2024 Wild Alaska Pollock Annual Meeting

Alexis Taylor

U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Deputy Under Secretary

Alexis Taylor has a deep-rooted and impressive career working on matters related to agriculture, trade, and enhancing export opportunities for American farmers. She has not only spent her career serving the American people through her work in U.S. agricultural and trade policy, but also as a Veteran of the U.S. Army.

Amanda Buckle

Deputy Editor Americas, Undercurrent News

Amanda Buckle is Deputy Editor Americas at Undercurrent News, recently joining the media company after previously serving as Senior Editor at Expana’s Seafoodnews.com platform. Amanda is a member of the National Fisheries Institute’s Class of 2018 and is a prominent voice throughout the seafood community, speaking at numerous events across the industry. Previously, she has worked for International Business Times and Mic. Amanda lives in Barnegat, New Jersey, with her husband, two daughters and senior puppy. When she’s not chasing around her children, she enjoys antiquing and spreading the good word about wild Alaska pollock. 

Master of Ceremonies

Angel Rubio

Economist at Urner Barry

Angel Rubio is a Lead Forecast Analyst at Expana by Urner Barry, specializing in forecasts and hedging recommendations for commodities, including shrimp, eggs, and chicken. He previously led the Consulting division where he created the Surimi Supply Tracker for GAPP, among many other projects for various clients across the agri-food industry. Angel holds an M.S. in Applied Economics from Boston College, a B.S. in Business Economics and International Business from Villanova University, and additional certifications from Columbia University, East China Normal University, and the London School of Economics.

Bob Desautel

GAPP Board of Directors Chairman

Bob Desautel is co-founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Global Seas and Nina Fisheries, Inc. In 1994, he co-founded Nina Fisheries, a business that later developed internationally as it extended to Chile and Argentina in 1998. In 2001, Bob co founded Global Seas, a subsidiary of Nina Fisheries, that quickly became one of the West Coast’s premier vessel management companies. Under Bob’s direction, Global Seas’ expanded its business enterprise to the East Coast and ventured into the maritime research field in 2002.

In 1978, while studying business at the University of Nevada, Bob began his career as a deckhand fishing in the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea. In 1980, he advanced to the role of Captain and operated various fishing vessels. Bob possesses a United States Coast Guard (issue no.7) Masters 3000 ITC License. In 2002, he retired from the ocean to focus on the expansion of Global Seas.

Bob has served as President and Member of the Board of the North Pacific Fishing Vessel Owners’ Association, advocating safety education for the commercial fishing industry by providing information about USCG requirements, OSHA compliance standards, MARPOL, hands-on training programs, and safety seminars and workshops. In 1993, Bob co-founded United Catcher Boats, served as a Member of the Board and later as Vice President, all the while promoting the organization’s importance to the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska and West Coast fisheries. His efforts serving on these Boards, as well as his involvement in other various organizations, have both improved safety and created efficiencies in the commercial fishing and maritime industries.

Currently, Bob is on the board of the directors with the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) and United Boat Catchers (UBC). His involvement with GAPP and the fishing industry is to promote, elevate and expand Wild Caught Alaskan Pollock’s profile to tablecloth restaurants and grocery stores across North America.

Craig Morris

GAPP CEO

Dr. Craig Morris is GAPP’s exuberant CEO. He’s been a lifelong passionate advocate and ambassador for the U.S. food and agriculture industry and has dedicated his entire professional career to advancing the interests of various U.S. agricultural commodities. He’s done it all, from pork to beef to poultry and everything in between working for the National Pork Board (NPB), United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service and Future Beef Operations, LLC, to name a few. Craig received his Bachelor of Science degree with a distinction in Animal Science from Iowa State University and served as a regent’s graduate fellow while earning his Doctorate in Animal Science from Texas A&M University.

Hannah Lindoff

Executive Director, SeaShare

Hannah Lindoff is a life-long Alaskan and since April of 2024, the Executive Director of SeaShare, a national seafood charity. At SeaShare she works to engage the US seafood industry in a collective effort to improve nutrition for the people served by food banks and feeding centers. The non-profit partners with nearly 200 fishermen, processors, distributors, tribal entities, packaging companies, cold storage operators, and freight companies to work collaboratively. Since its founding in 1994, SeaShare has provided over 270 million servings of seafood to food banks across the country.

