| | Jeff Kopaska
Executive Director
301-437-4746
jkopaska@fisheries.orgJeff Kopaska was recently selected as the next Executive Director of AFS after a nationwide search. Kopaska was most recently Fisheries Biometrician for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. He holds a BA from Dordt University and an MS from Iowa State, and is a Certified Public Manager. A well-known and active AFS member, Jeff was President of the North Central Division and the Iowa Chapter, President of the Data and Technology Section, President Elect of the Fisheries Management Section, and he has served on numerous committees, often as chair. He has also served on the Governing Board of the Society three times and on the Management Committee. Jeff lives in Iowa and coaches and officiates volleyball in his spare time. |
 | | Beth Beard
Senior Communications Manager
301-453-5818
bbeard@fisheries.orgBeth has been working for AFS since 1999. Before becoming Senior Communications Manager, she was the managing editor of Parks & Recreation magazine. Prior to that, she spent 11 years at AFS as the managing editor of Fisheries. Beth has also worked in public relations and publications in the wood products industry and the zoo and aquarium fields. She has a BA in public communication from The American University. As a lifelong world traveler, her hobbies include travel photography. She is married to longtime AFS member Doug Beard. Areas of responsibility: Social media management, website maintenance, marketing, graphic design, writing and editing, and photography. Staff Liaison for: Communications Committee; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee |
| | Ashley Berniche
Education Program Coordinator
301-450-1828
aberniche@fisheries.orgAshley joined AFS in 2022 as the Education Program Coordinator, working primarily with the Hutton Program and certifications. Being born and raised in Massachusetts, Ashley moved south to study Environmental Science at Florida Southern College. In college, she had the opportunity to do a wide variety of field research and science communication. She will never pass up an opportunity to talk about invasive species, science education, and her favorite places to hike. Ashley is so excited to work with the Hutton Program and get to know AFS and it’s members! Staff Liaison for: Hutton Committee; Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee; Professional Certification |
| | Caroline Davis
Journals Production Coordinator
301-450-1844
cdavis@fisheries.orgCaroline Davis (they/them) joined AFS in 2021 and genuinely loves publishing. Caroline graduated from UMBC with a BA in Linguistics. They’ve previously worked in language-nerd capacities, in both the AI start up space and in corporate marketing. Caroline is an accomplished copyeditor and has lent their expertise to a wide variety of projects, including diversity consulting and book editing. Outside of work, Caroline loves to spend time with their cat and their houseplant jungle. Caroline lives in Baltimore and loves exploring architecture and local green spaces. Areas of responsibility: Production for all AFS journals, promotion of journals content, Staff Liaison for: AFS editorial boards, authors, copy editors, and the AFS publishing partner |
| | Jenna Hanks
Development Manager
301-464-6531
jhanks@fisheries.org |
| | | Shawn Johnston
Meetings Director
301-450-1860
sjohnston@fisheries.orgShawn Johnston joined AFS in 2007 and is currently the AFS Meetings Director. Shawn graduated from UMDNJ with a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management. Areas of responsibility: managing and negotiating AFS meetings; Coordinating and negotiating meeting contracts with Chapters, Units, and Divisions Staff Liaison for: Meetings |
| | Kelly Kotche
Membership Manager
301-450-2483
kkotche@fisheries.orgKelly Kotche joined us in October 2021 as AFS Membership Manager. Kelly comes to the Society with more than two decades of experience working for a food trade manufacturing association, specializing in membership and engagement, She is excited about getting to know AFS members and learning more about the fisheries profession. One of her main objectives in the coming year is to get AFS members more involved in the Society’s various activities and help them take advantage of all the resources that AFS has to offer, as well as grow the Society with new members and making it stronger than ever. Kelly holds a B.S. degree in Marketing from the University of Maryland. In her spare time, Kelly enjoys crab feasts with family and friends, cheering her son on at sporting events, going to concerts, boating, camping, and taking care of her two babies – her beloved guinea pigs. She’s also proud of the fact that she’s kept the same gold fish alive for more than seven years! Areas of Responsibility: Membership, dues collection, retention and renewals, new member recruitment, database and list management Liaison for: Membership Committee |
| | Debby Lehman
Book Production Editor
301-450-1801
dlehman@fisheries.orgDebby graduated from Occidental College with a degree in English and comparative literature and received a master’s degree in English literature from Boston University. She has been working in the books department of the American Fisheries Society for more than 15 years. Debby enjoys reading, drawing, travel, and taking care of her young son. Areas of responsibility: Copy edit, lay out, preparing books for publication, assisting with Fisheries magazine, and working on additional projects such as the Climate Science Center reports and the AFS policy report. |
| | | Lauren Maza
Director, Member Programs
301-464-6674
lmaza@fisheries.orgLauren started working for AFS in 2017. She has over 15 years of experience in the association sector, mostly in education/meetings, project management, and operations. Past organizations include the Council for Resource Development and The Obesity Society. She holds an MBA from Johns Hopkins University, as well as the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation. As a fan of staying dry and warm, Lauren spends most of her time outside on land, while climbing and hiking. Areas of responsibility: Management of continuing education. General oversight of Hutton program, awards, and units. Staff Liaison for: All AFS Units, Chapters, Sections, and Divisions; Awards Committee, Continuing Education Committee, Hutton Committee, Certification Committees |
| | Lauren Tanner
Meetings Coordinator
301-464-7564
ltanner@fisheries.orgLauren Tanner joined AFS staff in the Spring of 2024 as our Meetings Coordinator. Lauren graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin with a degree in Agriculture Communications in 2015. She has over 8 years of experience in economic and community development, and she received her Institute of Organization Management Certification in 2022. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and watching or attending anything sports-related. Areas of responsibility: Facilitating and supporting event contracting, planning, and sales activities for the annual meeting, chapter, and affiliate events. |
| | Peter Turcik
Managing Editor, Fisheries
301-450-1671
pturcik@fisheries.org Before joining AFS as Managing Editor of Fisheries Magazine, Peter worked as a media specialist, grant writer, and staff photographer for the Chesapeake Conservancy and as a freelance writer and photographer. He grew up in western Pennsylvania, went to boarding school in New York, and returned to Pennsylvania for college, where he stayed until moving to Annapolis in 2014. Peter has a B.A. in English from Allegheny College. He is an avid kayak angler, as well as a fly fisherman who ties his own flies. He also enjoys outdoor and sports photography, and is big fan of rugby and hockey. Areas of responsibility: Generating magazine content for Fisheries, copy-editing, supervising design and artistic direction, managing special projects Liaison for: authors, magazine science editors, publisher |
| | Kurt West
Book Production Editor
301-464-7576
kwest@fisheries.orgKurt joined AFS staff as Books Production Coordinator in July 2007 after having completed his MFA in writing at American University, where he had also interned as an editor for the university’s journal of arts. Prior to his graduate studies, he received his BA in English with a specialization in communication and technology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Kurt is a published author of a couple short stories and currently is working on a novel. When he’s not reading or writing, Kurt can be found in a theater or on a road trip. Areas of responsibility: Kurt manages the publication process for AFS book projects and assists in everything from copy editing, to layout and design, to quality control of the final, printed product. He also assists with the organization of AFS Annual Meetings, coordinating the AFS abstract and scheduling software. In addition he provides oversight and design for Annual Meeting materials such as the mobile meeting app, printed program guides, and annual Governing Board briefing books and reporting tools. Staff Liaison for: Various authors and editors – both AFS members and non-members – to ensure that the vision of their research is communicated through their book projects. The Conference Exchange, our mobile app designer, Core-apps, as well as various members of the AFS local meeting planning teams and Governing Board. |
