Melissa Errend

Economist & Project Manager, Northern Economics

Melissa Errend is an economist and project manager with Northern Economics, Inc. She has a strong interdisciplinary background spanning marine policy and marine biology and has focused her career at the intersection of these disciplines to solve natural resource management issues, particularly in fisheries. Melissa has worked on both the U.S. West Coast and East Coast groundfish catch share programs. In addition, she is an experienced user of fishery data and is passionate about data science and communication.

Prior to joining Northern Economics, Melissa was staff economist at the New England Fishery Management Council and earlier worked with NOAA Fisheries at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, and the West Coast Regional Office.

Leah Cuyno

Senior Economist, Northern Economics

Leah Cuyno is a senior economist with Northern Economics, Inc. She has a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Applied Economics from Virginia Tech, with a specialization in Environmental Economics. Her work principally focuses on energy, resource development projects, and economic impact assessment. She is well-versed in using both the IMPLAN and REMI models for conducting input-output analysis to estimate direct and indirect effects of industries and investment projects, using economic parameters such as employment, labor income, value of goods and services, and fiscal impacts to state and local governments.

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.

Jim Johnson

President at Glacier Fish Company LLC

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.

Sam Murphy

Sam Murphy is the Vice President at GAPP and the APFA Director of Communications. Sam brings extensive experience in executive communications, brand development, and both internal and external communications. Having worked for organizations including AAA and Alaska Airlines as well as the Rose Bowl and Los Angeles Chargers, he has proven successful in crafting impactful narratives that elevate organizational messaging, position internal leaders as trusted voices, and foster engagement across diverse audiences. In his role with GAPP, Sam is responsible for fishery narrative development and storytelling for the Alaska Pollock Fishery Alliance (APFA) as well as fish-focused communications efforts that grow global demand for Wild Alaska Pollock.

Rich Morgan

USI, Northwest Marine Practice Leader