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William B. Sechrest, Chairman

Bill Sechrest joined the San Francisco, California firm of Shartsis Friese, LLP, on January 2, 2007 in the capacity of “Counsel.”  Prior to joining Shartsis Friese, Bill practiced law for over 30 years with Winstead Sechrest & Minick, the 300 person law firm he founded in Dallas, Texas in 1973.  Bill currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Men’s Warehouse, Inc. (listed on the New York Stock Exchange) and Ojai Community Bank, a publicly traded California state bank.  He received his B.A. degree from Stanford University in Economics and his J.D. from Southern Methodist University. 

Bill is on the Board of the Institute of Noetic Sciences and previously served as a board member of each of the following nonprofit organizations: Dallas Real Estate Council, Dallas Real Estate Council Foundation, Unity Church of Dallas, Dallas Institute of Humanities & Culture, The First Tee Dallas Chapter, Easlen Institute, and The World Business Academy.

Bill has authored The Creation of Joe Bankhead, Beneath Words, and numerous publications on economic and monetary policy.  Bill currently lives in San Francisco and Ojai, California. His family includes five children ranging from ages 38 to 20. 

Thomas D. Aarts

Tom Aarts is Managing Director of Nutrition Business Advisors, LLC (NBA), a strategic advisory firm focused on the $58 billion nutraceuticals industry. Tom has more than 20 years’ experience in management consulting, M&A transactions, investment analysis, and market research. He has advised many of the leading companies in the nutrition, food, and pharmaceutical industries on their strategy and direction including GNC, Rexall, Nestle, Bayer, and Cargill.

Tom co-founded the Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ), which is the “journal of record” for strategic information and market intelligence in the nutrition and natural products industry. After the sale of NBJ to New Hope Natural Media in 2001, he continued on as a consultant. He is also the Founder and co-chair of the NBJ/Newport Summit, the premier executive retreat in the Nutrition Industry.

Prior to this, Tom was a founding Partner of Health Business Partners (HBP), one of the leading investment banking and consulting firms in the Nutrition Industry. He also serves on several editorial advisory boards and has authored numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and trade publications.

Tom received a B.A. from Colgate University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Elliott Balbert

Elliott Balbert founded Natrol, Inc., a prominent manufacturer of high-quality nutritional products, and served as President and CEO for 25 years and Chairman for 27 years.  He led the company through dramatic growth and success over the years with numerous acquisitions, unique product introductions, multi-industry distribution, a successful public IPO in 1998, and the sale of the company to Plethico Pharmaceuticals in 2007.

Elliott has been actively involved in many industry trade and non-profit groups including: the Natural Products Association (NPA); the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA); the American Botanical Council (ABC); and the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP). In 2001, Elliott led a coalition of nutraceutical industry stakeholders to form a new non-profit organization called the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance (DSEA) and served as its first president for four years. In 2008 Elliott was again selected for a second term as President of the DSEA.

Elliott was recognized in 2006 for his industry leadership at the Newport Summit with a "Lifetime Achievement Award" and again in 2008 with the Vanguard Award for industry leadership at Virgo Publishing's senior executive retreat Focus on the Future.  He is also a Regent of Bastyr University.

Barclay Hope

Barclay Hope is a thirty-year member of the natural and organic food industry, with success as both an entrepreneurial owner-operator and as a corporate executive in the public sector. His career has encompassed retail as an owner-partner in two groundbreaking natural foods supermarkets (Hope ‘n Hagens, in Southern California, 1981-88), owner of a gourmet fresh pasta manufacturing company (Buonapasta, 1988-95), a brief stint opening stores for Wild Oats (1996-97), and finally in fresh perishable distribution, predominately organic produce, at Albert’s Organics from 1997 through 2006.

Starting as Western region General Manager, Barclay succeeded founder Albert Lusk after the company was sold to UNFI after a two-year earn-out period. As President from 2001-2006, he led revenue growth from $60m to $200m, profitability growth of 5-6x, led or participated in five acquisitions, led a strategic purchasing shift towards contractual buying, and created marketing programs that anticipated the shift from independent natural food store customers to the mass market retail chains. Barclay also oversaw the creation of a proprietary premium produce brand known as Grateful Harvest, and led diversification into other Fresh categories, including a fresh, organic, grass-fed beef program.

He joined New Day Farms in January of 2008 as CEO/equity partner, an expansion stage organic greenhouse operation located in Virginia and supplying gourmet heirloom tomatoes to the eastern seaboard.

Jeffrey Markel

Jeff Markel has been Managing Director of Vitamin Angels since 2006 after volunteering as Operations Manager for three years. Jeff brings 40 years of business experience to the organization.  Before joining Vitamin Angels, Jeff owned and operated Boulder Fruit Express (BFX), an organic perishables distributor in Boulder, Colorado, servicing six western states, and Silver Deer, an import export company with customers and vendors in 35 countries.

Throughout his career, Jeff has used his expertise and passion for business as a path for personal growth to help more than 1000 clients over the last 30 years. In addition, he has served as a pro bono small business consultant for the state of Colorado in the six poorest counties. Jeff presently resides in Bayfield, Colorado with his wife, Zita.

Mehbs Remtulla

Mehbs Remtulla has led GEARSHIFTING™, a strategic & innovation consultancy focusing on healthcare, since its inception in 2004.  Previously he was CEO and Chairman of REMTULLA EURO RSCG, a healthcare communications agency that became one of the top shops in Canada.  

