Originally published on Kelly Allard Speaking Out and Speaking Up Facebook and Kelly Allard Speaking Out and Speaking Up website.

Ryan Jackson, Jon Sookocheff, Aurora, Folium Biosciences, Contract Transfer, Orka

“Jackson told the News that after working with the Colorado-based company to promote the city, he was offered the position. After receiving city council approval to transfer the economic development contract, he’ll join Folium on April 1 (2019).”

Guess who it was transferred to - “From the city’s perspective, it needed to approve the transfer of the contract to operate Invest – which is legally a city-owned brand – from Jackson’s company, Rameco, to one operated by Jon Sookecheff(sic), who is Invest’s business development officer. “ https://medicinehatnews.com/news/local-news/2019/03/29/ryan-jackson-hired-to-run-folium-biosciences/

So it didn’t even go to tender, just to a handpicked company? Did I read that right? What happened next?

Mr Sookocheff went on to join Mr Jackson at Folium Biosciences. “Earlier this month, council voted to bring the contracted-out economic development services back into city hall, including offers to retain the staff as civic employees or as consultants under contract...Jon Sookocheff will join former Invest chief Ryan Jackson at Folium Biosciences...as head of business development in Canada.”

(Nicolay) said. “It does give us a clean slate to launch Invest 2.0, and I’m excited to build a small team of exceptional people to accomplish that.”

Yeah, that worked well.

https://medicinehatnews.com/news/local-news/2019/09/10/city-will-have-to-form-new-invest-team/

What happened with Folium? “...Ryan Jackson deferred comment to head office, but (said)...(the) hemp processing plant here would not be affected.”

“It’s slower than we hoped for, but we’re making good progress,” he said, repeating a plan to begin initial processing in an interim facility this year while the larger operation is being built...

Folium announced in January 2019 that it planned to build a 200,000 square-foot hemp processing facility in Medicine Hat that would employ several hundred employees once complete."

So, where is it?

https://medicinehatnews.com/news/local-news/2020/02/19/folium-biosciences-merger-falls-through/

Where’s Mr Sookocheff now?

https://www.investmedicinehat.ca/about-us