Pet Age Reveals 2021 Women of Influence Award Recipients

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Pet Age’s Women of Influence Award program, which started in 2015, celebrates the individuals who set industry benchmarks for excellence. This year’s recipients are high-performance leaders who have made a notable impact on the field in which they work while also inspiring a new generation of women to make an impact on the pet care community and the pets that we all serve.

The seventh annual Women of Influence awards recognizes the accomplishments and successes of 25 women who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength and leadership to bring positive change to the pet care community.

The class of 2021 will join a list of past winners that reads like a who’s who of the industry’s most prominent women, including Lucy Postins of The Honest Kitchen, Kamie Eckert of Royal Canin USA, Laura “Peach” Reid of Fish Mart and Alice Tillett of Petmate.

In addition, Pet Age has named Nina Leigh Krueger, who on January became Purina’s first female CEO, as its recipient of the 2021 Women of Influence Lifetime Achievement Award.

Pet Age is proud to celebrate the incredible role models who comprise this year’s Women of Influence Awards.

The recipients are:

Jessica Berger: Owner, Accelerate Retail Partners

Dana Brooks: President and CEO, Pet Food Institute

Stacy Busch-Heisserer: Owner, Busch Pet Products, Deer Creek Doggie Day Camp and Busch’s Kennel

Dr. Laura Catena: Founder and President, The ArmOR Hand Protector Animal Handling Gloves

Berenice Giannini: Founder and CEO, eTailPet

Caroline Golon: Vice President, Marketing, Nature’s Logic

Heather Govea: Chief Commercial Officer, Alphia

Dr. Trina Hazzah: Veterinary Oncologist (DVM, DACVIM [Oncology], CVCH), Cannabis Educator, Consultant, Green Nile, Inc.

Darlene Hernandez Geekie RVT: Founder and CEO, VEMA

Ann Hudson: Vice President of Marketing, Whitebridge Pet Brands

Sara Kuris-Morgan: Founder and CEO, Frenchie’s Kitchen

Julie Lawless: Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Administration, Elanco Animal Health

Danique Masingill: President, Leashes of Valor

Katie McCarron: Founder, Portland Pet Food Company

Laura Pletz: Scientific Services Manager – East US, Royal Canin

Jacqueline Prehogan: Co-founder and Chief Brand Officer, Open Farm Inc.

Traci Pryor: Chief Development Officer, Pet Partners

Lindsay Rubin: Vice President of Operations, v-dog

Dr. Michele Sayles: Executive Director of Food Safety and Quality, Diamond Pet Foods

Jennifer Skelley: Senior Director of Communications and PR, American Pet Products Association

Beth Sommers: President and Chief Merchandising Officer, Pure and Natural Pet

Beth Stultz-Hairston: President, Pet Sitters International

Denise Truelove: Global Portfolio Director, Dog Main Meal, Mars Petcare

Jolanda van der Basch: Co-founder, Only An Ocean

Jennifer Vargoz: Director, Brand Strategy & Product Development, Petmate

Their Women of Influence profiles will appear in the March issue of Pet Age.