Leonid McKay was appointed as the Executive Chairperson of the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis in November 2022.

Mr. McKay has extensive experience in various social policy areas and held different top management roles in both public and non-governmental sector. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Housing Authority between 2018 and 2022 where he principally oversaw the implementation of various new rent reforms and innovative social housing projects. Previously, he occupied the position of Director of Caritas Malta between 2014 and 2018. During the same tenure he also held the role of Chairman of the Foundation for the Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers.

He has worked for Caritas Malta as from 2006 and has carried out wide-ranging social research on various social policy areas ranging from the minimum budget required for low-income families to be able to achieve an acceptable and a decent standard of living (Minimum Essential Budget for a Decent Living 2016, 2012); the adequacy of non-contributory welfare benefits (Minimum Income Schemes, 2014); labour market exploitation of migrants in Malta (Social Fieldwork Research 2014); integration efforts of People with International Protection (2013); geographic mapping of pockets of deprivation and study the social conditions of poor neighbourhoods in Malta (Master of Arts in Social Policy Dissertation, 2012).

Mr. McKay holds a Master of Arts in Social Policy degree and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Sociology from the University of Malta. Between 2012 and 2014, Mr. McKay was a lecturer at the Malta College of Arts Science and Technology and taught at the Institute of Community Services. He is married to Pauline with two children, Isaac and Emily.

Dr Formosa Pace holds a Degree in Psychology (Melit), a Post Qualification Diploma in Probation Services (Melit), an MSc in Forensic & Legal Psychology (Leicester, UK), and a PhD in Criminology (Huddersfield, UK). The focus of her PhD was to develop an understanding of the concentration of offending in Maltese families and to analyse the evolvement of crimes across the generations.  Dr Formosa Pace has compiled and drafted the first National Crime Prevention Strategy for the Maltese Islands. She worked in local church and government schools, mainly as a PSCD teacher, before joining the resident academic stream in 2016. Dr Formosa Pace is a Senior Lecturer within the Faculty for Social Wellbeing at l-Universita’ ta’ Malta.  Her background in teaching, expertise in academic research and knowledge that encompasses the social and community spectrum leading to the potential for reduction of crime and enhancement of social wellbeing shall be pivotal to her role in the Cannabis Authority Board.

Sina Bugeja is a retired public officer who has held a number of headship positions in the Public Service / Sector, namely in the fields of Health and Social Welfare and has led a number of major projects.  She read for a Master’s degree in Health Promotion and Health Education at the College of Medicine, University of Wales in 1993 and has since been a part‑time Lecturer / Senior Lecturer at the University of Malta in various Faculties. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, UK. During her tenure as CEO of sedqa, the national agency against drug and alcohol abuse, she was appointed Chairperson of the European Collaborating Centres in Addiction Studies (ECCAS). She has represented Malta on a number of European and International fora in the fields of addiction, gender equality and social welfare. She is currently the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of a private company besides actively involved in a number of local NGOs and related European and Mediterranean bodies.  She is also a trained family mediator.

Managing Director Sourcing and Supplies within the Ministry for Health. I work within a multidisciplinary team including pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and technologists.  My teams within Central Procurement & Supplies unit CPSU, Pharmacy of Your Choice POYC and National Blood Transfusion Centre NBTC are involved in market research, procurement, financial resources, quality, regulatory, supplies and distribution, logistics. Our main objective is to serve our client within a patient centric culture.  Being a Biomedical engineer by profession and working for more than 20 years within the National Health System and also have a Masters Degree in Engineering.

Dr. Zammit holds a Degree in Bachelor of Laws and Masters in Advocacy.  The focus of his thesis was on the necessity to introduce and implement Sentencing Guidelines within the Maltese Legal System with the intention of attaining uniformity in Maltese criminal judgements.  His main area of work is litigation in the Maltese Law Courts with particular focus on civil and criminal litigation.

Dr Joey Reno Vella is a practising advocate whose main areas of current practice are civil, criminal, and family law. In past years, he has worked on the drafting of several reforms and legislation.

He holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Masters in Advocacy.

With more than 15 years of experience, Nadia has not only occupied C-Suite roles but also mentored business leaders and companies to transition through transformation.

After serving as CEO for a BPO service provider, Nadia established her own firm in 2018 to provide business advisory services that include: board representations, internationalisation and mentoring of executive leaders. Nadia’s strength is to provide direction at board and senior management level to support businesses navigate through challenges, establishing strong foundations and ensuring sustainable growth.

Dr. Charles Cassar is a Maltese warranted psychotherapist, licenced to practice Gestalt psychotherapy, Logotherapy and Existential Analysis. He is also a European certified psychotherapist. He is a member of the Executive Committee of EAP (European Association of Psychotherapy), a position he has held since 2000. He was elected as President of the EAP in February 2019 and is the current Vice President/Outgoing President. Dr. Cassar has held the position of President for the Malta Association of Psychotherapists (MAP) from 2000 to 2021 and he is presently the Honorary President of MAP. Dr. Charles Cassar has been the Chairperson of the Psychotherapy Professions Board Malta since the inception of the board in 2018.  Dr. Cassar has held various posts in the aviation and maritime industries, where he worked mostly in management and human resources. Throughout his career, Dr. Cassar held the positions of head of care at Santa Maria Drug Rehabilitation Centre and at YMCA Homeless.

Dr Gabriel Farrugia is a lawyer whose main areas of current practice are civil, public procurement and commercial law. In the past years he has worked on the drafting of a number of laws and thus, will be sharing his expertise with the Authority on the Responsible Use of Cannabis.

He holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Doctor of Laws and has also obtained his Master of Arts (M.A.) in Mediation at the University of Malta.