Council Members

The Council has 13 voting members and three non-voting members. A chair and four vice chairs (one from Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and the CNMI) are elected annually by the Council members.

Council members must balance competing interests while trying to make decisions for the overall benefit of the nation. Council members are advised by the Council’s advisory panels and committees, Council staff, the public, states and territories, academia and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

Eight of the members are private citizens who are familiar with the commercial and/or non-commercial fisheries, marine conservation or both. They are appointed by the Secretary of Commerce from lists submitted by the Governors of each of the island areas:

William Sword
American Samoa Power Authority
(2025-2028, American Samoa, obligatory)
Chair
Roger Dang
Fresh Island Fish Co.
(2023-2026, Hawaii, at-large)
Vice Chair
Edgar Feliciano
Feli Fisheries Inc.
(2025-2028, American Samoa, at-large)
Pedro “Pete” Itibus
Fisherman
(2023-2026, CNMI, at-large)
Francisco “Frank” Perez
AC Sales and Service
(2024-2027, Guam, obligatory)
Matt Ramsey
Conservation International
(2024-2027, Hawaii, obligatory)
Jesse Rosario
Guam Fishermen’s Cooperative Assn
(2025-2028, Guam, at-large)
Gerald “Gene” Weaver
Tasi to Table
(2023-2026, CNMI, obligatory)
Sylvan Igisomar
CNMI Dept. of Lands and Natural Resources
(Designated)
Vice Chair

 

Four designated state officials:

  • Dawn Chang, Hawaii Dept. of Land & Natural Resources, DLNR Chairperson
  • Sylvan Igisomar, CNMI Dept. of Lands & Natural Resources, Secretary
  • Nathan Ilaoa, American Samoa Dept. of Marine & Wildlife Resources, Director
  • Chelsa Muña, Guam Dept. of Agriculture, Director

Four designated federal officials:

  • C. Colin Brinkman, U.S. Department of State, Office of Marine Conservation, Foreign Affairs Office
  • RADM Sean Regan, U.S. Coast Guard 14th District, District Commander
  • Sarah Malloy, Pacific Islands Regional Office, National Marine Fisheries Service, Regional Administrator
  • Jeremy Raynal, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Biologist

Standing Committees

  • American Samoa Archipelago
    • TBD, Chair
    • Jeremy Raynal
    • William Sword
  • Enforcement & VMS
    • Frank Perez, Chair
    • Sylvan Igisomar
    • Chelsa Muña
    • RADM Sean Regan
    • William Sword
  • Executive & Budget
    • William Sword, Chair
    • Roger Dang, Vice Chair, HI
    • TBD, Vice Chair, GU
    • Sylvan Igisomar, Vice Chair, CNMI
    • TBD, Vice Chair, AS
  • Fishery Rights of Indigenous People
    • TBD, Chair
    • Pedro Itibus
    • Chelsa Muña
    • Matt Ramsey
    • William Sword
    • Gene Weaver
  • Hawaii Archipelago & PRIA
    • Matt Ramsey, Chair
    • Dawn Chang/David Sakoda
    • Roger Dang
    • Jeremy Raynal
  • Legislative
    • Dawn Chang/David Sakoda, Chair
    • Sylvan Igisomar
    • Chelsa Muña
  • Mariana Archipelago
    • TBD, Co-chair
    • Gene Weaver, Co-chair
    • Sylvan Igisomar
    • Pedro Itibus
    • Chelsa Muña
    • Frank Perez
    • Jeremy Raynal
  • Military Expansion
    • Chelsa Muña, Co-chair
    • Sylvan Igisomar, Co-chair
    • Pedro Itibus
    • Frank Perez
    • Gene Weaver
  • Pelagic & International
    • Roger Dang, Chair
    • Colin Brinkman
    • Sarah Malloy
    • Frank Perez
    • RADM Sean Regan
  • Program Planning & Research
    • TBD, Chair
    • Sarah Malloy
    • Matt Ramsey
    • Gene Weaver
  • Protected Species
    • Chelsa Muña, Chair
    • Dawn Chang/David Sakoda
    • Roger Dang
    • Sylvan Igisomar
    • Pedro Itibus
    • Sarah Malloy
    • Jeremy Raynal

Financial Disclosures for Nominated Members:

2021 Report to Congress on Councils on the Regional Fishery Management Councils and SSC Members Financial Interest Disclosure and Recusal Requirements