Hannah has spent her entire professional career in the seafood industry. Before becoming the Executive Director of SeaShare, she spent more than fifteen years with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) and served as the Sr. Director of the Global Marketing and Strategy where she oversaw nine regional marketing programs located in Japan, China, S.E. Asia, South America, and throughout much of Europe. She also coordinated agency-wide initiatives and strategic collaboration with other seafood trade groups and represented Alaska Seafood on the US Agricultural Export Development Council.

Sustainability efforts have been a cornerstone in her career. From 2019-2024 Hannah served on the Certified Seafood Collaborative (CSC) board which oversees the Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) certification, and she currently serves on the board of the Global Seafood Alliance.

In 2017 Hannah received her master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Mary Washington College and is also the author of several books for children. She lives in Juneau, Alaska with her husband and three children and together they also run a small oyster farm near the village of Hoonah.

Jeremy Woodrow

Executive Director at Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute

Jeremy Woodrow is the Executive Director for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. Jeremy is a born and raised Alaskan whose family has commercially fished in Southeast Alaska for over five decades. He has practiced marketing and public relations in the fields of seafood, state and local government throughout Alaska since 2002. Jeremy is an alumnus of Northern Arizona University where he received his bachelor’s in public relations and bachelor’s in advertising. He lives in his hometown of Juneau, Alaska with his wife and two young children. Jeremy is also active in coaching and volunteering for youth sports programs in which his children participate. He loves to spend every minute of free time with his family in the great outdoors of Alaska and, of course, fishing.

Jim Harmon

Executive Director, SeaShare

Jim Harmon has devoted most of his career to the seafood industry.  He came to Seattle to manage catcher processors in 1989. Harmon moved to SeaShare in 2001, and has served as Executive Director since 2009. He plans to retire in August of 2024.

During his 24 years at SeaShare, Jim has focused on donation partnerships for the food bank network; combining products, services, and funds to secure long-term donations of seafood that no single entity could justify or sustain. Jim has understood the intricacies of seafood harvesting, processing, and distribution; and the challenges it takes for companies to donate product.  Jim has simultaneously kept the food banks and their clients’ needs front and center, ensuring that everyone has access to nutrient-dense seafood.

Jim instituted donations of freezer containers in small towns and villages in Alaska to help support food donations within the state. He has also ensured that all donations in Alaska are done at zero cost to the receiving agencies.  Jim also coordinated the seafood industry’s response to multiple disasters across the country, including hurricanes, wildfires, and fishery closures.

His experience in operations and procurement, along with strong leadership and organizational skills, helped SeaShare garner many accolades during Jim’s tenure.

SeaShare works with the seafood industry to increase donations of seafood to Feeding America’s national network of food banks. The nonprofit has donated over 275 million servings nationwide in 30 years, largely thanks to Jim’s vision and tireless efforts.

Jim Johnson

President at Glacier Fish Company LLC

Julie Decker

President at Pacific Seafood Processors Association

Since in 1994, Julie Decker has worked in the Alaska seafood industry in a variety of positions, including seafood processing, commercial fishing and diving, vessel owner, and executive management of both seafood processing businesses and non-profit and trade organizations.  Currently, Decker is President of the Pacific Seafood Processors Association (PSPA).

Decker lives with her husband in Wrangell, Alaska.  They raised their two children commercial fishing on the F/V McCrea.  In the summers, Decker takes vacation time to harvest kelp with her husband.

Decker has served on various boards and committees working toward economic development in the seafood industry, including the United Fishermen of Alaska, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, Southeast Conference, Wrangell Borough Assembly, Alaska Mariculture Alliance, Certified Seafood Collaborative, and Global Seafood Alliance.

Decker holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, and a Master of Public Administration, with a concentration in Natural Resource Management, from University of Alaska Southeast.  In 2013, Decker was presented the Ernest Gruening Award for “Outstanding Graduate Student”.  In 2021, Decker was named a “Highliner” by National Fisherman.

Lauren Hasse

Director, Ketchum Analytics

Lauren Hasse is a market research and consumer insights specialist, who’s been with Ketchum for 7 years. She’s currently a Director for Ketchum Analytics, based in Chicago. She’s an expert in both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. She’s experienced in multi-discipline research including message development and testing, brand positioning, communications measurement, campaign evaluation, segmentation research and issues & crises. She has a passion for helping her clients understand audience needs so they can better connect with and influence their target audience. She leads Ketchum’s analytics work across food, agriculture and ingredients, consumer food and retail industries. Lauren is a graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism and an emphasis in strategic communications.

