Josue Solano, the chief executive officer of footwear company BBC International, was elected the chair of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) board of directors this week at the organization’s annual Executive Summit in Washington, D.C.
Along with Solano’s appointment, the AAFA confirmed the rest of the board’s leadership team for the 2024-2025 term along with the addition of 15 new and re-elected board members.
In a statement on Friday, Solano said that he is “repeatedly reminded” of the value of the AAFA membership through everyday challenges and the breadth of support provided to empower employees and industry partners. “I look forward to shaping the next year of aspirations as we continue to convert new hurdles into opportunities for continuous improvement,” Solano said.
“Josue is a leader in every sense of the word, and I have no doubt he will continue to help recruit and retain new inspirational leaders onto the board and membership at large,” Steve Lamar, president and chief executive officer of the AAFA, added.
Additional board leadership appointments include Halide Alagoz, chief product officer of Ralph Lauren Corporation, as vice chair; Katherine Gold, chief executive officer of Goldbug, as treasurer; and Joe Preston, chief executive officer of New Balance, as secretary.
Newly elected members to the board of directors this year include Peter Charles, chief supply chain officer of Tapestry; Sarah Clarke, chief supply chain officer of American Eagle Outfitters; and Sarah Hurzeler, chief operating officer of Dorfman Milano.
And re-elected members include former chair Ted Dagnese, chief supply chain officer at Lululemon Athletica; Bill Ells, vice president of sales at Vibram USA; Rick Horwitch, chief of supply chain and sustainability strategy at Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services; Sid Howard, senior vice president of global accounts at Amann Group; David Miller, chief executive officer of Minnetonka Moccasin Company; Allison Murphy, chief marketing officer of TTI Global Resources; and Deborah Weinswig, founder and chief executive officer of Coresight Research, along with Solano, Alagoz and Gold.
The new AAFA board of directors also includes two other executives, appointed on March 6: Shawn Curran, chief supply chain officer of Under Armour, and Sarah McMullin, vice president of apparel and accessories product operations at Target.
