Savonne serves as the senior director of advocacy and government relations for the Pet Food Institute (PFI). In her role, Savonne oversees state legislative and policy-focused activities and leads PFI’s reputation management efforts among state governments and organizations. Also serving as a liaison for PFI members, she advocates for priority policy issues for U.S. pet food and treat makers and monitors relevant legislative updates across the country.
Prior to joining PFI, Savonne was senior director of government affairs at the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), where she represented the companion animal trade association before federal, state and local governments and served as liaison with government partners, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), state departments of health and state departments of agriculture.
Throughout her extensive career in advocacy and public affairs, Savonne served in numerous senior leadership roles at the American Heart Association, Herbalife International, Elanco Animal Health and USDA.
Savonne earned her bachelor’s degree in justice and political science from American University School of Public Affairs. Outside of work, Savonne is passionate about travel. From 2015-2017, she fulfilled her lifelong dream of traveling around the world, visiting 25 countries across five continents.