DENVER, CO — JAN 27, 2021 – Seattle Fish Company is thrilled to announce that President & CEO, Derek Figueroa, will serve as the 2021 Chair of the National Fisheries Institute (NFI). NFI is a non-profit trade association dedicated to seafood education and advocacy including policy, safety, sustainability, and nutrition. From support of responsible wild capture fisheries and aquaculture, to establishing a marketplace supporting free trade, to ensuring the media and consumers have the facts about the benefits of fish and shellfish, NFI and its members support and promote sound public policy.
At it’s core, NFI’s mission is to serve as an advocate for seafood. Derek looks forward to delivering on that promise and leading our industry through such an interesting time. Figueroa says he plans to use his time as Chair to boost member engagement, bring diverse voices together to promote collaboration, and deliver on key impact goals driven by the organization’s strategic plan.
“Seafood has been a driving force in my life for over 30 years. I am proud of the opportunity to work with John, the talented staff at NFI, my industry colleagues, and other stakeholders to position seafood as the ‘protein of choice’ for consumers” said Figueroa.
Figueroa has been deeply entrenched in the seafood industry since he began his career at Seattle Fish Company in 1990, working his way up through a number of departments and positions before assuming the role of President in 2017, and President & CEO in October 2019. He has been recognized as a thought leader for building Seattle Fish into one of the premier seafood distributors in the US and for his leadership in sustainable practices and initiatives, including as a co-founder of industry nonprofit Sea Pact, serving on the National Leadership Council for Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP) and serving on the board of the Seafood Industry Research Fund (SIRF).
“We are excited to have Derek help lead NFI for the next year,” says John Connelly, President of NFI. “ We have been looking forward to having him at the helm for some time – he brings a passion for seafood, for people and organization development, and for doing the right thing. Those are all essential areas where we really need his guidance in 2021 and looking beyond.
NFI prides itself on bringing lots of different perspectives together to find common ground for the common good – and who could put together more perspectives than the CEO of a company called “Seattle Fish” based in Denver?
On a personal basis, Derek’s story is one we can all see as points of hope. From starting out cleaning garbage cans on his first day at Seattle Fish to now leading the company – that inspires me to know rewards come from hard work, creativity, and commitment to getting things done right and well.”