Our Team
At NorthPoint Pets our knowledgeable thoughtful team is the engine that makes us go. We’ve put together a group of individuals who bring years of experience and education from venerated institutions and world experts which helps us provide a unique perspective to the challenges — and triumphs — you face as you spend a lifetime with your pet.
We all have big personalities, and pride ourselves with being honest — which can mean not always giving the easy answers — but we give them information that clients are unable to obtain by clicking a search bar on the internet. Taking the time to listen to you, and understand your pets allows us to provide you with the tools you need to make the most educated decisions.
Nicole Cammack
Nicole founded NorthPoint Pets & Company to fill a void for pet parents: information and transparency. Nicci understood that, while there are countless pet stores and unending opportunities for buying online, much of the information about pet food and health is incomplete, biased, or misleading. Since 2014, she is proudly leading an incredibly talented team that boasts several national awards as the leader in independent pet retail, innovation, education, health, nutrition and transparency.
Our team members
Dr. Ryan Yamka
Dr. Ryan Yamka earned bachelor’s degrees in animal science and biology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, followed by a master’s degree and doctorate in animal science from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from Baker University. He started his career at Hill’s Pet Nutrition in research and product development. Yamka’s research has focused on genomics, weight management, amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, fiber utilization and technologies for alternative testing.
Tina Adams
Tina has been working at NorthPoint Pets since 2017. Her dog Petey lived in a kennel for two years (as part of a cruelty case), after which she adopted him as a foster. She thought he was too small for her liking, but after falling in love with his huge personality, she decided to keep him. They’ve been a pair ever since. Tina met Nicci while volunteering at a rescue operation in 2012. In addition to managing the front of the store, you can find Tina completing orders and keeping the store organized.
Leah Barbieri
Leah joined the team in 2018 with several years of experience in the industry. Her dog Echo is a shepherd mix who she adopted at four months. She also has a cat (Siren) who accompanies her to work every day. Leah also has several parrots and reptiles in her pack, as well as an extensive knowledge of exotic animals. With experience in dog training and as an avid raw feeder, she is knowledgeable in transitioning, feeding, and supplementing with various raw foods for cats and dogs.
Beth Alonga
Beth and her family have a cat named Timmy and two dogs: Ammo, a German shepherd, and Monica, a black lab, both of whom are retired from the Connecticut State Police. Beth’s family adopted Monica upon retirement from the force. When she learned Monica had extreme food allergies, she sought help at NorthPoint Pets and was thrilled by the positive impact it had on Monica’s health. Beth enjoys helping others better their animals’ health and has been a member of the team ever since meeting Nicci.
Caitlin Regan
Caitlin Regan is a recent high school graduate (Class of 2020) where she was a cheerleader. She has three sisters, one of whom is a twin - in addition she has three dogs — a chihuahua, a pure-bred German Shepard, and a German Shepard Malinois mix — and one cat. She’s a very active person who enjoys long hikes and walks with family and friends.
Jenna Harrison
Jenna enthusiastically joined our team in early 2021 bringing nearly a decade of pet industry knowledge and experience along with her. She is proud mom to cats Aerie and Spook who are both credited with her interest into pet nutrition. Quickly Jenna realized that there was a lot to be desired for honest, unbiased and accurate information within the industry and she knew she wanted to help change that. Much like the team at NPP she believes in the value individualized diet, fresh food and tailored advice can provide for overall health, regardless of age. She also is the mom to 4 sugar gliders, Crumb, Crosby, Bindi and Gatsby which helps bring additional small animal knowledge to our robust team. When she’s not helping pet parents at NPP Jenna can be found hiking with her husband Adam, horseback riding and painting pet portraits.
Abbie Montonye
Abbie joined the NorthPoint Pets team in Fall 2019. She brings 15 years of administrative experience to the table, and her highly organized nature brings efficiency and attention to detail to the operations of our team. Abbie works alongside Nicci and the team behind the scenes to help keep projects moving forward while Nicci advocates and researches to make the pet industry more accountable. Abbie ‘is owned’ by 2 dogs (Morgan & Skippy) 2 cats (Timmy & Figgy) who keep her on her toes. She is married to an avid outdoorsman & hunter and is also the mother of two human children. Her and her family love the outdoors and can often be found hiking, biking, camping, and gardening.
