Under the direction of the University's Vice-President for Research, the Executive Vice President/COO, the President, and the Board of Trustees, GP Mendie serves as Executive Director (Interim) of the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Medical Marijuana Education and Research Initiative (MMERI).

In this leadership role, GP collaborates with the incredibly talented MMERI Team and a broad spectrum of internal and external stakeholders and partners to successfully execute MMERI's statewide legislative mandate. GP is responsible for overseeing MMERI's mission to educate Florida's rural, urban and suburban populations about the medical and unlawful use of marijuana. In executing MMERI's mandate, GP brings extensive, richly diverse decades of experience in public health, education campaigns, strategic planning and administration, policy, and finance, among others, in government and the private sector. Knowing the immense power and importance of education, GP is proud of the unique and expanding leadership role Florida A&M University holds in the cannabis space, especially the privilege of educating Floridians on this crucial public health matter with a profound socioeconomic impact on our communities. Among other things, GP believes in FAMU's unique place and expertise in overseeing, implementing, and managing politically and culturally sensitive programs.