William T. Hogarth, Ph D.
Director of NOAA Fisheries

Dr. William T. Hogarth is the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries at the National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA Fisheries). As Assistant Administrator, he is responsible for overseeing the management and conservation of marine fisheries and the protection of marine mammals, sea turtles and coastal fisheries habitat within the United States exclusive economic zone. The agency's budget for fiscal year 2001 is $828.7 million and employs over 2,800 people in 6 regions, 6 science centers and 12 laboratories in 15 states. The agency's headquarters is in Silver Spring, Maryland, outside Washington, D.C. Dr. Hogarth's background and experience has focused on a wide range of environmental, scientific, and marine policy issues.Bill has held a number of leadership roles for the National Marine Fisheries Service including Acting Assistant Administrator February - September 2001, and before that, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Fisheries (July 2000 - February 2001). He also served as the Southeast Regional Administrator in St. Petersburg, Florida from May 1999 to July 2000 and as the Southwest Regional Administrator in Long Beach, California from April 1997 through April 1999. From 1994 to 1997, he held several positions in the National Marine Fisheries Service Headquarters as the Chief of the Highly Migratory Species Division and as senior staff for recreational fisheries issues.
Prior to joining NOAA, Dr. Hogarth was the Director of the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, a position he held from 1986 to 1994. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Richmond and a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University.

Rebecca Lent, Ph.D.
Deputy Assistant Adminstrator for Regulatory Programs

In October 2001, Dr. Lent was appointed as the New Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs at NOAA Fisheries. In this capacity, she reviews all of NOAA Fisheries’ proposed regulatory actions, including those to support protected resources, sustainable fisheries, and habitat conservation. She is also the designated lead for NOAA Fisheries in international affairs. Dr. Lent joined NOAA in 1992 serving as the economist and later as the Chief of the agency’s Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Management Division. She has broad experience in dealing with a wide variety of controversial fishery management issues affecting fishermen, conservationists, business, and communities. Dr. Lent was appointed Southwest Regional Administrator in 2000 and in this capacity directed NOAA’s fisheries management and science programs in the southwestern United States, Hawaii, and the U.S. Trust Territories. Rebecca Lent has a Bachelor of Arts degree (1975) and a Master’s degree (1978) in economics, and earned her Ph.D. in resource economics from Oregon State University in 1984. Dr. Lent currently resides in Silver Spring, Maryland, with her husband Dr. Utpal Vasavada and daughter Kajal.

John Oliver
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations

John Oliver serves as Deputy Assistant Administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries). He has held this position since January of 2001. As the Deputy he serves as the agency's Chief Operating Officer responsible for the management of the agency's 2,800 employees and a budget of $834 million dollars. The mission of the agency is the stewardship of the nation's living marine resources and their habitats through science-based conservation and management and promotion of the health of their environment. From 1997-2000 Mr. Oliver served as the Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer for NOAA's National Ocean Service. Prior to that he was the Director, Management & Budget Office for NOAA Fisheries. Mr. Oliver has over 30 years of experience in the Department of Commerce/NOAA management and policy positions.

Michael Sissenwine
Director Scientific Programs & Chief Science Advisor

Dr. Michael P. Sissenwine serves as Director of Scientific Programs and Chief Science Advisor for the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, a position he has held since March 2003. He is responsible for about 30 Laboratories, eight offshore research vessels and 1,400 staff throughout the USA. His organization’s mission is to provide the scientific basis for conservation and management of marine living resources and their ecosystems. From 1996-2002, he served as Director of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, comprised of five laboratories, approximately 300 staff, and two offshore research vessels. Previously, Dr. Sissenwine served almost six years as the Senior Scientist of the National Marine Fisheries Service, overseeing the Agency’s scientific programs throughout the USA, and has over 20 years of experience as a research scientist, authoring over 100 scientific reports and publications on a wide range of topics including ecosystem dynamics, fisheries oceanography, resource assessments and fishery management theory and case studies. Dr . Sissenwine is the recipient of a Presidential Meritorious Rank Award and DOC Silver metal. He earned his Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island in 1975.

Patricia Kurkul
Regional Administrator for the Northeast Regional Office

Ms. Kurkul, Regional Administrator for the Northeast Regional Office (NERO), is a career government employee having been with NOAA Fisheries since 1980. She began with the organization as an economist. Her experience at NOAA Fisheries includes a period as a senior policy analyst and as Office Director for Sustainable Fisheries. Ms. Kurkul has been Northeast Regional Administrator (RA) for the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) since 1999. She received a BS degree in Resource Economics from the University of Massachusetts in 1977 and a MS degree from University of Rhode Island in 1980. In her capacity as RA, she is responsible for the development of policy and the implementation of management programs for the living marine resources of the northeastern United States. She provides guidance to senior Agency officials and the Fishery Management Councils on sensitive and complex management issues, she represents, advocates and negotiates on behalf of the agency with states, Management Councils, industry, Congressional representatives and special interest groups. Serve on both the Executive Board and Leadership Council of the National Marine Fisheries Service and serves as a member on the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils.

