Mark Weissenberger, the vice president of marketing for Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, has announced that he will be leaving his position effective Jan. 4 due to personal reasons.

In an email on Wednesday, he called the split an amicable one and noted that he and his family will be relocating to the northeastern U.S. He will continue to manage the company’s social media platforms in the near term future until other personnel can take over those responsibilities.

“I am forever appreciative of the professional experience and industry knowledge gained over 14 productive years helping Rocky Patel Premium Cigars flourish,” Weissenberger said in an email. “Moving forward, I will be pursuing sales and marketing ventures within this amazing industry that we all love so much.”

Rob Rimes, the company’s art director, will manage the company’s marketing operations in the interim.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.