Meet the Pet Paradise Family
At Pet Paradise, we’ve created a new kind of pet care experience — one where our four-legged guests receive our undivided attention, complete care, and beloved behind-the-ear scratches at every opportunity. And whether we work from behind a desk or make tails wag in the play yard, each team member makes Pet Paradise special for pets. Come meet the team!
Founder
Executive Leadership Team
Alex joined Pet Paradise in 2024, bringing more than 30 years of leadership experience in retail, consumer goods, and services. Recognized for intense client and operational focus, Alex has driven accelerated growth and value creation across more than a dozen companies, brands and leadership teams. His hands-on approach to learning the business from every level allows him to appreciate and accelerate performance at all levels – from Pet Paradise’s play yards to our board room. He earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and his undergraduate degree in Medieval Studies and Accounting from the University of Notre Dame.
In addition to being a pet person, Alex spends time working in the yard, outdoors, admiring contemporary art, and enthusiastically supporting the University of Notre Dame. Alex lives in the Chicago area with his family and Bear, a loveable Australian Shepherd who’s the best dog ever.
Kevin English was born in Pensacola and grew up in the small town of Gulf Breeze in the Florida panhandle. After graduating from Gulf Breeze High School in 1987, Kevin attended the University of Florida, where he received a B.S. in Accounting. In the fall of 1992, Kevin moved to Jacksonville, Florida and started his professional career with Deloitte and Touche LLP as a Certified Public Accountant. After four years with Deloitte and Touche, Kevin joined PSS World Medical, Inc. During his 17 years with PSS World Medical, Kevin held several senior management positions, including his last position on the executive management team as the Chief Sourcing Officer. Following his departure from PSS, Kevin joined One Call Care Management as its Chief Financial Officer.
Kevin has been involved with several community and charitable organizations in Northeast Florida, including The Players Championship. Kevin has volunteered with The Players Championship PGA Tour golf event for eight years. His current role is first vice chairman and Kevin is in line to become the tournament Chairman in 2017.
Kevin and his wife, Debbie, live in Ponte Vedra and have three children – Morgan, Brooke and JP.
Bill Joel joined Pet Paradise as General Counsel in 2008, after representing the Company as outside counsel for several years. He is responsible for overseeing all legal affairs of Pet Paradise. Bill also serves as the Corporate Secretary for the various Pet Paradise corporate entities.
Prior to joining Pet Paradise, Bill was a shareholder/partner in multiple local and regional law firms, where his practice areas included commercial real estate (transactions, financing, development, leasing, lending and litigation), commercial lending, business transactions and commercial litigation. He also spent four years as in-house real estate counsel for a Fortune 250 grocery chain.
Bill’s professional honors and activities include serving as President of the Board of Governors of the Jacksonville Bar Association, President of the Board of Governors of the Young Lawyers Section of the Jacksonville Bar Association, and as a volunteer attorney for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc. He also holds or has held board leadership positions with several civic and charitable organizations, including Youth Crisis Center, The American Heart Association (Northeast Florida Chapter), Young Life, Washington & Lee University Alumni Association (Jacksonville Chapter), Willing Hands and The Bolles School Alumni Board.
Bill received a Bachelor of Arts degree in American History, magna cum laude, from Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. He received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida College of Law in Gainesville, Florida.
Bill and his wife, Kim, live in the Avondale neighborhood of Jacksonville. They have two grown sons, two adorable grandsons and two three-legged rescue cats. They recently lost their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Pepper, whom they miss very much.
Dr. Clay Hellner brings more than 25 years of experience in veterinary medicine to Pet Paradise and NewDay Veterinary Care, including expertise in surgical, nutritional, therapeutic, and clinical care for small and exotic animals.
Dr. Hellner was a long-time practice owner, caring for thousands of pets. He built successful veterinary teams, coaching practitioners to advance their skills in clinical medicine, surgery, and client communication. His hospital was recognized as the Hospital of the Year among over 700 peer hospitals. He joined the NewDay Veterinary Care team in 2020 as the Sr. Regional Veterinary Medical Director, before moving into the role of Chief Veterinary Officer in 2023.
His philosophy of doing what’s right for pets has been at the heart of his medical approach since his early days as a veterinarian. His business approach further optimizes pet care by prioritizing what is right for the veterinary teams caring for pets. He sees veterinary medicine as one of the most noble professions because the daily efforts veterinary teams will make for both pets and people are awe-inspiring.
He is a graduate of the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine and of Loyola University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. He currently lives with his family in the Charlotte area.
