MEET OUR TEAM
Jana Hennig - Executive Director
Jana, also affectionately known as Ms. Positivity, is our fearless leader, our marketing authority, and the smiling face of our organization. Jana is a hybrid of business mind, environmentalist and fish head, and strongly believes that livelihoods and conservation goals can and have to work together. She holds both an MBA and a Masters in Marine Resource Management from Stanford University.
Jana earned her marketing stripes working on global brands in large food businesses in a variety of functions spanning brand management, shopper marketing, sales and e-commerce. In total, she has helped to bring over 300 new products to market. Jana also spent 3 years pioneering innovative cross-sector collaborations between businesses, non-profit and government for the London Olympic Games. Finally, Jana has worked with start-up accelerators and seafood impact investors, supporting and mentoring start-ups to get off the ground, which has proven to be invaluable experience for building Positively Groundfish.
COMING SOON!
Jake Stein - Content & Social Media
Jake is a photographer, filmmaker and writer who splits his time between the ocean and mountains of the West Coast, and always makes sure to bring his camera along. He received his Master’s Degree from Scripps Institute of Oceanography, where he focused on the interaction between fisheries and conservation. Blending his background with his passion for storytelling, Jake works with us to tell the story of the West Coast fishing community.
Marie Janine Murmann - Graphic Design
Marie Janine is a well-rounded creative who has extensive experience with desktop publishing, digital illustrations as well as fine art. Over the course of her career, Marie Janine has created brands, packaging, marketing materials and communication campaigns for companies in the food-to-go, leadership development and the technology industry. Her design work is vibrant, imaginative and bursting with positivity.
OUR BOARD
Yelena Nowak - President of the Board
As the head of the Oregon Trawl Commission, Yelena represents the interests of Oregon trawl fishermen, working to enhance the image of the industry and increase opportunities for its profitability. With a Masters degree in International Management from Portland State University and a background in both public and private sectors, Yelena's experience is centered around various areas of business, including trade development, marketing, global supply chain management as well as international trade and compliance. Prior to joining the commercial fishing industry, Yelena worked at the Oregon Department of Agriculture on its Market Access Program.
Brad Pettinger - Treasurer
Brad has participated in the West Coast fishing industry for almost 50 years - as a fisherman, as an industry representative on various committees and commissions, as well as a member of the Pacific Fishery Management Council. To call him an “institution” in the West Coast fishing world is no exaggeration. He has spent the last 14 years as the director of the Oregon Trawl Commission, where he worked collaboratively in the Pacific Fishery Management Council process to improve the management of west coast groundfish fisheries. Under Brad's leadership, the West Coast groundfish fishery was certified by the Marine Stewardship Council as well-managed and sustainable fisheries in 2014.
Andrew Bornstein - Secretary of the Board
Andrew Bornstein is a 3rd generation seafood processor from the Pacific Northwest, who has practically grown up in his family’s seafood processing plant. Together with his two brothers, Andrew now leads Bornstein Seafoods, where he focuses on strategy and brand management. With 80 years of experience and strong relationships in the fishing community, Bornstein Seafoods is a major first receiver and primary processor of all key species of seafood from the West Coast, especially groundfish. Bornstein Seafoods has long been committed to the sustainability of our oceans as well as to supporting our industry and communities.
Kyle Horgan - Board Member
As a 3rd generation in the fishing industry, Kyle grew up working on the docks from a young age, and exemplifies the classic “started from the ground up” story. So despite his young age, he’s already got 15 years of experience in the seafood industry. From Quality Assurance to Key Account Sales, Kyle understands what it means to bring people the best quality from ocean to plate. At Da Yang Seafoods Kyle is leading the charge of developing a Groundfish operation as he wants to continue to help the local community. His devotion, drive, and positive attitude will help continue to raise awareness of the now abundant MSC-Certified groundfish resource.
Lacy Ogan - Board Member
Lacy is the Director of Public Affairs and Communications for Pacific Seafood, bringing over two decades of expertise in shaping initiatives for companies like Starbucks, Stanley Thermos, and Microsoft. Lacy’s passion for cooking and the intersection of food and community was kindled early on while working at her father’s restaurants in rural Oregon. Today at Pacific Seafood, she spearheads strategies for internal/external communications, community engagement, and legislative advocacy. Committed to diversifying consumer preferences in seafood, Lacy looks forward to making west coast groundfish a staple on American dinner tables.
Dan Averill - Board Member
Dan was raised in the Pacific Northwest and spent his formative years fishing for trout in Idaho rivers. He has worked with the Marine Stewardship Council for over 10 years as senior manager of the US fisheries outreach team. During his tenure his focus has been on US west coast fisheries from Alaska to Mexico, including a strong working relationship with the Oregon Trawl Commission and US west coast groundfish fisheries as they proceeded through assessment en route to achieving MSC certification in 2014. Prior to MSC, he worked in fishery science, management and research with state and federal agencies in Oregon and Washington.
Joseph Hibbeln M.D. (CAPT, USPHS Ret.) - Board Advisor
Dr. Hibbeln is a practicing psychiatrist and nutritional neuroscientist, and is recognized as one of the leading experts on the role of Omega-3 fatty acids for our physical and mental wellbeing. During his 28-year service as a clinical and basic science investigator at the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Hibbeln published a plethora of scientific articles, advancing our understanding of Omega-3 benefits, especially for neurological development and for the prevention and treatment of psychiatric conditions. He was also recently invited to present to the National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine to re-evaluate current US Dietary Advice regarding seafood .
Gil Sylvia - Board Advisor
Gil is a Marine Resource Economist and Professor in the Department of Applied Economics at Oregon State University, where his research focus is on fishery management, policy, and seafood marketing. Gil was also until recently the Director of the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station (COMES), the largest applied marine research group in Oregon. At COMES he worked in close collaboration with the fishing and seafood industry, coastal communities, and management agencies to increase the benefits from utilizing and sustaining West Coast marine resources.
Christina DeWitt - Board Advisor
Christina is a Seafood Scientist and Professor in the Department of Food Science & Technology at Oregon State University, where her focus lies on improving seafood utilization, quality and safety and the minimization of seafood processing waste. Christina is also Director of the OSU Seafood Research & Education Center in Astoria, OR and is currently serving as the interim Director of the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station in Newport, OR. Moreover, Christina actively supports basic and applied science of seafood products through her service as the co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Aquatic Food Product Technology.
Mike Okoniewski - Board Advisor
Mike is a Senior Advisor for Processing Operations & Fisheries Policies at Pacific Seafood and a valued advisor to our team. He has been in the seafood industry for 50 years, primarily managing processing operations but also international sales, fisheries policy, and fishing. He has worked in WA, OR, CA, AK, & Canada in every major wild capture fishery such as salmon, groundfish, shrimp, halibut, crab, squid. Presently, he sits on over a dozen committees including MAFAC, Council advisory sub panel (CPSAS), Columbia River Basin Task force, & the Joint USA-Canada Whiting Treaty advisory panel.
Melissa Mahoney - Board Advisor
Melissa has spent 20+ years working on advancing the sustainability of US West Coast commercial fisheries, working across academic, governmental, and non-profit sectors. Through her work with the Nature Conservancy (2013-2016) and with the Environmental Defense Fund (2016-2022), she helped build community-based organizations dedicated to supporting and revitalizing the West Coast Groundfish fishery. In August 2022 Melissa became the Executive Director of the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust. She also co-produced a film about fishermen called “Of the Sea”, bringing fishermen’s stories to the screen.
