U.S. seafood wholesale company Santa Monica Seafood has promoted from within to hire its new senior vice president of sales.

The company, which is based in Rancho Dominguez, California and is the largest specialty wholesale distributor of fresh and frozen seafood in the Southwestern United States, promoted Shevis Shima, who joined the company in July 2015 as part of its acquisition of American Fish.

According to a press release from Santa Monica Seafood, Shima had a “meteoric” rise at Chesapeake Fish, rising from sales rep to sales manager, to director of sales and reaching the role of general manager of the entire Chesapeake Fish division of American Fish. In that role, Shima grew his division into the largest seafood distributor in San Diego, with 54 employees, before his division was bought by Santa Monica Seafood.

After the acquisition, Shevis worked both as manager of the Chesapeake Fish division, based in San Diego, and as full-time regional vice president of sales. He also represented the company as a board member of the San Diego Port Tenants Association, the Redevelopment of Seaport Porject and the Commercial Fishermen Revitalization Project.

Shevis replaces Dave Litle, who will be leaving Santa Monica Seafood in January to pursue “other personal career goals,” according to the company. Litle worked for 10 years as the head of the company’s foodservice sales division and will continue to serve as a member of its board of advisors following his departure.

Courtesy of SeafoodSource.com