Mary Elizabeth Germaine

Chief Data & Strategy Officer, Ketchum Analytics

Mary Elizabeth leads Ketchum’s research, measurement and analytics sector, Ketchum Analytics. Since joining the agency in 2001, she has been instrumental in growing the business from a handful of team members to well over 60 in 12 cities globally today. With more than 20 years of experience as a marketing and communications researcher, Mary Elizabeth counsels clients on how to make the best use of data and analytics and derives insights to develop, measure and optimize strategic communication programs. Her work spans all stages of the communications process – from planning to testing to evaluation. She is responsible for the development of a variety of Ketchum’s proprietary tools, including those used for measurement, audience profiling, strategy and creative testing, optimization, as well as the agency’s strategic planning process among others. Her remit is to infuse data and analytics across all aspects of the Agency’s work. Her background is in the area of corporate reputation research. Work in this space includes the following clients: Takeda, Janssen, Novartis, NBCUniversal, Kohler, Hilton Worldwide, Michelin, Dow, ConAgra, White Wave Foods, Best Buy, Newmont, Genentech, Sears, Nokia, and Cox Communications. 

Ron Rogness

GAPP Director, Industry Relations, Partnerships & Fishery Analysis

Ron Rogness joins GAPP as Director of Industry Relations, Partnerships and Fishery Analysis. Ron Rogness previously served as an economic advisor to the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers. Prior to this role, he was Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Relations for American Seafoods Group in Seattle, Washington. Ron also spent eleven years in seafood purchasing for Long John Silver’s Restaurants and then, after LJS was purchased by Yum! Brands, served seven years in seafood purchasing and government affairs for the Unified Foodservice Purchasing Cooperative, the exclusive supply chain manager for Yum! Brands U.S. restaurants. Ron started his career in the seafood industry in 1980 as a commercial fisherman, first in Washington State and later Alaska. After graduate work in fisheries economics at University of Alaska, he served as staff economist for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council in Anchorage Alaska. Following three years with the Council, Ron spent five years as staff economist and West Coast Government Relations Representative at the National Fisheries Institute.

Yaiza Donaire

Surimi Category Manager, Angulas Aguinaga

Yaiza Donaire is the Surimi Category Manager at Angulas Aguinaga, the company that created the chilled surimi market in Spain more than 30 years ago. She joined the company in 2016 and since then she has been working to increase the seafood and surimi consumption in Spain. Among her duties, she is in charge of the communication strategy, therefore she gives speaks about surimi and Alaska pollock in different forums and to diverse target audiences. She has also organised journalist trips to Japan to show them the origins of surimi in firsthand.  Yaiza lives in a small town in the Basque country; Spain, with her partner and foster son. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her son doing arts, spending time in nature and drinking coffee with friends. 

Stephanie Madsen

Executive Director, At-Sea Processors Association

Stephanie Madsen has been involved in Alaska fisheries since arriving in Alaska over fifty years ago.  She has lived in the fishery dependent communities of Cordova, Kodiak, Unalaska/Dutch Harbor and now Juneau so Stephanie understands first hand the importance of healthy, sustainable fisheries to thriving communities.

Having served six years on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, four of those as Chair, she was involved in establishing the Arctic Fishery Management Plan, the Aleutian Islands Fisheries Ecosystem Plan and designing catch share type programs in several fisheries.  Madsen continues to serve the Council as member of the Ecosystem Committee.  

Stephanie is the Executive Director of the At-Sea Processors Association

Brent Paine

Executive Director, United Catcher Boats

Brent Paine has served as the Executive Director of United Catcher Boats for the past thirty years.   In this capacity, Brent has represented the interests of the Bering Sea Pollock and Pacific Cod trawl catcher vessel owners and West Coast Whiting trawl catcher boat owners before the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, the Pacific Fishery Management Council, the Alaska Board of Fisheries, the Alaska Legislature and before Congress in Washington DC.  United Catcher Boats as a vessel owner trade association has advocated for rational fisheries management policies in the for of cooperative-based Catch Share allocation programs for the West Coast and Alaska federal groundfish and crab fisheries.  United Catcher Boats has advanced novel bycatch management programs via the trawl catcher vessel cooperative structure as well.  Brent Paine will be retiring as UCB’s first and only Executive Director at the end of 2024.  

Tatsuya Gake

Foodstuff Sales, Nissui Corporation

-Joined Nissui in 2000

-Engaged Seafood sales for 24yrs

-In charge of Costco Japan Fish/Deli dept

-Love Seattle (had lived in 2011-2014)

-Love Baseball

-Love Ramen

-Love my dog(chihuahua)