Council Members
The Council has 13 voting members and three non-voting members. A chair and four vice chairs (one from Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and the CNMI) are elected annually by the Council members.
Council members must balance competing interests while trying to make decisions for the overall benefit of the nation. Council members are advised by the Council’s advisory panels and committees, Council staff, the public, states and territories, academia and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).
Eight of the members are private citizens who are familiar with the commercial and/or non-commercial fisheries, marine conservation or both. They are appointed by the Secretary of Commerce from lists submitted by the Governors of each of the island areas:
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William Sword Pacific Energy South-West Pacific Ltd (2022-2025, American Samoa, obligatory) Chair |
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Francisco “Frank” Perez AC Sales and Service (2024-2027, Guam, obligatory) |
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Matt Ramsey Conservation International (2024-2027, Hawaii, obligatory) |
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Roger Dang Fresh Island Fish Co. (2023-2026, Hawaii, at-large) Vice Chair |
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Pedro “Pete” Itibus Fisherman (2023-2026, CNMI, at-large) |
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Dr. Judith Guthertz University of Guam (2022-2025, Guam, at-large) Vice Chair |
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Shaelene Kamaka’ala Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (2022-2025, Hawaii, at-large) |
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Sylvan Igisomar CNMI Dept. of Lands and Natural Resources (Designated) Vice Chair |
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Taotasi Archie Soliai American Samoa Dept. of Marine & Wildlife Resources (Designated) Vice Chair |
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Gerald “Gene” Weaver Tasi to Table (2023-2026, CNMI, obligatory) |
Four designated state officials:
- Dawn Chang, Hawaii Dept. of Land & Natural Resources, DLNR Chairperson
- Taotasi Archie Soliai, American Samoa Dept. of Marine & Wildlife Resources, Director
- Sylvan Igisomar, CNMI Dept. of Lands & Natural Resources, Secretary
- Chelsa Muña, Guam Dept. of Agriculture, Director
Four designated federal officials:
- C. Colin Brinkman, U.S. Department of State, Office of Marine Conservation, Foreign Affairs Office
- RADM Sean Regan, U.S. Coast Guard 14th District, District Commander
- Sarah Malloy, Pacific Islands Regional Office, National Marine Fisheries Service, Acting Regional Administrator
- Brian Peck, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Rose Atoll Marine National Monument, Superintendent
Standing Committees
- American Samoa Archipelago
- Taotasi Archie Soliai, Chair
- Brian Peck
- William Sword
- Enforcement & VMS
- Judith Guthertz, Chair
- Chelsa Muña
- RADM Sean Regan
- Taotasi Archie Soliai
- William Sword
- Executive & Budget
- William Sword, Chair
- Roger Dang, Vice Chair, HI
- Judith Guthertz, Vice Chair, GU
- Sylvan Igisomar, Vice Chair, CNMI
- Taotasi Archie Soliai, Vice Chair, AS
- Fishery Rights of Indigenous People
- Shaelene Kamaka’ala, Chair
- Judith Guthertz
- Sylvan Igisomar
- Pedro Itibus
- Chelsa Muña
- Matt Ramsey
- Gene Weaver
- Hawaii Archipelago & PRIA
- Matt Ramsey, Chair
- Dawn Chang
- Roger Dang
- Shaelene Kamaka’ala
- Brian Peck
- Mariana Archipelago
- Judith Guthertz, Co-chair
- Gene Weaver, Co-chair
- Sylvan Igisomar
- Brian Peck
- Pelagic & International
- Roger Dang, Chair
- Colin Brinkman
- Sarah Malloy
- Taotasi Archie Soliai
- Gene Weaver
- Program Planning & Research
- Taotasi Archie Soliai, Chair
- Pedro Itibus
- Shaelene Kamaka’ala
- Sarah Malloy
- Matt Ramsey
- Protected Species
- Chelsa Muña, Chair
- Dawn Chang
- Roger Dang
- Sylvan Igisomar
- Pedro Itibus
- Sarah Malloy
- Brian Peck
- RADM Sean Regan