With Open Arms S t acey Fe l i ce Stacey Felice, executive director at PPAChicago, was a newcomer to the industry only four years ago. Now, she’s welcoming others and thinking of new ideas to excite a regional association that’s celebrating its 65th anniversary. by Kristina Valdez In Stacey Felice’s home, you might see a bunny and two guinea pigs playing together. “My family loves animals,” says Felice, the executive director of PPAChicago. “We have pets of our own, but we recently got into fostering. I have a huge passion for animals that do not have a home or are unwanted. Some will come into the rescue center needing medical help, and we’ll nurse themback to health and help them find their forever homes.” Felice is an adoption coordinator for Fur Angels, an animal sanctuary in Illinois. As a momof two, family time is always a priority as well. Perhaps juggling all those personal life priorities have trained her for the oftenbusy life of a regional association exec. “With the executive director position, there are times when it’s slower and then there are times when it’s show time and work is more intense.” Felice joined the industry over four years ago with a background in accounting and event planning. She says, “With the executive director position, we basically do everything. We do the accounting, bookkeeping and the financials plus the event planning. It’s wide range of what our job duties are.” Meeting somany new faces on the show floor for the first time, Felice says she’ll never forget her first show. “The PPAChicago members are amazing. They showedme right away how passionate they are about what Stacey Felice Stacey Felice with her husband, Chris and their 13-year-old twins, Hailey and Brayden. 90 | OCTOBER 2022 | CONNECT
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