New boss for NMFS

The Trump administration has named Eugenio Piñeiro Soler, from Puerto Rico, as head of the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Transition at NMFS

The National Marine Fisheries Service has a new boss — Emily Menashes.

She's filling the position on an "acting" basis, and is likely to be replaced as President Trump continues to build out his second administration.

Janet Coit previously headed NMFS, and departed with the end of the Biden administration.

Rhode Island official named NMFS chief

Here's the press release.

Who will lead NMFS?

Whenever we have a change of presidents, it's fun to speculate on who will lead the National Marine Fisheries Service, the chief agency regulating commercial fishing in America.

Deckboss can't claim to have any inside information on the Biden administration's potential choice for the job. But we've heard a few names mentioned, and here they are in no particular order:

Paul Doremus, currently the acting head of NMFS

Karen Hyun, chief of staff at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, parent agency of NMFS

Matt Strickler, secretary of natural resources and chief resilience officer for the commonwealth of Virginia

Linda Behnken, a Sitka commercial fisherman, executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association, and tireless sustainable fisheries advocate.

Alaskan to lead NMFS

Industry favorite Chris Oliver, the longtime executive director of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, has been named the head of the National Marine Fisheries Service.

New boss named for NMFS

Rather out of the blue, it seems, the Obama administration today appointed a new chief at the National Marine Fisheries Service.

It's none other than Eileen Sobeck. Read more about her here.

Who is Sam Rauch?

As we reported last week, Sam Rauch is taking over as the "acting" head of the National Marine Fisheries Service.

So who is Sam Rauch?

Well, he's currently the agency's deputy assistant administrator for regulatory programs. By training, he's a lawyer.

Rauch's bio indicates he previously supervised a NMFS legal team. And prior to joining the agency, he defended NMFS as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice.

He has a law degree from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore., a master's from the University of Georgia and a bachelor's from the University of Virginia.

Now, one might normally expect to see a biologist at the helm of NMFS, not a lawyer.

But I don't believe this is unprecedented. If memory serves, Terry Leitzell, who headed the agency from 1978 to 1981, was a lawyer.

Here's the list of folks who have headed NMFS. Deckboss doesn't know the backgrounds of all of them, but maybe you see more than one barrister in the bunch?

NMFS administrators, 1970 to present

Philip M. Roedel, 1970-1973
Robert W. Schoning, 1973-1977
Terry L. Leitzell, 1978-1981
William H. Stevenson (acting), 1981
William G. Gordon, 1981-1986
William E. Evans, 1987
James W. Brennan, 1988-1989
William W. Fox, 1989-1992
Nancy Foster (acting), 1993
Rolland A. Schmitten, 1993-1999
Penelope E. Dalton, 1999-2000
William T. Hogarth, 2000-2007
John Oliver (acting), 2008
James W. Balsiger (acting), 2008-2010
Eric Schwaab, February 2010 to present

Is this the one?

Earlier this week, Deckboss was pondering the extended search for a new boss at the National Marine Fisheries Service, headquartered in Silver Spring, Md.

Hours after that post went up, a reliable friend in Washington, D.C., advised me a Maryland official now appears to be the favorite.

Eric Schwaab is deputy secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Here's an old press release with a little bio on Schwaab. The release indicates he once was director of the Maryland DNR's Fisheries Service.

For what it's worth, here's another link to some testimony Schwaab gave to a congressional committee recently on the subject of climate change.

We've heard several names in connection with the top job at NMFS.

Maybe this time we've got a winner in Schwaab.

Wanted: perfection

Good fishery managers must be really hard to find.

We know this because the Obama administration, now just 21 days away from finishing its first year in power, still hasn't chosen someone to lead the National Marine Fisheries Service.

The prior administration of George W. Bush was quicker, naming Bill Hogarth as NMFS chief on Sept. 6, 2001, seven and a half months after Bush's inaugural.

We've heard a few names bandied about for the job: Arne Fuglvog, Elliott Norse, Brian Rothschild. You can read about them in prior Deckboss posts.

I also have it on good authority that Jim Balsiger of Juneau, appointed acting NMFS administrator in February 2008 after Hogarth took a university job, wants to stay in the position.

Evidently, none of these candidates is good enough. Or, more likely, not of the right political or ideological stripe.

Anyway, here comes 2010 and who knows, maybe employees in the nation's foremost fishery management agency will soon know who's at the helm for the long haul.

New name in the wind for top NMFS job

Ever heard of Elliott Norse?

He's president and founder of a Bellevue, Wash., nonprofit called the Marine Conservation Biology Institute.

He's also the latest somebody I've heard the Obama administration is considering for administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service.

As Deckboss readers know, the Obama camp seems to be having a heck of a time filling the position, which Bush appointee and Alaskan Jim Balsiger continues to anchor.