Meet Our Owners

John & Freddy Howell started the Wild Bird Center of Los Gatos, CA in October 1995. Freddy operated the store for the first few years while John continued with his employment. Once the store was running full-steam, John came in full-time. Now, 12 years later, their store is the consistent top performer in the franchise. Asked about Wild Bird Centers of America, Inc., they say:

“The idea of a Wild Bird Center matched our interest in birds and gave us the opportunity to give back to the community. Because we had no experience running a business, the franchise provided wisdom, guidance and experience that gave us confidence.”


Senior Staff

Name Job Title Extension
Petrides, Sr., George Founder & Chairman Ext. 204
Weng, Henrik Lehmann Chief Executive Officer Ext. 205
Petrides, Jr., George Vice-President of Franchise Development Ext. 203
Gladner, Neil Vice-President of Retail Operations & Marketing Ext. 219
Darby, Kathy Accountant Ext. 201
Dawedeit, Mary Ann Retail Operations Manager Ext. 213
Karamanova, Abby Managing Editor, Wild Bird News Ext. 210
Horn, Dr. Director of Research & Development drhorn@nbfs.org
Kristin Augustine Senior Marketing Associate Ext. 209


To contact any one of these staff members via email please select a recipient on the right and fill out the following form:

Petrides, Sr., George
Weng, Henrik Lehmann
Petrides, Jr., George
Gladner, Neil
Darby, Kathy
Dawedeit, Mary Ann
Karamanova, Abby
Horn, Dr.
Kristin Augustine