Caitlin Schulz
Learn more about Caitlin soon!
Ashley Cammack
Ashley is the proud owner of two Dachshunds, one Yorkie, and three cats. She has a degree in music and is currently working on another in human resources. Ashley is also Nicci’s sister and shares the same love and affinity for animals. She’s extremely knowledgeable in the products we carry, and helps customers find the perfect diet for pets — even those with unique dietary needs.
Savannah Parris
Savannah joined the NorthPoint Pets team in the summer of 2020. She has two senior black cats, Emerald and Smokey whom have taught her a lot about animal behavior and health. She is keen to further her nutrition education being a member of the NPP team, and through additional schooling. In her free time Savannah can be found exploring the stage with her friends, working on all thing’s beauty, painting/drawing, meditating and engaging spiritual work. Savannah has plans to begin school in the spring towards an environmental engineering degree.
John Perillo III
John became a part of the NorthPoint Pets Team in August of 2019. He can be found receiving deliveries, managing inventory and keeping our shelves stocked. Johnny is dad to a 4-year-old rescue pit bull, Rosie. Rosie also has an important job conducting regular quality tests on newtreats and toys. Needless to say, she takes her position very seriously. John is also a competitive bowler and enjoys cooking for friends and family.
Adriana Lumbra
Learn more about Adriana soon!
Michelle Yaglowski
Michelle is a Registered Nurse, holding her bachelor's degree in Nursing with both Emergency and ICU experience. It goes without saying that she has incredible attention to detail, the ability to see past the obvious and a knack for research. Like many in this industry, she had a sick pet which developed her keen interest in animal nutrition, and her experience in human medicine and the ability to think critically serve her well in this space. Her quest for knowledge drives her to dive into topics that may be considered controversial, or that don’t have much research in animal nutrition. This allows her to provide a unique perspective to other pet owners which also encourages them to ask the tough questions and challenge the status quo. When she is not working in the hospital or researching and contributing to the NPP Journal she can be found spending time with her Dog Susie and cats Stout and Archer. If you have a topic or a question you would like an evidence-based research answer to you can email Michelle at michelle@northpointpets.com
Morgan Hunt
Morgan Hunt is a Pet Problem Solver at NorthPoint Pets and a Certified Veterinary Technician at Branford Veterinary Hospital. She’s attending school to get an Associate’s Degree in General Studies as well. She owns a Pit Mix (Tyson) and a Dalmatian (Pongo), and both keep her learning every day!
Melissa Violette
Melissa has four cats: Stitch, Stoli, Razzy, and Dually, as well as two dogs: Bella and Buddy. She can’t remember a point in her life when animals weren’t part of it. At 19, she adopted her first dog: a scared and shy shepherd mix from a local shelter. After bringing the dog home, her wonderful personality soon emerged. It was then that Melissa vowed to never buy any animal from a pet store. She says she “truly became a pet parent, and these were my children.” She also learned her love for all animals runs deep and was not just limited to just cats. She is a certified dog nutritionist and is working on receiving her certification in cat nutrition.
Nicole Harnois
Nikki is the actual definition of animal lover, with pitties holding a special place in her heart. She and her husband have two fun loving, loyal, and pitties of her own. She has always aspired to help all animals, involving herself in animal rescue, rehoming and taking care of those who need a little extra attention. She also enjoys baking, gardening, biking and Yankees Baseball! When she’s not working you can find her spending time with her dogs, and finding new ways to build the bond her and her husband have with their dogs.
Archer
Meet Archer! Archer is the weather reporter for NorthPoint Pets. He is 2 years old and is a grey and white tabby cat with white socks. Archer enjoys chin and cheek scratches, and sitting on top of the refrigerator, which is the premier location for viewing the weather. Archer also enjoys loafing on soft blankets, dipping his foot in water cups and bowls, and more importantly, breaking into the snack container to find his favorite snack—NoBL bars (no one tell him that one bar is for a 25 lb dog, he prefers to eat 2 at a time if he can). Archer loves to take all of his snacks into his own room, or sanctuary as we call it, so he doesn’t have to share with his dog or cat siblings.