Mehbs has worked in both community and hospital pharmacy, including a year as a volunteer pharmacist in Tanzania. In addition to his pharmacy experience, Mehbs spent nine years in the Pharmaceutical Industry, moving rapidly to senior positions in Sales, Marketing, Corporate Planning & Public Policy. Mehbs is a graduate of the Leicester School of Pharmacy, England.

Mehbs community efforts include developing programs for the Aga Khan Health Services in Pakistan, fundraising for the Centre of Addiction & Mental health (CAMH), Volunteering at CESO (Canadian Executive Services Overseas) and mentoring International Pharmacy Graduates at the University of Toronto.

Howard B. Schiffer, President & Founder

Howard is well known throughout the natural foods marketplace for developing quality new products and turning them into best sellers through innovative marketing and promotions.

He founded Vitamin Angels in 1994. Often called the “humanitarian arm” of the natural products industry, Vitamin Angels has distributed more than one hundred million vitamins and other supplements (wholesale value over $14 million), in the past three years alone, to people in need in 40 countries around the world.

In 2003, Howard was honored with the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance’s, DSEA Hero Award for his work in “making a difference in the lives of so many children throughout our country and around the world.”

In 2005, Howard was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Newport Summit by Nutrition Business Journal for “creating Vitamin Angel Alliance as a force to bring better health and nutrition to millions of children and adults in need around the world.” He was honored with Golden Temple and Peace Cereal’s Socially Responsible Business Award for “upholding the highest in human ideals and business practices.”  In September 2005, NNFA West awarded Howard their Outstanding Achievement Award for his ongoing efforts to improve the lives of millions of children around the world through basic nutrition. In 2006, he received the Global Humanitarian Award from Vivekanand Ashram.

Howard is the author of three books, and is a frequent speaker at workshops and seminars around the country. He lives with his wife and three children in Santa Barbara, California.

Peter van Stolk

Peter van Stolk is a partner at The Tree Fort Group. As founder of Jones Soda Company in 1987, Peter served as CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors through 2007. A former Canadian ski instructor, Peter’s original marketing approach interacting online with consumers brought Jones Soda Co. success in a crowded beverage industry. Integrating customer input, Jones Soda is known for unique flavors and custom packaging. Peter also oversaw the launch of new product lines including non-carbonated juice, tea, ad energy drinks.

Peter has been recognized for his innovative branding strategy in publications such as The New York Times, CNN, and People Magazine. He continues to serve on the company’s Board of Directors, and lectures at businesses and universities.

Anthony Zolezzi

Anthony is an organic advocate, whose work has resulted in over 25 entrepreneurial product developments designed to add value to human and animal nutrition while encouraging sustainable agricultural practices.  He has worked with organizations ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies including Nestlé, Bumble Bee Seafood, Horizon Organic Dairy, Wild Oats Markets, and Paramount Pictures.

Anthony has taken social trends and turned them into food trends such as his creation of Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurants based on the award-winning film “Forrest Gump” starring Tom Hanks. He also developed the Richard Scarry organic line of products for children. Currently, Anthony serves as founder and president of Natural Pet Nutrition LLC, makers of Pet Promise pet foods.

Anthony is also a board member of The Organic Center and The Association of Family Farms. He is author of Chemical-Free Kids (Kensington), The Detachment Paradox (ASM Books), and How Dog Food Saved the Earth (ASM Books) and resides in Long Beach, California.

Steve Allen

Steve Allen is Vice-President, New Ventures for Nestlé based in Glendale, California.  He has been in the food industry for over twenty years. Steve gained experience working in Africa, the Middle East, the Far East, and Switzerland. Prior to moving to the USA, he was head of the Nutrition Division of Nestlé in Canada. He has had functional responsibility for marketing and sales in his career as well as general management. 

Susan Haeger

Susan Haeger is Vice President of Strategic Business Development and Wellness for Econet, Inc. Susan has worked in the natural products industry in various capacities, first as a Marketing and PR consultant, then as President and CEO of the Citizens For Health advocacy group, and more recently as Vice President Strategic Global Affairs for the New Hope division of Penton Media. In 2005 Susan Haeger received the NNFA Crusader Award for her notable contributions to the natural products industry.

Peter W. Hefele

Peter Hefele is the Senior Vice President of Business Development for Vitaquest International LLC, including its Garden State Nutritionals, Windmill Health Products, and Celmark Hydroceuticals divisions. Prior to his current position, from 1999-2003 Peter was the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for HVL Incorporated, which included its market leading Douglas Laboratories Division. Additional responsibilities included Board Advisement on the execution of mergers and acquisitions. Before joining HVL Incorporated, Peter served as the Manager of North American Pharmaceutical Sales for Capsugel, a Division of Pfizer. Over his eleven years there, Capsugel became the international leader in the development and manufacturing of hard gelatin capsules (HGC). Peter sits on various boards, has publications in print, and is a degreed Chemist and German Literary. Peter is a graduate of Drew University.

James S. Tonkin

For more than 33 years, James Tonkin has served as a private-sector brand product and marketing development professional who builds and designs national infrastructures for food and beverage industry clients. He has successfully created and implemented business and financial strategies for domestic and international corporations—focusing on production, branding, sales, marketing and distribution.

Tonkin has promoted brand and marketing programs for clients in the bottled water, functional food, and beverage industries. His long-standing expertise stretches across several sectors, including domestic cheeses and potato chips; bottled waters for people and pets; and nutraceutical, functional and enhancement beverages. Tonkin serves as a popular keynote speaker several times a year. He covers a range of topics that include trends in the business, product innovations and food and beverage industry predictions.