NASC Board of Directors

Bill Bookout, President & Board Chair

Bill Bookout is president, board chair, and a founding member of the NASC. He has been an advocate for the animal supplement industry for 25 years and is recognized as a leading expert on regulatory issues surrounding these types of products. Bill has served as Pet Food Consultant for the American Pet Products Association since 2023 and also sits on several AAFCO committees. Throughout his career he has testified on behalf of the industry at FDA public meetings, was selected to serve on the Health Canada Expert Advisory Committee for Veterinary Natural Health Products, and has participated in countless educational programs, legal forums, regulatory trainings, trade events and professional meetings. Prior to NASC, Bill held executive positions in the animal health and human medical device industries. He earned his BSc in physical sciences from the University of Wyoming and his MBA from the Pepperdine University Presidents and Key Executives program. He and his wife, Mary, divide their time between Arizona and Alaska, where they live with their two rescue cats, Marmalade and Yanaha.

 

Dale Metz, Vice President

Dale Metz is a founding member of the NASC and was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2002, where he currently serves as Vice President. Dale worked for over 20 years as a CPA for several firms, including long-standing employment with KPMG. He retired from accounting in 1998 and became CEO of FoodScience Corporation, a manufacturer of human and animal supplements. Once he joined the nutritional supplement industry, Dale identified the pet segment to be an area of growing opportunity and concluded that the key to a successful product was compliance. He worked with his manufacturers to develop highly palatable soft chews as a delivery system for nutritional supplements that pets would think were treats. Under his leadership, the company grew significantly and in 2013, he retired from his position as CEO. Dale went on to explore other opportunities in the animal health industry, ultimately deciding to manufacture his own products and founding his current company, Green Mountain Animal LLC. He attended Champlain College and Bentley University, where he received his B.S. in accounting, and also served in the Navy prior to college.

 

Scott Garmon, Board Member

Scott Garmon was appointed to the NASC Board of Directors in 2003, and is also President and CEO of The Garmon Corporation/NaturVet. Scott’s company was the first manufacturer to pass the comprehensive NASC Quality Control audit. After earning his degree at Cal Poly Pomona, he founded The Garmon Corporation and has successfully grown it into a premium manufacturer of natural dietary supplements for dogs, cats and horses. With the acquisition of GreenTree Laboratories, Pet Organics and Overby Farms, he has expanded the company’s product lines and evolved The Garmon Corporation into a diverse, multifunctional company. Garmon Corporation also provides extensive private labeling services for other well-known pet supplement firms. 

 

Lorri Chavez, Board Member

Lorri Chavez was appointed to the NASC Board of Directors in January 2003, and is also Senior Director, Regulatory Affairs, for Central Garden & Pet (Farnam/Central Life Sciences). Prior to joining Farnam, Lorri served as Senior Manager, Regulatory Affairs, at Alliance Medical Corporation and as a Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist at IMPRA, Inc., a division of C.R. Bard. From 1991-1998 she was a Project Manager at Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., a division of Johnson & Johnson. She earned her bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Xavier University, and her master’s degree, with an emphasis in healthcare management, from the University of Phoenix. She also earned her certification in regulatory affairs from the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society. 

Mike Uckele, Board Member

Mike Uckele is a founding member of the NASC and was elected  to the Board of Directors in 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019. Mike is a certified nutritionist, and is President, CEO, and third-generation owner of Uckele Health & Nutrition, a company with nearly 60 years of worldwide experience, using proven advances in science, in the manufacturing of animal and human nutritional supplements. He has worked extensively in the area of nutrition for more than 25 years, researching and developing unique formulations that address basic and specific nutritional needs for animals and people, including customized protocols for hundreds of professional and Olympic athletes worldwide. He is also a member of the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Oil Chemist Society, the International Society of Sports Nutrition, the American College for Advancement in Medicine, the Institute of Functional Medicine and the American Association of Integrative Medicine. In 2011, Mike was recognized as the Michigan Small Business Person of the Year. He is a frequent resource for feature articles in national and regional nutrition publications, and earned his diploma as a Certified Nutritionist from American Health Sciences University, as well as his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Michigan State University.

 

Allen Gritton, Board Member

Allen Gritton was elected to the NASC board of directors in June 2020, and re-elected for a second three-year term in 2023. He is Sales Director for Pharmore Ingredients, Inc., an NASC Preferred Supplier. Pharmore was the very first company to join the Preferred Supplier program and Allen has worked over the years to help countless NASC members overcome obstacles with regard to sourcing quality raw ingredients, and identifying and avoiding unscrupulous suppliers. He brings to the NASC board a wealth of knowledge, experience and insight from the perspective of the ingredient, import, testing and regulatory side of the business, which is imperative to NASC members’ ability to continue producing quality products today, and staying ahead of the curve as new challenges and opportunities present themselves in the future. He resides with his family in Utah and is a life-long pet owner, animal lover and outdoor enthusiast. 

 

Sara Phillips, Board Member

Sara J. Phillips is the Vice President of Global Pet Business for FoodScience® LLC, where she currently leads two successful pet supplement brands, a strong international business unit, and an exploding contract manufacturing business.  Throughout her 15 years with FoodScience, Sara has held several management positions driving success for all pet brands, private label, and contract manufacturing business units under the FoodScience umbrella. Leveraging her perspective and experience, she brings a unique perspective surrounding how a cooperative industry group like the NASC can raise the level of pet supplement household penetration in order to enable long-term and sustainable (and profitable) growth for all NASC members. A deep love of pets as well as her commitment to health and wellness contributes to Sara’s natural drive in the space of pet supplements. She received a BS in Environmental Science and a minor in Botany from Johnson State College. She is an active member in the athletic community and competes in triathlons across the US, while also participating in local community races which raise money and awareness for several different community areas of need. She serves on the steering committee of Green Mountain Multisport, the area’s local triathlon club.

 

 

Paul Hays, Board Member

Paul Hays was elected to the NASC Board of Directors in 2025. He has devoted his entire 40-year career to the animal health industry, which he passionately describes as a noble field due to its vital role in enhancing the quality of life for animals and their owners. Early in his career, Paul was a member of the U.S. start-up team for CIBA Animal Health (later Novartis) and began his industry journey as a sales representative with Coopers Animal Health. He has led NASC member organizations since 2015, has served as a board member of the Animal Health Institute and the Generic Animal Drug Alliance trade associations, and currently sits on the boards of three animal health companies.  He believes that his extensive experience in navigating animal health product regulations, combined with his deep understanding of the needs of supplement brand owners, will enable him to make a significant contribution to the future of NASC. He earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science from the University of Missouri.

 

Nich Wilson, Board Member

As President of KND Labs, Nich Wilson is responsible for overseeing and leading the sales and executive team by providing strategic planning and guidance to ensure the company’s growth and success. With two state-of-the-art facilities in the Denver metro area, Nich ensures KND Labs remains the industry-leading extraction and production facility. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder, loves all things outdoors related and spending time with his family. He was elected to the NASC Board of Directors in May 2026 for a three-year term.