Four members of the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) were elected to fill two regional seats and two At-Large seats on the board of directors. Their terms begin October 1, 2017, and they will serve three-year terms. Last October, the membership voted to amend the by-laws and now ASA’s board members may serve two, three-year consecutive terms instead of three, two-year terms.

Regional seats went to :

  • Southeast Region – Carl Liederman, president, Capt. Harry’s Fishing Supply (new board member)
  • West Region – Dan MacDonald, president, Yakima Bait Company (new board member)

At-Large seats went to:

  • Bruce Akin, CEO, B.A.S.S., LLC (new board member)
  • Jesse Simpkins, Marketing Director, St. Croix Rods (new board member)

“We’ve got a great mix of talent, experience and perspective with the new board of directors members who will compliment an already impressive group of individuals,” said Mike Nussman, ASA president and CEO. “The members of the American Sportfishing Association will be well-served by these dynamic leaders, industry veterans and steadfast advocates for the sportfishing industry. I look forward to working with everyone and thank them for their time and support.”

“I also want to thank Dave Chanda, who served as Director of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife for many years, for his service and counsel as a board member,” noted Nussman. “We look forward to working with John Arway, executive director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, who will represent the state fish and wildlife agencies on our board.”

The following four people were elected to serve their first terms on ASA’s board of directors and each brings knowledge and experience to enhance the association’s mission to advocate for the recreational fishing industry.

Bruce Akin, through B.A.S.S., LLC, has made it his mission to grow fishing participation, protect anglers’ rights, campaign for sensible government management of our natural resources and enhance our industry’s ability to succeed. He brings his passion for these efforts to his tenure on ASA’s board of directors.

Carl Liederman has 47 years in the industry’s retail sector and believes his retail knowledge will be an asset to the association and the industry. He has also been a life-long advocate for clean water, well managed fisheries and access to both, bringing that passion to the board of directors.

Dan MacDonald is a strong advocate for ASA’s Keep America Fishing program as a platform to keep anglers informed about issues that impact fishing, as well as a proponent for industry’s involvement in increasing participation through his membership on the Advocacy Committee.

Jesse Simpkins has more than 20 years of experience in the industry. He believes that a strong association is imperative to our long-term success as an industry. He also believes that ASA’s success requires an active and committed board of directors and committee members who work on behalf of ASA’s members and the entire industry and sportfishing community.

The current members of the board of directors are: Executive Committee – Kirk Immens, Sportco Marketing, Inc., Chairman; Dave Bulthuis, Costa, Immediate Past Chairman; Chris Megan, On the Water, LLC, Vice Chairman; Zack Swanson, Rapala, Secretary; Donn Schaible, Wright & McGill, Treasurer; Peter Foley, Boone Bait Company, Inc., Treasurer Emeritus; and Gary Remensnyder, Lew’s Fishing Tackle, At-Large.

The other board members are John Arway, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission; Louis Chemi, Navico, Inc.; Thom Dammrich, National Marine Manufacturers Association; Ken Elie, Outdoor Pro Shop, Inc.; Dan Ferris, Midwest Outdoors; Jeff Pontius, ZEBCO Brands; Paul Schluter, St. Croix Rods; Aledia Tush, CB’s Saltwater Outfitters; Gary Zurn, Big Rock Sports, LLC. The board’s ex-officio members are Kenneth Hammond, The Hammond Group; and Carey Graves, Daiwa Corporation.