Committee Chairs

Society Committees 2025-2026

Complete contact information for committee chairs can be found in the online Membership Directory. If you have any questions about committee activities, please feel free to contact the committee chair. You may also contact Lauren Maza at lmaza@fisheries.org, your Unit Services contact.

(Last updated October 8, 2025)

Standing Committees

• Jessica Mistak, mistakj@michigan.gov
• Natalie Coash, natalie.coash@missouri.edu

For a list of Chairs for specific awards, please refer to the Awards page on our website. 

Annual Meeting (General Meeting Chair):

• Joseph Conroy, joseph.conroy@dnr.ohio.gov

Board of Appeals: Justin VanDeHey, jvandehe@uwsp.edu

Board of Professional Certification: Overall Chair: Justin VanDeHey, Justin.VanDeHey@uwsp.edu

• Education Subcommittee: Kyler Hecke, khecke@atu.edu
• Experience Subcommittee: Chair, Jason Deboer, jadeboer@illinois.edu
• Professional Development Subcommittee: Chair, Kristen Patterson, kristen.patterson@state.mn.us

Climate Change Committee, Chair: Abby Lynch, alynch@usgs.gov

Communications Committee: Chair: Kevin Dockendorf, Kevin.Dockendorf@ncwildlife.gov

Constitutional Consultant: Randy Schultz, randy.schultz@dnr.iowa.gov

Development Committee, Chair: Brian Alford, alford.109@osu.edu

FishCAST Committee: Co-chairs:

• Ed Culver, culveref@gmail.com
• Austin Happel, ahappel@sheddaquarium.org
• Greyson Wolf, kwolf6@nd.edu

Ethics and Professional Conduct: Chair, Brian Missildine, brian.missildine@dfw.wa.gov

Financial Planning and Procedures Committee: Chair, Troy Brandt, tbrandt@riverdesigngroup.net

Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program: Co-chairs:

• Kathy Guindon, kathyg22@vt.edu
• Co-chair, TBD (Co-chair needed)

Imperiled Species: Chair, Howard L. Jelks, jelkshl@gmail.com

• Crayfish Subcommittee: Chair, Christopher A. Taylor, ctaylor@inhs.illinois.edu
• Gastropod Subcommittee: Chair, Paul D. Johnson, leptoxis@hotmail.com
• Mussel Subcommittee: Chair, James D. Williams, fishwilliams@gmail.com

Meetings Oversight: Co-chairs:

• Gary Whelan, gwhelan@fisheries.org
• Co-chair TBD (Co-chair needed)

Membership: Co-chairs:

• Robert Mussgnug, robertmussgnug@gmail.com
• Drew Holloway, dholloway@msdeng.com

Names of Fishes: Chair, Tom Dowling, thomas.dowling@wayne.edu

Nominating: Chair, Laurie Earley, pastpresident@wdafs.org

Special Committees

AFS Archives and Records Committee: Chair: Christine Moffitt, cmoffitt@uidaho.edu

Emerging Leaders Mentorship Award Program: Co-chairs:

• Drew Holloway, dholloway@msdeng.edu
• Patrick Cooney, pcooney@smith-root.com

Fish Management Chemicals: Co-chairs

• Don Skaar, donrskaar@gmail.com
• Brian Finlayson, briankarefinlayson@att.net

Strategic Plan Committee: Chair, Julie Simpson, julie.simpson@accsp.org

Strategic Positioning Committee: Co-chairs

• Marlis R Douglas, mrdp539@gmail.com
• Joseph D Conroy, joseph.conroy@dnr.ohio.gov

Liaisons

American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists: TBD

The American Society of Civil Engineers: Mike Garello, mike.garello@hdrinc.com

American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists:
Mike and Marlis Douglas, MED1@UARK.EDU; MRD1@UARK.EDU

Brazilian Society of Ichthyology: Luiz Silva, LUIZSILVA@UFSJ.EDU.BR

China Society of Fisheries: Yushun Chen, yushunchen@ihb.ac.cn

Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation: Karin Limburg, klimburg@esf.edu

The Coastal Society: Tom Bigford, tebigford@gmail.com

Consortium of Aquatic Science Societies: Leanne Roulson, leanne.h.roulson@gmail.com

Desert Fishes Council: David L Ward, dlward@usgs.gov

Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture: John Magee, john.magee@wildlife.nh.gov

Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society (FMCS): Jeremy Tiemann, jtiemann@illinois.edu

National Fish Habitat Action Plan Board: Doug Austen, dausten@fisheries.org

Society for Conservation Biology: Paul Angermeier, biota@vt.edu

Society for Freshwater Science: Shannon Brewer, shannon.brewer@okstate.edu

United States Society of Ecological Economics, Karin Limburg, klimburg@esf.edu

World Aquaculture Society: Carl Kittel,  carl.kittel@tpwd.texas.gov