Seattle-based Ocean Beauty Seafoods named Jeff Gernand, former national retail sales executive at seafood processor Slade Gorton, as its West Coast regional sales manager.

Prior to Slade Gorton, Gernand worked as the meat and seafood director at FreshThyme Farmers Market, and as meat and seafood category manager at Sunflower Farmers Market.

Jeff Gernand, West Coast regional sales manager, Ocean Beauty. Photo: Jeff Gernand/LinkedIn

Gernand, who will be based in Phoenix, Arizona, replaces Cheri Rhodes, who recently announced her retirement.

Canadian giant Cooke and the owners of Ocean Beauty merged its salmon and groundfish operations in 2020, forming the company OBI Seafoods.

The remaining part of the operation, Ocean Beauty Seafoods, continues to be held by a consortium of private businessmen -- Howard Klein, Mike Selby and Ronald Shaw -- who hold a 50 percent stake in the company alongside the Alaska-based Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation (BBEDC).