2026 Annual Conference Speakers TONY ANZOVINO an industry veteran with over 35 years' experience in manufacturing, sourcing, technical design and product development. Tony's resume includes manufacturing management at two domestic factories, Director of Technical Design at Abercrombie & Fitch, Sourcing and R&D at JCP, Chief Sourcing & Merchandising Officer at Haggar Clothing, and is currently at Dillard's in Product Development, Sourcing & Operations. He is a Senior Member of the AATCC, Sustainability Committee and Government Relations Committee member with the AAFA, and Executive Committee member and Immediate Past President of the AAPN.
JOSEPH BLUMBERG has been a partner in Grupo M in the Dominican Republic and Haiti since 1987, with nearly 40 years of experience in manufacturing, operations, sustainability, compliance, and strategic business development. He currently serves as Managing Director of Grupo M / CODEVI Manufacturing Operations and leads the company’s Strategic Business Unit focused on expanding manufacturing capabilities and attracting new investment to the region. Throughout his career, Mr. Blumberg has held numerous executive leadership roles and has been actively involved in industry initiatives related to corporate social responsibility and workforce development. He served on the advisory board for the development of SA-8000, one of the textile industry’s first social responsibility standards, and currently serves on the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) Apparel Industry Management/Menswear Career Advisory Board. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra.
CHAD BOLICK joins Intrinsic Advanced Materials with more than 30 years of global textile experience spanning sales leadership, brand partnerships, and complex supply-chain management. He played a key role in building and scaling Unifi’s REPREVE® platform, helping major brands integrate recycled fibers and advance circularity across apparel, footwear, and performance markets. Chad brings deep expertise in synthetic yarn and fiber manufacturing, sustainability, and partnership development, and will help drive the expansion of CiCLO® technology across brand, retail, and manufacturing networks. Outside of work, Chad is an avid distance runner, a dedicated NC State sports fan, and has practiced martial arts for more than 40 years.
JILL COLEMAN is a sales leader, educator, and industry connector with over 25+ years of experience across the apparel and healthcare sectors. She is the Director of Business Development at Prairie Wear and principal owner of RC2 Consulting, where she helps purpose-driven brands drive growth and build meaningful customer relationships. With expertise spanning product development through commercialization, she brings a holistic perspective to market success across healthcare, airlines, law enforcement, and distributor channels. Jill currently serves as President of the Americas Apparel Producers’ Network (AAPN) and is a passionate advocate for collaboration, innovation, and improving customer outcomes.
NICOLE BIVENS COLLINSON is a Managing Principal, Operating Committee, and International Trade and Government Relations Practice Leader with Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A. She is located in the Washington, D.C., office. Ms. Collinson is a commentator on trade matters and has appeared on MSNBC, NPR, and BBC Worldwide. She is also the producer of the podcast Two Minutes in Trade, available wherever you listen to podcasts.
ANNA BRAKEFIELD graduated from Auburn University in 2012 with a degree in graphic design before beginning a career in marketing in New York City. In 2016, after returning south to start a family, Anna joined her father, Mark Yeager, to launch Red Land Cotton—a direct-to-consumer company built around cotton grown on their family farm and manufactured entirely in the United States. Under Anna’s leadership, Red Land Cotton has grown from a small operation in her father’s cotton gin office into a nationally recognized brand that directly employs more than 30 people and indirectly supports more than 1,000 American jobs across nine states. The company has expanded from two styles of cotton bed sheets to a full collection of bedding, towels, blankets, quilts, and loungewear, all made in the USA. As both a founder and mother of two, Anna brings a personal perspective to entrepreneurship, leadership, and growing domestic manufacturing in America.
KEITH DARTLEY is President and CEO of Swisstex Direct, a leading textile manufacturer specializing in all categories of circular knit fabrics. Since founding the company in 2005, Keith has led a bold transformation — pivoting from exclusively traditional cotton-blended fashion products and adding cutting-edge active performance textiles, all the while keeping environmental responsibility at the core.
KARIN DE LEÓN - Director of Promotion and Investment at Vestex, has been working for the textile and apparel sector in Guatemala for more than 25 years, promoting the development of the industrial cluster, participating in the creation of strategies, supporting the strengthening of the supply chain and attracting investment. From 2020 to the beginning of 2022, she served as Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Economy of Guatemala and later was General Coordinator of the National Competitiveness Program (PRONACOM), government entity that is in charge of promoting the country and attracting investment. She is currently the investment and promotion coordinator for the Apparel and Textiles Association (VESTEX), and representative of Guatemala in CECATEC-RD.
