The Pacific Seafood Processors Association has named industry veteran Julie Decker of Wrangell, Alaska, to serve as the new president of the trade association, which represents major seafood processors with operations in Alaska and Washington.
She succeeds Coast Guard veteran Chris Barrows, who left PSPA last December after more than three years as president. He is currently the catcher vessel manager for Golden Alaska Seafoods.
Decker served for several years as the executive director of the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF), which PSPA identifies as a critical industry partner given its work in seafood sustainability certifications, full utilization and product development, and the promotion of new products in the annual Alaska Symphony of Seafood. AFDF, founded in 1978, has a focus on research and development.
Decker holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, and a master’s in public administration with a concentration in Natural Resource Management from the University of Alaska Southeast.
John Henderschedt, president and CEO of Phoenix Processor Limited Partnership and PSPA chairman, said Decker’s approach as a fisheries leader in Alaska complements the goals of PSPA and its commitment to coastal Alaska communities.
“She routinely energizes the industry by encouraging innovation, expanding partnerships, developing broadly supported solutions, building consensus, and strengthening relationships,” Henderschedt said.
Decker will be based out of Wrangell, where she lives with her husband, veteran fisherman Gig Deck.
PSPA said the trade association would collaborate with AFDF toward a smooth transition to ensure that key AFDF projects are not interrupted.
PSPA officials said that a plan has been designed to support her transition from AFDF to PSPA over the next few months, with Decker at times wearing two hats as she continues to support AFDF while it seeks a new executive director.
