American Pet Products Association Announces New Board Member

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Press release: APPA

The American Pet Products Association (APPA), the leading trade association serving the interests of the pet products industry since 1958, has announced that Savina Singh, CEO of JoJo Modern Pets, has been appointed to its board of directors.

“Savina brings extensive leadership experience to her new role as a member of the APPA board of directors after serving as the CEO of JoJo Modern Pets for almost a decade,” said Chuck Latham, chairman of the APPA board and founder of H&C Animal Health. “On behalf of the entire APPA board, I am pleased to congratulate Savina on her new role, and we look forward to the expertise and insights she will bring to the association.”

Born and raised in Aurora, Illinois, Singh was inspired to start her own pet product company when her rescue dog JoJo changed her life. Wanting to bring beautiful products into people’s homes, she set out to design them herself. A graduate of North Central College in organizational communications, she also pursued an MBA at Illinois Institute of Technology. After completing a master’s degree in International Management from Thunderbird School of Management, Singh worked in healthcare and the software industry. Following her passion, she established JoJo Modern Pets in 2012. JoJo Modern Pets supplies some of the largest retailers in the U.S., as well as 2,000 independent shops that sell pet products. It is a truly an independent pet manufacturer, importer and distributor, helping solve the bulk of supply chain issues many pet brands and retailers face.

“I am very excited to serve the pet business community as a new board member of APPA, an organization that works hard for its members,” said Singh. “APPA is instrumental in the pet industry’s growth and strength.”

The announcement comes on the heels of the appointment of current board member Robert (Bob) Merar to interim CEO of APPA. In December 2021, the board initiated a nationwide CEO search with Korn Ferry, which is ongoing.

The APPA board of directors comprises pet industry professionals from diverse locations across the U.S. who collectively work to achieve the association’s mission to promote responsible pet care and advance the pet products industry.

In addition to Singh, Latham and Merar, APPA’s board of directors includes Tommy Baroody, vice president of sales at Nestlé Purina PetCare, Missouri (Secretary/Treasurer); Alice Tillett, CEO of Petmate/Doskocil Manufacturing Company, Inc., Texas (Immediate Past Chair); Jeremy Baker, vice president of strategic business development at Oxbow Animal Health, Nebraska (Director); Kevin Fick, CEO of Worldwise, Inc., California (Director); Chanda Leary-Coutu, director of marketing communications & consumer experience at Wellness Pet Company, Massachusetts (Director); Brett Johnson, chief customer officer of Radio Systems Corporation, Tennessee (Director); and Todd Regan, senior vice president of marketing at Central Garden & Pet, Wisconsin (Director).