Bill Pinyon, president and chief executive officer of venerable gay site Badpuppy, has stepped down as president of the company.
Pinyon remains CEO but now is dedicating his time to his longtime dream of becoming a pilot. Veteran Chief Financial Officer Max Zechinato, who has been with Badpuppy for 10 years, is now president. Zechinato will handle the day-to-day responsibilities of Badpuppy and Dog Gone Video, while Pinyon attends flight school.
“I still come into the office on a daily basis and have no plans to stop,” Pinyon says. “Max has been acting in the position [of president] for the past six months and has done extremely well with every responsibility that has been handed to him. Plus, he has the complete respect of all the employees, which is extremely important.
“How does it feel? Okay, I guess,” Pinyon continues. “It’s not easy for me to just quit anything. So I'll still be coming into the office and working with everyone on different projects. I still love the technology and the industry.”
Zechinato is diving into his new role eagerly. “I look forward to the coming years in my new capacity, and hope to have a positive influence on the growth of all of our business ventures,” he says. “I bring 42 years of IT experience to the position, and it is my fervent hope that this, combined with our excellent staff, will work to make Badpuppy and Dog Gone Media better than ever.”
Pinyon and Zechinato worked together at NASA before Pinyon started Badpuppy.
After acquiring his pilot’s license, Pinyon plans to travel the country with his business and life partner, Steven.
“I have wanted to be a pilot all my life and have always wanted my own airplane,” Pinyon says. “Well, thanks to Max and my wonderful employees, this dream is now something that is within reach.”