DANIEL FACUSSE currently serves as President of the Central American-Dominican Business Council on Textiles and Apparel (CECATEC-RD), which represents the textile and apparel industry of the CAFTA-DR region. He also serves as President of the Board of Directors of the Honduran Manufacturers Association (AHM). Mr. Facussé has decades of business experience in the textiles sector. Furthermore, he maintains interests in the agroindustrial sector, specifically within the sugar industry. Born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Mr. Facussé earned his degree in Textile Engineering and Marketing from Clemson University in South Carolina. He is married to Mrs. Karla Mena de Facussé, and they have three children.
PATRICIA FIGUEROA is a professional with more than 20 years of experience in the field of Economic Development. Since 2015 she has been acting as Executive Director of the Chamber of the Textile, Apparel and Free Trade Zones of El Salvador – CAMTEX, and also of the Central American Council of Textile organizations-CECATEC. Through her career path She was also the First Salvadorean Ambassador to India establishing the first diplomatic headquarters in New Delhi in 2009. She served as Executive Director of the National Competitiveness Program in the Ministry of Economy and worked for 10 years in FUSADES as Executive Director of the PRIDEX Program at the Salvadoran Foundation for Economic and Social Development (FUSADES), where she promoted export diversification and investment promotion. She also directed the Investment Promotion Agency (PROESA) from 2004-2008 been engaged in the strategy to bring the Textile synthetic cluster to El Salvador.
JEREMY GOLDBLATT serves as chief operating officer of KemperSports and leads a portfolio of best-in-class golf and hospitality operations at more than 250 golf courses, venues, and resorts in 37 states. He also manages the regional operations, purchasing, and new business development teams while leading the company’s strategy to grow its KemperClubs, KemperDestinations, KemperSports Venues, and KemperSports LIVE business segments. Jeremy most recently served as COO of Professional Sports Catering, a division of Levy – a leading hospitality company providing food and beverage to major sports and entertainment venues. He is a graduate of Brown University and received his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Chicago.
After a 2 year stint as a recruiter for the College of Textiles, he began his career with JP Stevens in their Industrial Fabrics Division in 1982 in NYC. He was a regional sales representative in the SE, Mid-West, and North East (including Canada), before returning to Greenville, SC as a Marketing Manager for the Coating & Laminating fabrics group. He took over the Marketing/Sales Manager position for the Cotton Apparel & Industrial Fabrics group in 1996 and continued in that role until becoming the Director of Sales/Marketing for Hamrick Mills in 2003. Jim’s career in the industry has been dedicated to the design, development, and sale of woven fabrics for apparel, home furnishings, and industrial applications. Of note, he supplied Astroquartz fabric to NASA for use as heat shields for the Space Shuttle program, fabric for the original Automotive Air Restraint bags, and FR fabrics for use on aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines. Jim presently lives in Carolina Beach, NC with his wife Martha and their 2 Pugs, Phoebe and Stella. They enjoy playing with the dogs, wogging(combination of walking and jogging) on the beach, golf, and watching sunsets from their back deck with a glass of wine.
RICK HORWITCH is Chief of Supply Chain; Sustainability Strategy – Global Retail Lead, for Bureau Veritas – Consumer Products Services, and has been with BV for 21 years. In this role, his focus is on developing Supply Chain Quality Management and Sustainability (SCQMS) solutions to help their customers (83 of the top 100 global retailers) protect their brands, reduce costs and ESG impacts, and improve efficiencies and the customer experience. Rick has over 40 years’ experience in the apparel, textile and consumer products industries covering all facets of business – sourcing, product development, sales, marketing and operations with companies such as Warnaco, Kurt Salmon Associates, and Deena. Rick is a graduate of Tulane University. He is married and lives in Calabasas, CA.
FRED ISENBERG is the Vice President of Channel Acquisition, Strategic Accounts & Latin America for BlueCherry® by CGS, specializing in supply chain software, digital transformation, and enterprise optimization for the manufacturing industry. A recognized expert in factory floor visibility and an active AAPN contributor, Fred drives strategy and efficiency across the Americas through strategic partnerships and customer success initiatives.
