ABOUT OUR FOUNDER/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:
Cecily Friday Shamim has been an activist involved in politics for the past 15 years. Her professional background includes extensive work as a project and operations manager in settings ranging from professional art, graphic design, marketing, circuit design engineering and clinical psychiatric research. 
Cecily holds a Bachelors of Science Degree from Belmont University and has trained as an organizer with Greg Galluzzo and Mary Gonzales with the Gamaliel Foundation. As a host and producer of her own show, covering national politics for Radio Free Nashville, she interviewed numerous high profile individuals.
In 2011, Cecily co-founded Occupy Nashville where she established working groups and was the media team lead and legislative liaison. Due to the hard work and diligence of those working groups, Occupy Nashville was one of the longest standing occupations in the United States. Occupy Nashville was featured in national and international publications and shows including interviews with Keith Olbermann, Reuters, BBC and the AP. As legislative liaison, Cecily played major role representing the organization in interactions with legislators regarding policy changes and potential bills.
Cecily has also managed social media for other nonprofits, including Urban Green Lab, a Nashville based nonprofit committed to educating the community about sustainable living.
Since 2013 she has lobbied and educated lawmakers in Tennessee for safe access to medical cannabis. In 2015 she founded the Tennessee Cannabis Coalition with the intent of bringing advocacy groups throughout the state together in order to coordinate on campaigns and to maximize their impact, so that they may help pave the way to ending prohibition in Tennessee and at the federal level.
Cecily was declared by Cannabis Business Executive as one of the top 100 political influencers of 2016.
COALITION MEMBERS:
Tennessee for Medical Marijuana
National Cannabis Patients Wall
Tennesseans for Compassionate Care
Wilson Countians for the Legalization of Cannabis
Tennessee Cannabis Coalition 