Roy E. Crabtree, Ph. D
Regional Administrator for the Southeast Regional Office

Dr. Roy E. Crabtree has served as the regional administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Region since January 2003. Previously, he has served as research fishery biologist for the South Carolina Marine Resources Center, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and the Florida Marine Research Institute. A native of Chapel Hill, N.C., he earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Furman University in 1976, his master’s degree in marine science from the University of South Carolina in 1978, and his doctorate in marine science from the College of William and Mary in 1984. Dr. Crabtree now resides in St. Petersburg, Florida, with his wife, Laura, and three daughters, twins Rachel and Julia and Arlyn.

Bob Lohn
Regional Administrator for the Northwest Regional Office

Bob Lohn is a native of Montana. He attended Harvard, served as an officer in the Navy, then returned for a law degree from the University of Montana. Following graduation, he became counsel for the governor of Montana, taught law at the University of Georgia, and became chief of the legal staff at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco, and later practiced law in the Bay area. In 1987, Bob was chosen as general counsel for the Northwest Power Planning Council in Portland, Oregon, where he began working with fish and wildlife issues in the Columbia River basin. In 1994, he left the Council to manage the fish and wildlife activities of the Bonneville Power Administration, which implements the Council’s program, and addresses ESA requirements for the regional hydro system. In these years, Bonneville worked with the region to restructure the way in which projects were selected and funded, increasing the accountability and effectiveness of the program. In 1999, Bob returned to the Council as the fish and wildlife director. During this time, the Council re-wrote its fish and wildlife program to give much more flexibility and importance to local fish and wildlife restoration initiatives within a solid scientific framework. Bob was appointed Regional Administrator by Secretary of Commerce Don Evans in October 2001. He alternates weeks in the Seattle and Portland offices of NMFS.

Rod McInnis
Regional Administrator for the Southwest Regional Office

Rod McInnis is currently the Regional Administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) Southwest Region which encompasses the States of California, Arizona, and Nevada. Mr. McInnis has 25 years of experience in conservation and management of living marine resources in the Pacific in his work for NOAA Fisheries and the Pacific Fishery Management Council. He has broad experience as an administrator and regulator in implementing the major Federal statutes and policies related the conservation of living marine resources, including the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. He has managed programs for fisheries observers, regulation formulation and writing, environmental impact analysis, habitat conservation, fishery management, and conservation of protected species.Mr. McInnis holds a Master of Arts in Marine Biology from San Francisco State University earned through graduate studies at the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.

Jim Balsiger, Ph. D
Regional Administrator for the Alaska Regional Office

Dr. James Balsiger is the Regional Administrator of the Alaska Region of the National Marine Fisheries Service, a position he has held since May 2000. Dr. Balsiger’s prior position was Regional Science and Research Director at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle from 1995 through mid-2000. He also served as Deputy Director of the Center from 1991 through 1995 and Program Leader for the Status of Stocks Task within the Center’s Resource Ecology and Fisheries Management Division from 1977 to 1991. Dr. Balsiger holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry from Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan; a Master of Science degree in Forest Silvaculture from Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana; and a Ph.D. in Quantitative Ecology and Natural Resource Management from the University of Washington in Seattle.

William L. Robinson, Regional Administrator, Pacific Islands Regional Office

William L. Robinson is the Regional Administrator of the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Pacific Islands Region based in Honolulu, Hawaii. After beginning his career with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, he joined the NMFS in 1980 serving as Chief of Fisheries Management for NMFS Alaska Region and the Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries for NMFS Northwest Region. His responsibilities have included administering federal fisheries management and endangered species programs in Alaska and the U.S. west coast, and representing NMFS on the Pacific Fishery Management Council, Pacific Salmon Commission and International Pacific Halibut Commission. He has also represented NMFS in a professional exchange with the Australian Fisheries Service where he helped design and implement an Individual Transferable Quota program in the Australian southern bluefin tuna fishery, the first such program in the country. He has worked closely with Native American Indian Tribes, the west coast and Alaska fishing industry and environmental groups to promote resource conservation and sustainable fisheries management.

He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries from Oregon State University. He is married with three children and plans on making his home in Kailua, Hawaii.

