James Iacino has stepped down from the day-to-day responsibilities as chief executive officer of Seattle Fish Co. to devote time to seek nomination to run for US Congress as a Democrat in the 2020 election. While campaigning to win the Colorado’s Third Congressional District, he will still oversee the seafood distribution operation as its executive chairman.
A third-generation Coloradan, Iacino heads up the business his grandfather founded in Denver, Colorado in 1918. The candidate’s first job at Seattle Fish Co. was loading and driving delivery trucks at the age of 16. He worked his way up through the family-owned company, which today employs over 170 people engaged in supplying seafood and gourmet provisions from around the world to over 1,400 restaurants and retail stores.
Iacino has long been an advocate of sustainability, economic mobility and social justice. He hopes to soon have an opportunity to bring these issues to the forefront in Washington while representing citizens and the state of Colorado, as well as the seafood and restaurant industries, on a larger scale.
As Iacino turns his focus to politics, 29-year company veteran Derek Figueroa has assumed the helm as chief executive officer while maintaining the post of president. He is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership, while continuing to stay on top of customer engagement and industry representation.
“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,” said Figueroa. “I take immense pride in working alongside our team of dedicated employees and positively contributing, in conjunction with our partners, to our industry.”
Figueroa added that he looks forward to seeing Iacino elected to the House of Representatives, as he is “someone committed to the industry with a strong position on sustainability, and is willing to serve and represent seafood at the highest level of government.”
