Some reflections from the Presidential rearview mirror

Being an American Fisheries Society President and Officer is and has been a most remarkable and humbling journey, particularly when you certainly had no expectation of having such an opportunity growing up in northeastern New Jersey or while in school at Wyoming or Missouri. I was amazingly lucky to have outstanding mentors to guide me, happened to be in the right place at the right time on occasion, and fortunate to have the opportunity to take the whole ride. If you get the chance, I recommend taking it. As my AFS Presidential term ends and I move to the Immediate Past President post, I wanted to provide a few thoughts for you to consider as you move along in your respective careers and work for sustainable fisheries that will benefit society well into the future. I have had the opportunity to meet so many professionals across our Society and other societies and have been treated most graciously. As I have noted in previous columns, you are an amazing community to be involved with and are incredibly diverse ethically, socially, and by disciplines. My journey has driven home that fisheries is an incredibly broad field. It ranges geographically across the globe and from the mountain tops to the very deepest parts of the oceans. In disciplines, our field ranges from administrators to water quality-focused individuals and everything in between. This diversity is reflected in the very broad range of information provided in the AFS journals, meetings and conferences at all levels, and in our virtual platforms. All of this makes the point that our Society’s real strength is our members and their broad range of experience and knowledge along with our many professional networks. All of these ensure that the information we need is at hand and provides the essential light and energy to continue our efforts to build sustainable fisheries.