Dale Jones
Chief, Office of Law Enforcement

Dale Jones was hired as the Chief of the NOAA Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement in May of 1999. His previous professional experience includes Five years as a municipal Police Chief with the City of Hagerstown Maryland, Four years as the Director of Police and Fire Services with the City of Warren Pennsylvania, and twelve years within the ranks and command staff of the Arvada Colorado Police Department. Chief Jones has also served in collateral roles as a consultant to the State of Pennsylvania as a peer advisor working with other municipal Police Chiefs to review their departmental operations and administration. He holds a Masters Degree in Foundations of Bilingual and Multicultural Education from the University of Colorado at Denver and a Bachelor degree with a double major in Criminology and Sociology from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Senior Executive Fellows Program.

John H. Dunnigan
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries

John Dunnigan is currently the Director of Sustainable Fisheries, a position he has held since January 2002. HE is responsible NOAA Fisheries headquarters’ activities relating to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conversation and Management Act and other laws, including Atlantic highly migratory species management, domestic fisheries regulation, international fisheries, fisheries policy and interjurisdictional fisheries. From 1991-2002 he served as Executive Director of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, providing oversight to Commission activities in fishery management, science and research, habitat, sport fish restoration and law enforcement. Mr. Dunnigan has served NOAA for over 20 years. Jack Dunnigan has a Masters of Law and a Juris Doctor from the University of Washington. He is a member of the District of Columbia Bar Association.

Laurie Allen
Director, Office of Protected Resources

In January of 2003, Laurie Allen began her current role as Acting Director for the Office of Protected Resources. This headquarters office is responsible for national leadership, policy development, and program implementation for NOAA's protected resource conservation mandates, primarily the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act. The office is the primary support for many international treaties and conventions on protected resources worldwide. Ms. Allen joined NOAA in 1990 as a seafood inspector, developed seafood standards between 1991 and 1993, beginning work in the Habitat and Protected Resources Division of NOAA Fisheries Northeast Regional Office in 1994.She has a Bachelor of Science degree (1984) in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology from the University of Vermont and a Master's degree in Public Administration from Harvard University (2000). Ms. Allen currently lives Laurel, Maryland with her two calico cats and a capricious Arabian horse.

Rollie Schmitten
Director, Office of Habitat Conservation

For over 30 years, Rolland A. Schmitten (Rollie) has been a natural resource manager. Whil involved in all aspects of natural resource management, his career has primarily focused on marine fisheries. He has served as the Director of Fisheries Service NW Regional Director. He has also served as Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries and the NOAA Deputy Assistant Secretary for internsational affairs. As Deputy Assistant Secretary he negotiated international fisheries agreemetns and served as the US Commissioner to the Tuna, Atlantic salmon and Whaling Commisions. He currently serves as the Director of the Office of Habitat Conservation, where he oversees the protection and restoration of our nation's marine habitats.

Linda Chaves
Director, Office of Constituent Services

Bio coming soon.

Gary Reisner
Director, M&B CFO/CAO

Bio coming soon.

Richard V. Cano
Director, Seafood Inspection (A)

Rich began his career in fish inspection as a Fishery Products Inspector with the National Marine Fisheries Service in 1972 while attending graduate school in marine science at the University of South Florida. He later joined industry as the Quality Assurance Manager in the Florida division of a multinational seafood corporation. In 1977, he accepted a position in FDA’s Bureau of Foods (predecessor of today’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition) in Washington, D.C., where he worked in the Divisions of Food Technology and Regulatory Guidance. Rich returned to the NMFS voluntary seafood inspection program in 1981 where he has been actively involved in domestic and international issues regarding the inspection and certification of fishery products.

Larry Tyminski
Chief Information Officer

Bio coming soon.

John Boreman, Ph. D
Director of the Northeast Science Center

Dr. John Boreman is the Science and Research Director of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. He has been Deputy Director since 1997. Previous positions include Northeast Regional Power Plant Specialist for the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Aquatic Ecologist for the USFWS's National Power Plant Team, Senior Assessment Scientist for the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Chief of Research Coordination for the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, and Director of NOAA's Cooperative Marine Education and Research Program at the University of Massachusetts. In addition to his duties as Acting Science and Research Director, he is currently adjunct Professor of Fisheries at the University of Massachusetts and a member of the Board of Directors of the Hudson River Foundation. His research interests include population dynamics of coastal migratory fishes, and impacts of development on fisheries in the coastal zone.

