The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) has announced the appointment of Ronald Rogness as the new Director, Industry Relations, Partnerships, and Fishery Analysis. The seafood industry veteran will oversee the GAPP Partnership Program as well as critical membership services, including the Association's various fisheries and trade reports.
Rogness previously worked for the organization as a consultant on fisheries and economic issues. According to the notice released by the GAPP from now on, he will also "devote attention to representing GAPP in broader seafood collaborations and committees and securing additional funding to advance GAPP's mission to build awareness and demand for wild Alaska pollock, through grants and other opportunities".
GAPP created this role to further emphasize its continued investment in both its Partnership Program and its member services. Alaska pollock producers believe Rogness' years of experience as both a seafood buyer and seafood executive will be valuable in attracting new members to the program and "elicit new, cutting-edge proposals that seek to use Wild Alaska Pollock in new and exciting ways". As mentioned, he will also play an important role in membership services, including the provision of educational webinars, newsletters, and data analysis often requested by members and the industry.
Ronald Rogness' has been a much-desired appointment for the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers. "When I first joined GAPP I was advised that Ron could become an invaluable member of the GAPP team and I made priority number one bringing him in as a consultant to GAPP to provide critical insight, based on his years of experience in the industry, in building out some of what have become the most sought-after member services GAPP provides, including our industry's life cycle assessment, GAPP return on investment studies, GAPP fishery and trade reports, and other projects", said Craig Morris, GAPP CEO. "With him now joining GAPP on a fulltime basis his near encyclopedic knowledge of the industry, his long list of seafood executive contacts, and his ingenuity will help to advance our key programs—like the GAPP Partnership Program—to even greater heights", he added.
Bob Desautel, GAPP Chairman of the Board and Global Seas President and CEO, added that Rogness has been instrumental in GAPP's work to complete the industry's first life-cycle assessment that confirmed that wild Alaska pollock is good for both people and the planet, and noted that he is a "must-see" speaker at the Association's annual meeting.
Ronald Rogness began his career nearly 30 years ago as a commercial fisherman in Washington and then Alaska. Thereafter, he served as a staff economist for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, in purchasing roles at Long John Silver's and Unified Foodservice Purchasing Co-op, LLC, and as Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Relations at American Seafoods, one of GAPP's member companies.
"A fisherman at heart, Ron is passionate about all things Wild Alaska Pollock and wants the best for this industry. In this new role he'll be laser-focused on building new demand for Wild Alaska Pollock by being a true resource to our industry and our members", Bob Desautel pointed out.
Rogness, who will assume his new position on February 27, has also expressed his satisfaction with his new role. "I am extremely excited to join the GAPP staff full-time to further its mission to build demand and awareness of Wild Alaska Pollock", he said. "I have had the privilege of working with the amazing people in this industry for almost 40 years and I look forward to continuing that work in the years to come".