President's
Biography
Michael Nussman
Mike
Nussman is President and CEO of the American Sportfishing Association,
the leading recreational fishing industry trade association, based
in Alexandria, Virginia. He joined the Association as Vice President
for Government Affairs in 1993 and took the helm as President in October
2001.
Nussman brings a strong background in fisheries policy and Congressional
relations. He worked for 9 years on the Senate Commerce, Science and
Transportation Committee. At the American Sportfishing Association,
Nussman has been a driving force behind reauthorization of the Wallop-Breaux
Sport Fish Restoration Act, including amendments that established the
Recreational Fishing and Boating Foundation and provided $96 million
for a nationwide, collaborative campaign to promote these outdoor pastimes.
Nussman was instrumental in strengthening the Magnuson Fishery Management
and Conservation Act through the Sustainable Fisheries Act amendments
of 1996, advancing a progressive conservation title in the 1996 Farm
Bill, and improving policies affecting federal fish hatcheries.
In 1994, President Clinton appointed Nussman to be the U.S. Recreational
Commissioner to the International Commission for the Conservation of
Atlantic Tunas, a post he held until 2000. In this position he took
a lead role in developing international policies to conserve billfish
and other highly migratory ocean fish. He currently serves as Chair
of the American League of Anglers and Boaters, and on the Board of
Directors for the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, the
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and Stripers Forever.
Nussman also serves on the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory
Committee.
A native of North Carolina, Nussman received his bachelor’s
degree in science from North Carolina State University, and also holds
a M.S. degree in zoology and M.B.A. from the University of South Carolina.
