Posts in Board Members
Chris Brown

President

Chris Brown has fished out of Point Judith, Rhode Island for nearly fifty years. He is president of the Rhode Island Commercial Fishermen’s Association and the Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island, and serves on the board of the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries.

In 2016, Chris was selected to be a "Champion of Change” by the Obama Administration for his work in sustainable fisheries. Chris Brown is a founding member of the Harvesters and served as its first board president.

Chris represents Rhode Island Commercial Fishermen’s Association.

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Hannah Heimbuch

Vice President

Hannah Heimbuch is a commercial fisherman from Alaska. She and her wife, both lifelong Alaskan harvesters, operate a salmon set net operation on Kodiak Island. Hannah is a board member for the North Pacific Fisheries Association, and works with a variety of fisheries organizations across Alaska and the U.S. Outside of fishing season, Hannah is a fisheries-focused communications and policy consultant. She provides a variety of advocacy, media engagement, writing, research, strategic planning, organizational development and other public affairs services to fisheries and oceans centered organizations with either a North Pacific or National reach. 

Hannah represents the North Pacific Fisheries Association.

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Matt Alward

Secretary-Treasurer

Matt Alward started fishing as a crew member almost three decades ago and has been running his own boat since 2004. Based out of Homer, Alaska Matt raised his family on the back deck of his seiner fishing for salmon, herring, and halibut. He has been very engaged in fishery policy; he is currently the president of United Fishermen of Alaska as well as serving on the boards of numerous commercial fishing advocacy organizations. Matt also owns a marine trades business building and repairing purse seines and is engaged in the shoreside section of the industry as well.

Matt is an Independent Harvester Member.

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Board MembersCallie Cullum
Buddy Guindon

Buddy Guindon is the owner of Katie’s Seafood House and Restaurant in Galveston, Texas. He has worked in the fishing industry for 30+ years as both a fisherman and a fish house owner-operator, and is a founding board member of the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance. He is a tireless advocate for demonstrating how sustainable fishing practices can best secure the future of Gulf fisheries, and he has repeatedly testified before Congress on those fishing practices. Buddy is a founding member of Harvesters and former Treasurer. 

Buddy represents the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance.

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Heather Mann

Heather has been working in and for the commercial fishing industry for over twenty-five years. She is currently Executive Director for Harvesters’ member organization Midwater Trawlers Cooperative (MTC) and represents 33 trawl catcher vessels that harvest Pacific whiting and Groundfish off the west coast and Pollock, cod and other Groundfish in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. In the North Pacific Heather currently serves as an Advisory Panel member to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Prior to working for MTC, Heather was the Deputy Director of the West Coast Seafood Processors Association, she ran her own consulting firm for many years and ran the Community Seafood Initiative until 2012 when she joined MTC. Heather has been leading a coalition to successfully address concerns about offshore wind energy development on the West Coast. Harvesters will be well served by Heather’s extensive relationships and experience in Washington, DC and leadership in the industry. Originally from Massachusetts, Heather lives in Newport Oregon.

Heather represents Midwater Trawlers Cooperative.

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Brad Pettinger

Brad Pettinger has participated in the West Coast commercial fishing industry for more than fifty years as a crewman, skipper, and vessel-owner. He has served on numerous fishing industry committees and commissions during his career and worked for 15 years as the director of the Oregon Trawl Commission (OTC), departing that position in June 2018. Brad has served on the Pacific Fishery Management Council since 2017.

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