Seafood advocacy group names new head

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) has named the president and CEO of Seattle Fish Company, Derek Figueroa, as chairman.

NFI is a non-profit trade association dedicated to seafood education and advocacy including policy, safety, sustainability, and nutrition. The association and its members support and promote public policy, ranging from responsible wild capture fisheries and aquaculture, to establishing a marketplace supporting free trade, to ensuring the media and consumers have the facts about the benefits of fish and shellfish. 

Figueroa says he plans to use his time as chair to boost member engagement, bring diverse voices together to promote collaboration, and deliver on key impact goals driven by the organization’s strategic plan.

“Seafood has been a driving force in my life for over 30 years. I am proud of the opportunity to work with John (Connelly, NFI President), the talented staff at NFI, my industry colleagues, and other stakeholders to position seafood as the ‘protein of choice’ for consumers” said Figueroa.

“We are excited to have Derek help lead NFI for the next year,” says Connelly. “We have been looking forward to having him at the helm for some time – he brings a passion for seafood, for people and organization development, and for doing the right thing.  Those are all essential areas where we really need his guidance in 2021 and looking beyond.”