As part of our executive leadership team, Kristen spearheads all marketing and branding strategies for Pet Paradise and NewDay Veterinary Care. This includes all advertising, creative development, customer experience, public relations, and digital marketing (website, app and social media). Kristen also leads pricing strategies and messaging, philanthropic initiatives and crisis communications.
A 25-year industry veteran, Kristen has an extensive background in marketing, public relations and brand management. Her leadership experience includes traditional and digital media, digital strategy, loyalty program strategy, field and local restaurant marketing, cause marketing, social media strategy and product development. With a fervent passion for brand marketing, positioning and messaging, Kristen excels at strategically honing conceptual ideas into impactful, measurable and profitable brand actions.
Notably, Kristen previously served led as senior vice president of marketing for Firehouse Subs, where she led the entire marketing function. Here, she helped grow the brand from a regional Jacksonville-based restaurant chain to a billion-dollar franchise operation with more than 1,200 locations in the U.S. and Canada. Over the course of her 15 years at Firehouse Subs, she was instrumental in developing their marketing and brand strategy for their national promotion rollouts, customer loyalty program and philanthropic support of first responders and public safety organizations. Prior to that, Kristen worked for nationally renowned public relations, advertising and strategic firms such as Edelman Worldwide, Leo Burnett and IA Collaborative.
A graduate of the University of Missouri with a bachelor's degree in journalism, Kristen is a board member of the Ritz Chamber Players in Jacksonville. Previous board memberships include five-year tenures at WJCT Public Broadcasting and Theatre Jacksonville, where she served as Board Chair.
Kristen and her husband reside in Jacksonville with their Corgi mix named Marco Polo
Brian Franco has over 27 years of experience in the A/E/C industry and will apply his experience in leading Pet Paradise’s new real estate development efforts and overseeing existing resort improvements and maintenance. Over his career, Brian has worked with a wide range of clients serving their design and construction needs in a wide range of roles including project management, project and business development and marketing services. Brian graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Vocational Education and from University of North Florida with a Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management. Brian is past chairman of the 2015 PLAYERS Championship and has served on other non-profit boards including Ronald McDonald House, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Northeast Florida, Boys & Girls Club and Community Connections (presently).
Dina's previous background has been in Business and Inventory Management. She has been with the Pet Paradise team since 2009 and is currently based in Charlotte, NC. She enjoys building teamwork among associates. She appreciates all her associates and consistently thanks them for their hard work and dedication. She jumps in to assist with any duty in order to accomplish necessary tasks. Dina's family includes her husband, Scott, and her Labradoodles, Cayman and Hailey.
Ben Cunningham joined Pet Paradise in 2020 as VP of Veterinary Operations to help lead our growing veterinary team in its’ commitment to delivering the highest quality of care and wellness. Ben is passionate about developing great teams and striving for continuous improvement.
Before joining Pet Paradise, Ben spent 6+ years in the healthcare environment, working in management roles in the kidney care/dialysis industry. Prior to this, Ben spent over 9 years as a Marine Corps officer, where he held numerous different positions in duty stations across the country and during several overseas deployments.
Ben completed his undergraduate studies at Florida State University and received his Masters of Business Administration from the University of Florida.
Ben lives in Jacksonville, FL with his wife, Jeanne, and son, Will, along with their Boston Terrier and two rescue Chihuahuas - Squiggy, Sasha, and Diablo. Outside of work, Ben enjoys running/fitness and spending time with his family outdoors.
Board of Directors
Tanny Crane, President and CEO of Crane Group, joined the family business in 1987 and was named to her current role in 2003. As President and CEO, she provides the company with overall strategic direction and leadership development.
Upon joining Crane Plastics in 1987, Tanny became the Director of Personnel. In 1992, she became the Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and in 1996, she was named President of Crane Plastics. Prior to joining Crane Plastics, Tanny worked for five years in product management at Quaker Oats in Chicago, with her final position as Product Manager of Cap’n Crunch Cereals. Prior to Quaker Oats, Tanny worked as National Sales Manager for AT&T in Chicago.
Tanny serves on several boards including Huntington Bancshares, Inc., Columbus Partnership, Fisher College of Business Advisory Board, Ohio Business Roundtable, The Ohio State University Foundation, and OhioHealth. Additionally, she serves as Board Chair for I Know I Can, the Reeb Avenue Center, and the Early Childhood Education Council of Future Ready Columbus. Tanny has previously served as Board Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, and as Board and Campaign Chair of United Way of Central Ohio and Action for Children.
Tanny received her Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Finance from The Ohio State University, and earned her Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University.
