Group-4

Natalee Fitch-Peppitt has been in the pawn industry for 4 years. She has a background in high-end fashion retail buying. Natalee is the creator of Gold Cup Live, a live selling outlet for Gold Cup Pawn Shop. Gold Cup Live was created during the Covid Pandemic of 2020 and has since produced over $1.5 million in sales with over 10,000 online orders. Natalee’s Facebook groups have a little under 9,000 members. Natalee is passionate about luxury and designer goods. She and her husband reside in the Texas Hill Country.

Rachel Fitch of Gold Cup Pawn Shop has been in the pawn industry for 5 years. She has been conducting estate sales in the Texas Hill Country for 30 years. Rachel is a member of TAP where she has previously sat on the board. She is also a founding member of the National Estate Sales Association. She holds a world record for the sale of Patek Philippe 2526 watch. Rachel resides in the Texas Hill Country with her husband and family.

Lauren Kaminsky Goldman, aka GOLDGIRL, has been immersed in the world of jewelry since birth. Lauren’s love for treasure hunting began at her grandfather’s pawnshops where she would sift through trays of jewelry to find unique pieces and pretend to negotiate the best deals with the staff. She was taught how to properly value gold and diamonds, along with developing an appreciation for the craftsmanship of fine jewelry. Now, as Chief Operating Officer and President of EZ Pawn Corp, she oversees 15 locations, working alongside her father, brother, & sister.

In 2011 she founded ByGOLDGIRL, and as her new company’s first venture, collaborated with Tao Group Hospitality and celebrity chef Chris Santos on the opening of Beauty & Essex in New York City. Her pawnshop-inspired retail store greets guests who can peruse her curated offerings of vintage finds and curiosities before entering the glamorous restaurant that awaits behind the back door. The successful venture led to additional Beauty & Essex locations in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

In 2022, as part of her mission to share of love of gold further, she created a ByGOLDGIRL collection for QVC, which features new fine jewelry crafted with 14k gold and real diamonds, inspired by her favorite finds sourcing pre-loved pieces for her retail shops at Beauty & Essex. She also works directly with clients on bespoke custom pieces under her MyGOLDGIRL brand.

Kevin has been in the Pawn Business for 32 Years.  He has served on the MPA Board since 1992 and was President of the Mississippi Pawnbrokers Association for a total of 14 years.  During that time, the MPA has the following accomplishments:  state Pawn Law Passed in 1993; yearly continuing educational requirement passed in 2010 (1 of only two states) and built a solid relationship with Mississippi state legislators.  Kevin has also been President of the Mississippi Retail Association for 2 years and board member for 10 years.  He also served on the NPA Board and was Convention Chairman for 1 year. In addition, Kevin also helped start the Dixie Educational Conference and Trade Show. Kevin is the current owner of Collateral Lenders in Jackson, Mississippi.

After graduating from Johnson and Wales University, Brett went on to work in sales management for Waste Management handling major accounts in the northeast. In 2000 he took a regional management position for a precious metal refiner where he was first introduced to the pawn industry. During his 10 years in the refining industry Brett received numerous sales awards while handling the needs of large jewelry manufactures, retail chains, and pawn stores. Brett was on the NPA Board of Directors 2007-2008.   After visiting thousands of pawnshops over the years Brett sought advice from many of the greats in the pawn industry that he had met over the years prior to opening his own pawn shop, East Coast Jewelry and Loan in 2010.

Brett is actively engaged in his community through his volunteer and political work. After being the chairman of the North Stonington Economic Development Commission for 13 years, Brett became a North Stonington Selectman in 2021. He is deeply committed to community and his role as a resident and businessperson in North Stonington. In his spare time, Brett enjoys spending time on his farm with his wife Stephanie and their children.

Ken is a Second Generation Pawnbroker that has been involved in the Pawnbroker business since 1978 after his father, KK Huddleston, opened his first Pawn Shop in Manchester. After graduating from Tennessee Technological University, Ken began working full time at KK’s. Currently he is President of KK’s Loans, Music & Jewelry, Inc that serves 3 locations in Southern Middle Tennessee. Ken is a long-time supporter of the NPA since the 1990’s. He has served as the President of Tennessee Pawnbrokers Association, and he is currently serving as Secretary/Treasurer for the TNPA. Ken is married to Nancy Huddleston since 1990; they have two kids. Zakk, oldest son, has been with the company since graduating from Tennessee Technological University, and he opened the McMinnville Location in 2017. He is currently serving as a Regional Manager. Isabella, after graduating from University of Alabama Huntsville, is currently enrolled at South College as a Physician’s Assistant.

John Bocker is an NSSF Security and Compliance Team member and the co-founder at FFL Consultants Team Member. FFL Consultants is a small-business consulting agency specializing in commercial security and ATF – FFL compliance. The goal at FFL Consultants is to educate the firearms industry and protect FFLs against unexpected losses resulting from burglary, robbery and internal control failures. Have a question regarding this article or the National Shooting Sports Foundation membership? Contact John at (720) 336-0028 and visit www.FFLConsultants.com.

Fran and her husband, Tony, owned and operated Dollar Pawn for nearly 30 years. She was elected to the board of directors of the NPA in 1998 and was immediately selected for the Government Relations Committee, which she chaired for several years. Fran served as NPA President during 2005-2007, and remained on the board of directors until “retiring” in 2011. In 2012 she became NPA’s Government Relations Liaison. That year she also testified on NPA’s behalf before the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions, Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives on legislation related to non-depository providers of consumer financial services and offered a prepared statement for the record. As a senior member of Team GRC, she tirelessly works to protect the right of pawnbrokers by alerting membership to the issues, working with elected officials, government regulatory agencies, and educating everyone on the pawn industry.