The American Pet Products Association (APPA) has recently announced the appointment of two new members to its board for the year 2024. Kevin Fick, former CEO and current board member of PetWise Brands, and Josh Patterson, vice president of sales North America for Vital Essentials, a Carnivore Meat Company, have been selected to join the esteemed board.
Tommy Baroody, chair of the APPA board and vice president of sales at Nestlé Purina North America, expressed warm congratulations to the new directors, emphasizing their extensive leadership experience and industry expertise. He anticipates that their insights will significantly benefit the association.
Kevin Fick, a former member of the APPA board of directors, brings with him 25 years of pet industry experience. His career highlights include senior vice president roles at Central Garden & Pet and CEO position at PetWise Brands. Apart from his current role on the PetWise Brands board, he also serves on the board of JoyBound, an organization dedicated to pet welfare.
APPA President and CEO Peter Scott expressed excitement about Fick’s reappointment, citing his nine-year tenure on the APPA board and his invaluable industry knowledge and connections.
Josh Patterson’s entire career has been dedicated to the pet industry, starting from a part-time retail associate at Petsense by Tractor Supply. With a solid background spanning 12 years at Petsense and subsequent leadership roles at Nulo Pet Food, PetSmart, and PetPlate, Patterson brings expertise in omnichannel business models, retail marketing, merchandising, and sales team leadership.
Patterson expressed his enthusiasm for contributing to APPA’s mission of promoting responsible pet care and advancing the pet products industry. He is committed to ensuring the strength of members’ businesses and fostering rewarding careers in the pet industry.
The APPA board of directors is comprised of pet industry professionals from across the United States, collectively working to achieve the association’s mission and serve the interests of its diverse membership, which includes over 1,000 pet product manufacturers, representatives, importers, and livestock suppliers.
In addition to Fick and Patterson, the board includes Todd Regan, senior vice president of marketing at Central Garden and Pet (secretary/treasurer); Chuck Latham, founder of H&C Animal Health (immediate past chair); Terry Anderton, founder and CEO of Wagz, Inc. (director); Steve Clark, chief revenue officer at Petmate (director); and Savina Singh, CEO of JoJo Modern Pets (director).
