Our Board of Directors

Joey Herrick, Over 30 years ago, Joey founded Natural Balance Pet Foods, where he and his team created the foundation of the ‘natural pet food’ industry. Joey made the brand into an industry leader through innovation with formulas, novel proteins, unique ingredients, and, most importantly, an unwavering commitment to honesty, transparency, safety, and integrity. In 2007 Joey established the ‘Buy with Confidence’ pet food safety testing lab. It was the very first time a pet food company ever posted test results online for consumers to access freely. Joey has spent his entire life helping give back to pets in every way possible. In 2013 he founded The Lucy Pet Foundation, a 501c3 animal charity dedicated to reducing the overpopulation of pets and unnecessary euthanasia in shelters and to promote finding ‘forever homes’ for rescues. To date, the Lucy Pet Foundation has performed more than 30,000 free spay and neuters, working alongside and in cooperation with the City of Los Angeles.

Lynnda Herrick started her professional career as a model and actress in her teens. She appeared in the film ‘Man Trouble’ with Jack Nicholson and ‘Point of No Return’ with Bridget Fonda. Her television work includes the TV series ‘Cheers’ as well as being the featured prize model on the NBC Network Game Show ‘Sale of the Century’. Lynnda worked directly alongside her husband, Joey, to create one of the pet food’s most respected brands with actor and family friend, the late Dick VanPatten. Lynnda has loved all animals ever since she was a little girl and is very proud of the good work she and Joey have done together to save the lives of thousands of dogs and cats and find forever homes for rescues. She is Mom to Lucy and the rest of the Herrick family of dogs and cats.

Ron Barron has been a Real Estate Broker since the 1970s, although he veered off the real estate path for many years, owning his own mortgage company, Universal Funding, until he made his way back to Real Estate, where he is currently the broker of record at Engel Volkers in Westlake Village. Ron has been an animal supporter his entire life, working with charities and supporting public awareness for animals.

Erni Di Massa Jr. brings decades of experience to the organization as an EMMY® winning producer and writer in the media industry; He has been executive in charge of programming shows ranging from Oprah to Inside Edition, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy! and he produced The Mike Douglas Show, Regis, Hollywood.
Squares and many ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox Networks shows. He is a member of the Producers Guild, The Writers Guild, and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and has been named to ‘Who’s Who in America’ every year since 1990. Erni has always loved dogs and cats since he got his first dog ‘Taffy’ when he was six.