

Lisa Parks will become 22nd Century’s vice president of acquisitions, and Mei Kuo will become the new director of communications and investor relations.

In a newly created role, Parks will drive 22nd Century Group’s strategic partnership activities focused on creating a synergistic portfolio of operating companies to commercialize the company’s proprietary hemp/cannabis plants and intellectual property in development. Prior to joining 22nd Century Group, Parks served as managing director at Envest Capital Partners. Earlier in her career, Parks served as the director of corporate finance at Landmark Media Enterprises. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from William and Mary.

Mei Kuo will lead 22nd Century Group’s communications and investor relations function and serve as the primary liaison between the company, its external stakeholders and the investment community. Kuo previously worked for Shake Shack, an American fast casual restaurant chain, where she established and led the investor relations function. Kuo has held various investor relations and corporate finance positions of increasing responsibilities at other public companies, including Integra LifeSciences and Assurant Inc. Kuo received her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Rutgers. Kuo serves as president of the National Investor Relations Institute New York Chapter’s NextGen Committee.