Seattle Fish Co. CEO James Iacino is moving into the role of executive chairman after announcing he will run for a seat in the United States Congress.
Iacino announced 17 October his candidacy for the Democratic Party’s nomination to compete for Colorado’s Third Congressional District, which covers most of western Colorado.
Derek Figueroa, the company’s president and former chief operations officer, will move into the role of president and CEO. Figueroa will be responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of Seattle Fish Company, “while continuing to stay focused on customer engagement, industry representation, and growing corporate leadership,” according to a company press release.
“It’s an honor to assume the role of CEO at Seattle Fish, a company with over 101 years of rich history, deep ties to the communities we serve, and a clear mission to further the consumption of sustainable seafood,” Figueroa said. “I take immense pride in working alongside our team of dedicated employees and positively contributing, in conjunction with our partners, to our industry.”
Seattle Fish Company is a major seafood distributor in the Rocky Mountain region of the U.S.. The company, founded in 1918 in Denver, Colorado, has 170 employees and counts more than 1,400 restaurants and retailers as customers.
As a candidate, Iacino said he will campaign on a platform of advocating for economic mobility, environmental conservation and sustainability initiatives, and the importanceofsocialjustice.
“He now has an opportunity to bring these issues to the forefront and represent the people and state of Colorado, as well as the seafood and restaurant industries, on a larger scale,” the company said in its release.
Figueroa said Iacino will also “serve and represent seafood at the highest level of government.”
“We have rallied our employees around a compelling leadership aspiration to ‘Lead the Growth of Sustainable Seafood Consumption Throughout the West,’” Figueroa said. “Seafood is an environmentally responsible, healthy protein, and Seattle Fish Company will continue to bring diverse industry stakeholders together and deliver positive change. This is essential not only for the future success of the seafood industry, but for the betterment of our environment and the health of people.”
Photo courtesy of Seattle Fish Co.