ERIC JOO is Head of North America Feedstock Operations at Reju, where he is responsible for developing and executing the North America feedstock strategy to meet production needs and sustainability goals. Through building relationships with suppliers and partners to ensure a reliable and cost-effective feedstock supply, Eric is building a network that can adapt to changing feedstock market trends while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. Eric brings extensive experience in supply chain management and strategic sourcing within the textile industry. He is dedicated to advancing sustainable practices and optimizing operational efficiency. Eric graduated with a BA from the New School University Liberal Arts and a JD from the University of Michigan Law School.
LYNSEY JONES is Executive Director of the Americas Apparel Producers’ Network (AAPN), where she leads a network of industry decision-makers focused on advancing Western Hemisphere sourcing. With 20+ years in global sourcing and supply chain strategy, she has held leadership roles at VF Corporation and Carter’s, Inc.. At VF, she helped establish the Latin America sourcing hub in Panama. At Carter’s, she served as Vice President of Global Sourcing Strategy & Transformation, leading initiatives to simplify and modernize a $1B+ supply chain. Since joining AAPN in 2022, Lynsey has focused on turning interest in nearshoring into action—connecting brands, retailers, and manufacturers to build real supply chains across the Americas. She holds an M.S. in Textiles from North Carolina State University Wilson College of Textiles and serves on its Industry Advisory Board. She is based in Charleston, South Carolina.
ANNA KENNEY is a retail and consumer strategist who specializes in turning complex ideas into clear, executable plans. As Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Thread Advisory Group, she helps brands connect strategy to storefront, streamline operations, and build teams that execute with confidence. Her background spans Victoria’s Secret PINK, Walgreens, and Adidas, with experience across merchandising, operations, and strategic growth. Anna brings a practical, people-first approach to every engagement, focused on driving clarity, capability, and results.
LUCAS MAYORGA is an Industrial Chemical Engineer with a Master’s degree in Finance and more than 30 years of experience in the apparel and textile industry. He currently serves as Senior Vice President for LATAM at Li & Fung, leading strategic initiatives and regional sourcing and supply chain operations. In addition, Lucas serves on the Board of Directors of VESTEX, the Apparel and Textile Association of Guatemala. Throughout his career, he has traveled extensively across Asia, Mexico, Central America, and South America, developing a broad global perspective of the industry. He has established and led sourcing offices in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Peru, building regional capabilities and leading teams to support the needs of international brands and retailers. His experience as a manufacturer, brand representative, and international sourcing agent has provided him with a well-balanced perspective on the challenges and
BRIAN MOORE is President of UNIFI® Manufacturing, Inc. He leads the Americas yarn business, which includes operations in the U.S. and Central America and Colombia, S.A. He is responsible for driving business growth and profitability across Unifi’s manufacturing and sales teams. Brian joined UNIFI® in 1993, managing quality control and industrial engineering operations, including serving as the Director of UNIFI’s Six Sigma program. As President, of UNIFI Asia, he led the company’s entry into Asia. Brian’s extensive experience also includes Vice President of Nylon, Vice President of Global Brand Sales, and Senior Vice President of Direct Sales & Operations. From 2005-2018, Brian served as Managing Director, Asia Pacific, and Vice President of Global Sales, Marketing, and Asian Operations for Scovill Fasteners Ltd. As CEO of Prym Fashion from 2018-2020, Brian led acquisition and growth strategies for this global manufacturer of fastening systems and accessories.
RON ROACH is the President of Contempora Fabrics, a leading U.S. circular knit supplier based in Lumberton, N.C. Founded in 1972, Contempora is an industry leader in fabrics for team sports, performance, and workwear. Ron has been with the company for 41 years. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University and currently serves on the AAPN board. He is also a Past President of the SEAMS Association.
DENNIS ROCKWELL is a 30+ year veteran of the textile industry with extensive experience across the Western Hemisphere. He has led regional operations for Mast Industries and managed a vertically integrated manufacturing operation in Mexico. Dennis brings deep sourcing expertise throughout the Americas, supporting production and supply chain strategies for leading U.S. brands.
JUAN ZIGHELBOIM is an experienced entrepreneur and industry leader in apparel manufacturing, nearshoring strategy, and golf retail innovation, with over four decades of experience spanning banking, global sourcing, manufacturing, and brand development. Through TexOps and Kickpoint Golf, he continues to bridge design, production, and market execution, delivering high-quality, socially responsible products to leading brands and premier golf properties worldwide.
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