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 Rob Kampia, Executive Director
Rob co-founded MPP in January 1995 and has been its executive director ever since.
Rob co-authored most of the medical marijuana laws currently on the
books in 16 states and the District of Columbia, with MPP taking a
leading role in passing the laws in Hawaii (2000), Montana (2004),
Vermont (2004), Rhode Island (2006), Michigan (2008), Maine (2009),
Arizona (2010), and Delaware (2011)
Rob also oversaw the campaign to decriminalize the possession of
marijuana in Massachusetts, where voters passed MPP's ballot initiative
in 2008. This is the only state to decriminalize marijuana via a vote
of the people.
Rob has testified before a U.S. House subcommittee twice (2001 and
2004), and has also testified before legislative committees in
California, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, Ohio, Vermont, and
Washington state.
Rob has been quoted in almost every newspaper in the U.S., and has
appeared on national TV dozens of times, including the "Today Show"
(NBC), the "Montel Williams Show" (CBS), the "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer"
(PBS), "Glenn Beck" (Fox News Channel), "Anderson Cooper 360" (CNN),
"Power Lunch" (MSNBC), "Geraldo Rivera Live" (CNBC), "Happy Hour" (Fox
Business Network), and the special "Marijuana: A Chronic History
(History Channel).
Rob grew up in Harleysville, Pennsylvania; graduated valedictorian of
his high school class in 1986; served three months in a county jail in
central Pennsylvania from 1989 to 1990 for growing marijuana for
personal use; was elected student body president of Penn State
University in 1992; and graduated with honors from Penn State University
in 1993 with a major in Engineering Science and a minor in English.
Rob has lived in the District of Columbia since graduating from
college in 1993, except for a seven-month stint in Austin, Texas, in
2007. Rob is single and has no children. Rob spends his free time
reading, bicycling, traveling, and listening to heavy-metal music.
 Steve Fox, Director of Government Relations
As director of government relations, Steve Fox oversees MPP’s federal lobbying activity, as well as MPP's state and local ballot initiative campaigns. He was the driving force behind the first-ever pro-medical marijuana bill in the U.S. Senate and the first-ever roll call vote on the floor of the U.S. House on pro-medical marijuana legislation. In 2009-2010, he oversaw a signature drive and worked with the campaign team in Arizona to help that state enact a far-reaching medical marijuana law through the ballot initiative process.
While working at MPP in 2005, Steve co-founded Colorado-based Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER), an organization dedicated to educating the public that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol. Under his guidance, the organization passed two successful ballot initiatives in the city of Denver, ran a publicity-generating statewide ballot initiative campaign, and generated overall more than 200 television news stories and countless other media appearances and mentions. Based on the theory underlying this work, Steve co-authored Marijuana is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink? (Chelsea Green, August 2009).
Prior to joining MPP in 2002, Steve was involved in various political and policy endeavors. He worked in the War Room in Little Rock in 1992, as the associate director of the Massachusetts Democratic Leadership Council, in the press office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce (1996-1997), and as deputy director of communications for the Center for National Policy. Steve is a graduate of Tufts University and Boston College Law School.
 Karen O'Keefe, Director of State Policies
As MPP's director of state policies, Karen O'Keefe manages MPP's grassroots and direct lobbying efforts in all 50 state legislatures.
Karen has worked at MPP since 2003. She played a significant role in MPP's successful medical marijuana ballot initiative in Montana in 2004 and was heavily involved in passing MPP's medical marijuana bill in Rhode Island in 2006. Karen has managed MPP’s state legislative department during victories in Rhode Island and Vermont to add regulated medical marijuana dispensaries, the passage of a medical marijuana defense and study committee in Maryland, and the successful campaign to make Delaware the 16th medical marijuana state. She is responsible for updating MPP's model medical marijuana legislation, which formed the basis for laws in Arizona, Delaware Montana, Michigan, and Rhode Island.
Karen was the primary staffer working with local grant recipients to draft and enact measures making marijuana offenses the lowest priorities in six cities in California.
Karen earned her J.D. from Loyola School of Law, New Orleans, where she received the Gillis Long Public Service award and the Crowe Scholar award. As a student attorney and research assistant, she worked on cases that included criminal defense, a living wage initiative, and a successful challenge to subjecting demonstrators to metal detectors. She is admitted to the Bar in the District of Columbia. In her free time, she is active in a variety of social justice causes.
Eric Smith, Director of IT
As MPP’s IT Director, Eric Smith oversees all of MPP’s technology needs, including data management and MPP’s Web site. He specializes in helping MPP maximize the use of technology to amplify its campaigns and staff efficiency, and his expertise has attracted top-notch IT professionals to MPP.
Eric spent 15 years working in IT for the University of Minnesota, where he coordinated networks and systems administration, trained faculty and staff, and was involved with Web design, research, and a variety of scientific publications.
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