Petland, Inc. has announced that Chief Operating Officer Steve Steele has been elected to the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Steele was among 15 new board members elected during the Chamber’s second quarter board meeting earlier this month.

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce is the state’s leading business advocate, representing thousands of Ohio companies. The organization’s mission is to champion free enterprise, economic competitiveness, and economic growth to benefit businesses, communities, and all Ohioans.

As Chief Operating Officer of Petland, Steele leads retail operations across 16 corporate-owned stores and approximately 70 franchise locations nationwide. His responsibilities include oversight of sales, marketing, retail operations, human resources, information technology, customer service, accounting, finance, and training.

Since joining Petland in 2021, Steele has played a key role in strengthening operational performance and advancing strategic growth initiatives across the company’s corporate and franchise network. His leadership has helped drive improvements in store benchmarking, kennel health and care standards, technology modernization, and customer experience programs that support Petland’s mission of matching the right pet with the right family.

Prior to joining Petland, Steele held executive leadership positions in the telecommunications industry, most recently serving as President of the Fiber Optic Unit at Horizon Telcom in Chillicothe, Ohio, now part of GloFiber.

“Steve’s broad business experience, operational expertise, and commitment to growth make him an outstanding addition to the Ohio Chamber Board,” said Joe Watson, President and CEO of Petland, Inc. “I am confident he will be a strong representative for Ohio businesses and an effective voice in helping shape policies that promote economic opportunity and competitiveness across our state.”