Vitacost.com Inc. today named Jeffrey J. Horowitz as CEO. He has worked since Aug. 16 as interim chief executive officer of the online vitamin and supplement retailer, which is No. 80 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide.  He also was appointed in August to the company’s board of directors.

“We are delighted to announce Jeff’s appointment as CEO given his in-depth knowledge of the health and wellness industry and his strong leadership abilities,” says Michael Kumin, Vitacost.com’s interim board chairman. “Jeff is an ideal leader to further position the company for long-term profitable growth.”

Horowitz was founder and CEO of Vitamin Shoppe Inc., No. 177 in the Top 500 Guide. At Vitacost, he replaced CEO Ira Kerker, who also resigned as company director. “I believe the health and wellness category will continue to exhibit strong growth and believe Vitacost.com will continue to expand its online health and wellness leadership position by offering customers superior value and quality on the best selection of products,” Horowitz says.

In early January, Vitacost said it would appeal a delisting from the NASDAQ stock exchange. The stock exchange said the retailer violated listing rules when it missed a deadline for filing its quarterly financial statement.