Preston Pate Jr. Elected ASMFC Chair
November 11, 2004
New Castle, NH – Today, member states of the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission acknowledged the many accomplishments of outgoing
Chair John I. Nelson, Jr. of New Hampshire and welcomed incoming Chair
Preston Pate Jr. of North Carolina.
In assuming his chairmanship, Mr. Pate spoke enthusiastically about his new
position, “I am honored to be elected and look forward to working with my
colleagues from the 15 Atlantic coast states, federal marine fishery
management agencies, Potomac River Fisheries Commission, and the District
of Columbia to ensure the continued conservation and management of Atlantic
coast marine fishery resources. John Nelson has left me an impressive
legacy to follow. Over his two-year tenure as Chair, he guided the
Commission in the development and approval of its 2004 2008 Strategic
Plan, including Annual Action Plans for 2004 and 2005, as well as new
amendments for northern shrimp and winter flounder. He led efforts to
establish a formal appeals process and conservation equivalency guidelines.
He clarified our boards’ decision-making abilities by clearly outlining the
process by which boards revisit prior actions and handle the voting
privileges of Commissioner proxies. During my two-year term, I hope to
build upon these accomplishments, furthering the Commission’s long-term
vision for healthy, self-sustaining marine fishery resources by 2015.”
No stranger to resource conservation issues, Mr. Pate’s career track and
credentials are impressive. Since 1997, he has served as Director of the
North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, overseeing the management of
the state’s $1 billion saltwater fishing industry, which includes 5,000
full-time commercial fishermen and 1.7 million recreational anglers. As
Assistant Director for Permitting and Enforcement with the Division of
Coastal Management (1984 – 1997), he was responsible for issuing permits
and enforcing rules that govern development in North Carolina’s 20 coastal
counties. His job was to ensure that development did not damage North
Carolina’s fragile coastal environment, and he won high marks for being a
skilled negotiator in this role. From 1980 through 1984, Mr. Pate was Chief
of Field Services for Coastal Management, where he was in charge of permit
reviews. A native North Carolinian, Mr. Pate was born in Snow Hill. He
attended North Carolina State University, receiving an undergraduate degree
in Fishery Biology and a Master of Science degree in Zoology.
The Commission also elected Mr. George Lapointe from Maine as its
Vice-Chair.
Preston Pate Jr. Elected ASMFC Chair
November 11, 2004
New Castle, NH – Today, member states of the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission acknowledged the many accomplishments of outgoing
Chair John I. Nelson, Jr. of New Hampshire and welcomed incoming Chair
Preston Pate Jr. of North Carolina.
In assuming his chairmanship, Mr. Pate spoke enthusiastically about his new
position, “I am honored to be elected and look forward to working with my
colleagues from the 15 Atlantic coast states, federal marine fishery
management agencies, Potomac River Fisheries Commission, and the District
of Columbia to ensure the continued conservation and management of Atlantic
coast marine fishery resources. John Nelson has left me an impressive
legacy to follow. Over his two-year tenure as Chair, he guided the
Commission in the development and approval of its 2004 2008 Strategic
Plan, including Annual Action Plans for 2004 and 2005, as well as new
amendments for northern shrimp and winter flounder. He led efforts to
establish a formal appeals process and conservation equivalency guidelines.
He clarified our boards’ decision-making abilities by clearly outlining the
process by which boards revisit prior actions and handle the voting
privileges of Commissioner proxies. During my two-year term, I hope to
build upon these accomplishments, furthering the Commission’s long-term
vision for healthy, self-sustaining marine fishery resources by 2015.”
No stranger to resource conservation issues, Mr. Pate’s career track and
credentials are impressive. Since 1997, he has served as Director of the
North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, overseeing the management of
the state’s $1 billion saltwater fishing industry, which includes 5,000
full-time commercial fishermen and 1.7 million recreational anglers. As
Assistant Director for Permitting and Enforcement with the Division of
Coastal Management (1984 – 1997), he was responsible for issuing permits
and enforcing rules that govern development in North Carolina’s 20 coastal
counties. His job was to ensure that development did not damage North
Carolina’s fragile coastal environment, and he won high marks for being a
skilled negotiator in this role. From 1980 through 1984, Mr. Pate was Chief
of Field Services for Coastal Management, where he was in charge of permit
reviews. A native North Carolinian, Mr. Pate was born in Snow Hill. He
attended North Carolina State University, receiving an undergraduate degree
in Fishery Biology and a Master of Science degree in Zoology.
The Commission also elected Mr. George Lapointe from Maine as its
Vice-Chair.
