Christopher Lee is the Senior Director at Sea Fresh USA, Inc., a vertically-integrated processor and supplier of premium seafood based in Rhode Island.  Chris was introduced to the seafood industry in 1992, when as a Peace Corps volunteer in Central America he worked on small-scale aquaculture development projects.  Starting in 1994, Chris worked extensively in Spain and Italy to coordinate Sea Fresh USA’s Mediterranean bluefin tuna ranching operations, which were among the first of their kind in the industry.  Additionally, Chris has also worked to develop the seafood auction trading platform of the food trading e-commerce site GlobalFoodExchange.com. as well as a seafood buyer for a large national foodservice distributor.

Katie Almeida is the Senior Representative of Government Relations and Sustainability for the Town Dock located in Point Judith, Rhode Island. The Town Dock is the largest supplier of calamari in the United States. They own six otter trawl vessels that fish for longfin squid, illex squid, whiting, butterfish, fluke, scup, black sea bass, herring, and a mix of groundfish. Katie is responsible for following all state and federal regulations that pertain to the species on which the Town Dock relies. She sits on the following Advisory Panels: Squid/Mackerel/Butterfish, Fluke/Scup/Black Sea Bass, River Herring/Shad, and Small Mesh Multispecies, as well as the New Bedford working group for Wind Industry Issues and the Rhode Island Industry Advisory Committee. She is also a Board member of the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance and Responsible Offshore Science Alliance.

Donald Fox is a manager for the Atlantic Red Crab and Narragansett Crab companies.

Jeff Grant is a commercial fisherman who participates in a number of fisheries in Rhode Island and Alaska. Jeff graduated from the fisheries program at the University of Rhode Island.

Mike is the owner and operator of the F/Vs Mister G and Resilient, based out of Point Judith, Rhode Island.  He is the president of the Eastern New England Scallopers Association and a member of the Sea Scallop Advisory Panel. Mike participates in a wide variety of collaborative research, including the CFRF/WHOI Shelf Research Fleet.

Chris owns and operates two scallopers/trawlers, F/V Karen Elizabeth and F/V Yankee Pride, in Point Judith, Rhode Island. He has been a participant in many collaborative research projects. 

Mark Sweitzer is a commercial lobsterman and owner of the F/V Erica Knight based out of Point Judith, Rhode Island. Mark received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University and has been fishing out of Rhode Island since 1974. Mark is an active participant in the CFRF Lobster Research Fleet and CFRF/WHOI Shelf Research Fleet.  

Jon started his career as a Maine fisherman and is now the president of both the Atlantic Red Crab and Narragansett Crab companies. Founded in 1996 and based out of New Bedford MA, the Atlantic Red Crab Company has a processing facility and a fleet of approximately 14 vessels that fish for red crab and other benthic species. The company has long been an industry leader in promoting sustainable harvesting practices including self-imposed harvesting guidelines that can be more restrictive than those directed by the New England Fisheries Management Council. In 2021, Jon expanded his operations to Rhode Island when he opened the Narragansett Crab Company in Point Judith.

Norbert Stamps was a remarkable, one-of-a-kind man, with a huge personality and an even bigger heart of gold. Norbert always loved meeting new people, making a connection, finding common ground, and especially making them laugh.  Norbert was an incredible captain, a strong advocate of collaborative research, and passionate about preserving the lobster fishing industry. He was Vice President of the Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s Association and a Board member of the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation. During his time with the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation, he was involved in the Lobster and Jonah Crab Research Fleet where he was the first to pilot and test tablet apps, and Bluetooth calipers for lobster data collection, involved in the Shelf Research Fleet, and participated in several industry panel events at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum where he encouraged others to get involved in collaborative research.