Andy Hackett joined Crane Group in 2002 and has been President of Crane Investment Company since 2014. He and his team are responsible for managing all of the Crane Group private equity, real estate, and marketable securities assets. In addition, Andy and his team are responsible for sourcing new platform businesses for Crane Group.
From 1995 to 1998, Andy worked for the law firm of Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur, where he concentrated on the acquisitions of public and private companies and securities law matters. Immediately prior to joining Crane Group, he worked for the Business Affairs and Corporate Development Group at America Online Inc., where he worked on a variety of acquisition, joint venture, licensing, and interactive marketing deals.
Andy currently serves on the board of directors of Sensit Technologies and Salon Lofts. He is also on the advisory board for Clearview Capital (Fund II and Fund III) and Rockbridge Capital (Fund IV and Fund VI). Additionally, he serves on the board of directors for the Columbus State Foundation.
Andy received his Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from the University of Notre Dame, and his Juris Doctor from Notre Dame Law School.
Chad Utrup joined Crane in 2013 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and is responsible for overseeing the finance, treasury, accounting, tax, and information technology services of Crane Group.
Chad has more than 18 years of experience in various financial management and leadership roles, and has deep knowledge in the areas of investor relations, information technology, human resources, and operations. Prior to joining Crane Group, Chad worked at Commercial Vehicle Group (CVG) from 1998 to 2013, and served as Chief Financial Officer beginning in 2003. While at CVG, Chad helped lead the company’s initial public offering and participated in the negotiation, due diligence, financing, or integration of all of their acquisitions and joint ventures. Before CVG, he worked in various financial roles at Electronic Data Systems.
Chad currently serves on the boards of Screen Machine Industries and Contractors Incorporated, and previously served on the board of Roadrunner Transportation Systems, Inc. and as its Audit Committee Chairman from 2010 to 2015. In 2011, he was selected as “CFO of the Year” by Business First in the “Corporate” category and was also the recipient of the Business First “Transaction of the Year” award in 2011 for his accomplishments in financial restructuring following the economic recession.
Chad received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.
Gary Chartrand, Executive Chairman of Acosta Sales and Marketing, joined Acosta in 1983 as a Business Manager and subsequently was promoted to Vice President, Regional Vice President of Florida, President, and in 1996, President/Chief Executive Officer. Acosta Sales and Marketing Company, Inc., based in Jacksonville, FL with more than 17,000 employees company wide, is one of North America's largest sales and marketing agencies serving the $700 billion supermarket industry. Gary is a winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Award, and was named to the Supermarket News Power 50 list from 2003 to 2009. He is responsible for quadrupling the company's geographic coverage, transforming Acosta into a leading full-service sales and marketing company in the U.S. and Canada. Gary is the author of the recently released management book, Unreasonable Leadership.
Dan Rice has served as President and CEO of Mayport Venture Partners, LLC since its founding in 2000. Prior to assuming this position, Mr. Rice was a partner in one of America's premier law firms, McGuireWoods LLP. Before joining McGuireWoods, Mr. Rice was the Chief Administrative Partner at Mahoney Adams & Criser, P.A., a law firm which ultimately consolidated its practice with McGuireWoods. Mr. Rice received a BS in Financial Management from Clemson University in 1984 and both his MBA and JD degrees from the University of Florida in 1987. He is active in various philanthropic endeavors, including service on several not-for-profit boards of directors.
Fernando’s involvement with Pet Paradise began in 2004 when he led L&L Capital Partners to invest in the company. He subsequently joined the Board of Directors in 2005 and helped refine the company’s growth strategy by focusing on new development and acquisition opportunities. In 2007, he joined the team as Chief Operating Officer and later became President and CEO, serving from 2016 — 2024.
Prior to joining Pet Paradise, Fernando spent seven years in Private Equity working with FondElec Group and L&L Capital Partners, two Connecticut-based private equity firms. Prior to his work in private equity, he worked for BellSouth International in Atlanta where he focused on BellSouth’s operations in Central and South America. Prior to BellSouth, Fernando ran several family-owned businesses in Costa Rica.
Fernando serves on several Boards including Community Hospice of Northeast Florida (one of Florida’s largest Hospice organizations) of which he serves as chairman. He is also Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Bolles School, a private college preparatory school in Jacksonville, Florida. Fernando serves on the Board of Advisors at Jacksonville University’s Public Policy Institute and is the President of The Acosta-Rua Family Foundation, a family foundation serving the sick and poor primarily in developing countries. In 2021, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Acosta-Rua to the Jacksonville Aviation Authority board where he currently serves as a Board Director.
Fernando received his Bachelor of Science from University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, and his MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
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