November 10th, 2015 by WCBC Radio
Peak Harvest Health (PHH), a Maryland-based medical cannabis manufacturing company, today announced three key appointments that underscore the company’s commitment to the highest level of security at its proposed medical cannabis production and processing operations in Cumberland, Md. J. Robert Dick Jr., the retired chief of Police for the City of Cumberland, Md., Department of Police, was named PHH’s chief of Security and Austin Shamlin the director of Logistics. In addition, Brigadier General (Ret.) Jeffrey R. Johnson, a retired United States Air Force and Air National Guard General Officer, was appointed to the company’s advisory board.
“Security is a foremost priority for our proposed operations in Cumberland. Our proposed pharmaceutical manufacturing facility will have the most advanced security technology in the industry: retinal scanners for identification, bullet-proof glass for safety, a Drug Enforcement Agency-compliant vault for storage and hundreds of cameras for surveillance. Additionally. we will employ best-in-class security policies throughout the facility,” said Kevin Gibbs, a principal at PHH. “Bobby and Austin bring a strong combination of public safety expertise and local knowledge to their new roles at PHH. General Johnson oversaw the air defense of our nation’s capital and brings PHH a global security perspective unmatched in the medical cannabis industry. These men share our deep commitment to keeping our operations, employees and the community safe at all times. The security team we have assembled for our Cumberland facility will be among the most elite in the nation.”
Prior to his retirement from Allegany County Government in June 2015, Dick served in various capacities, including chief of the 911 Communications Center, chief of the Allegany County Bureau of Police, and most recently, chief of the Allegany County Division of Public Safety. Before his employment with the county, he was a police officer with the City of Cumberland Police Department for 35 years, working a wide variety of law enforcement assignments including uniform patrol, criminal and narcotics investigations, and served the last 15 years as the agency’s chief of Police. A Cumberland native, Dick is a former U.S. Marine and Vietnam veteran. In his new role at PHH, Dick will be responsible for overseeing security of PHH’s facilities.
Shamlin comes to PHH with a 15-year career leading projects and personnel in the areas of operations management and risk mitigation. Most recently, he was deputy chief of Police for a municipal agency in the National Capital Region. Additionally, he has spent the last decade as an independent security consultant, assessing security risks for clients, developing and training personnel on security strategies in hostile environments, and leading protective details for senior members of royal families and high-ranking diplomats. Previously, he was a partner in Redstone Strategies Solutions, where he focused on safety and security for project personnel located in Mogadishu, Somalia. He also served as a special advisor to the Haitian Minister of Justice, coordinating a Ministry-led Joint Investigative Task Force responsible for investigating special criminal cases involving kidnappings and corruption. As PHH’s director of Logistics, Shamlin will be responsible for coordinating the secure transport of medical cannabis to dispensaries.
General Johnson served over 29 years as a commander and pilot in the United States military. He was commissioned in 1984 through the Air National Guard Academy of Military Science. Prior to receiving his commission, he served as an enlisted aircraft armament specialist. He served continuously from his enlistment until his retirement in 2012 and completed a number of operational, command, and staff assignments. General Johnson was the J3, Chief of the Master Air Attack Planning Cell for Operation Enduring Freedom under the command of United States Central Command at Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from December 2001 to March 2002. He also is a Fighter Weapons Instructor Course graduate in the F-16 and has more than 3,000 hours of flying time in a wide variety of roles and missions. He now serves as an aviation industry executive and leadership consultant.
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