Nancy Thompson, Ph. D
Director of the Southeast Science Center

Dr. Thompson has been working for NOAA Fisheries since 1980 upon completion of her graduate degree. During her career, Dr. Thompson has conducted research on sea turtles, marine mammals, and fishery resources. Her primary research focus has been working with sea turtles and continues to conduct research on sea turtle biology. She is an Adjunct Professor of Marine Biology and Fisheries at the Univ. of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and a Fellow, Cooperative Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Science at U of Miami/RSMAS. She is married with two children.

Usha Varanasi, Ph. D
Director of the Northwest Science Center

Dr. Usha Varanasi is Director of NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center. She has held this position since 1994. Dr. Varanasi oversees more than 300 scientists and staff at the Center’s headquarters in Seattle and its five research stations in Washington and Oregon to ensure that the Center provides the best scientific information to support critical management decisions. Dr. Varanasi has been with the Center since 1975. As a scientist, Dr. Varanasi’s research resulted in the development of technologies to reduce pollution impacts on fisheries resources and ensure that seafood was safe for human consumption. Her research has been successfully applied during major oil spills, like the Exxon Valdez. Prior to joining the NWFSC, Dr. Varanasi held a faculty position at Seattle University, where she studied marine mammals to understand how they process sound biochemically. Dr. Varanasi serves on many expert committees and scientific boards and has edited two books and numerous peer reviewed scientific publications. She is deeply committed to the open communication of science to diverse constituents, the education of students in the sciences, and the mentoring of young leaders. Dr. Varanasi received her B.Sc degree from Bombay University in India, her M.S. degree from the California Institute of Technology, and her Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Washington, where she now holds an adjunct professorship.

Sam Pooley
Science Center Director, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center

Dr. Samuel G. Pooley is the director for the new NOAA Fisheries Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center. He was selected as Director of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Honolulu Laboratory in 2002. During 2003 and through May 2004, Pooley was acting Regional Administrator for the new Region. For the past twenty years he has served as the Honolulu Laboratory’s lead economist with responsibilities ranging from economic analysis of commercial fisheries to evaluation of the benefits of recreational fisheries and endangered species preservation. He has also published papers on bio-economic analysis and alternative fishery management and property rights regimes, including cooperative and corporate management.

Pooley received his doctorate in Political Science from the University of Hawaii and his masters in Economics from the University of Birmingham (U.K.).

Douglas P. DeMaster, Ph. D
Director of the Alaska Science Center

DeMaster is the Science and Research Director for the Alaska Region. He is responsible for NOAA Fisheries’ research on living marine resources in Alaska, including commercially important species of fish and shellfish, and marine mammals, as well as the habitats upon which they are dependent. DeMaster’s professional training is in population assessment and statistics. He serves as an affiliate professor at the University of Alaska and the University of Washington. He is also the current chair of the International Whaling Commission’s Scientific Committee.

 

William Fox, Ph. D
Director, Office of Science & Technology

Dr. Fox has been the Director, Office of Science & Technology, since October of 1996. Prior to that he was the Director, Office of Protected resources from February 1993 until October of 1996. From January
of 1990, until January of 1993, Dr. Fox served as the Director of NOAA Fisheries. Other public service has included the State of Florida Marine Fisheries Commission (1983-1990) and the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission (1983-1990)--he served terms as chair of both commissions. Prior to returning to public service in 1990, Dr. Fox was a Professor of marine biology and fisheries and Director of the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (1982-1990). Before that he spent twelve years with NOAA Fisheries and its predecessor agency, the
Bureau of Commercial Fisheries. Dr. Fox has authored or co-authored over 60 scientific publications. He is a member of the American Fisheries Society, a Fellow of the American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists and Sigma Xi--the Research Society. His formal education includes a B.S. in zoology (1967) and an M.S. in marine science (1970) from the University of Miami and a Ph.D. in fishery science (1972) from the University of Washington.Verdana.

Natalie Huff
EEO/Diversity Manager

Natalie Huff has been a Department of Commerce employee since 1978. During her early years with the Department, Natalie worked with the Employee Development Division, one of the many offices within the Office of the Secretary’s Personnel office. In 1988, Natalie joined the International Trade Administration as an Employee Development Specialist/Awards Officer. In this capacity she was responsible for the development of several training programs and the management of the ITA Awards Program. In 1992, she was selected by the National Marine Fisheries Service to serve as a Management Program Analyst within the office of Management Services. In this capacity she managed the training program, awards, and many of the day-to-day management functions. In 1995 she was appointed by the DAA for Fisheries to serve as the National Program Manager for EEO and later as the Human Resources Team Leader within the Operations, Management and Information office. Following the birth of the NOAA Diversity office, Natalie was appointed by the AA to serve as the National Program Manager for EEO and Diversity.