Before founding Seafood Nutrition Partnership, you held a variety of roles with companies including Arthur Andersen, Hitachi Business Consulting, and Harrah’s Entertainment. What inspired you to shift gears and start a nonprofit?

I have a passion for health and wellness and there is a great need in our country to help Americans be healthier.

  Where did the idea for SNP originate?

The idea for a nonprofit to educate Americans about the health benefits of seafood came from a group of leaders in the seafood industry. They recruited me to develop this idea and form a nonprofit organization from the ground up.

  SNP aims to improve health in the U.S. by encouraging Americans to incorporate more seafood into their diet. What are some of the nutritional benefits of seafood?

Seafood, which includes fish, shellfish, mollusks, and seaweed, provides essential vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. The key building blocks of our brains are the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, which are abundant in seafood. Eighty to ninety percent of Americans do not eat the recommended amount of seafood at least twice a week, so they are missing out on the brain, heart, and overall health and wellness benefits of seafood. Some of the benefits include reduction in anxiety and depression by 20% and reduction in heart disease risks by 30-50%. Moms who eat seafood before and during pregnancy have been shown to reduce preterm risks by 66% and have babies with a higher IQ, by about 7.7 IQ points.

  How is SNP raising awareness and promoting seafood consumption to the public? What are some of the programs, campaigns, or initiatives SNP has led or partnered in?

SNP’s Scientific Nutrition Advisory Council strengthens seafood nutrition policy and guidelines at the federal level with the USDA and FDA. SNP conducts education and outreach programs nationally with retailers and foodservice operators, and locally with community-based organizations.

  What are some things consumers should know in order to get the most benefits from eating seafood?

Eat a variety of seafood at least twice a week or more. Since so few Americans eat seafood frequently, start with your favorite dish and add fish and shellfish. Think of adding shrimp to salads and pasta, salmon burgers, fish tacos, and tuna fish sandwiches. There are a lot of recipes at seafoodnutrition.org.

  Have you always loved seafood? What are some of your favorite seafood dishes?

I have always loved seafood. Some of my favorite seafood dishes are salmon cooked in the air fryer, tuna fish sandwiches, fish tacos, and seafood stew, like cioppino.

  Part of SNP’s mission is a commitment to sustainability. What should consumers look out for when purchasing seafood to ensure it is sustainably sourced?

Seafood sustainability has come a long way over the last two decades. This is a priority for the seafood industry and now almost 90% of all grocery stores and major restaurants have a seafood sustainability policy and commitment in place. In the U.S., you can feel confident buying seafood from your favorite grocery store and restaurant. The U.S. has one of the best managed fisheries in the world with oversight by NOAA Fisheries. Look for U.S. seafood, and a few certifications to look for on packaging are MSC for wild seafood and ASC and BAP for farmed seafood.

  SNP has now been in operation for more than a decade. What were some of the challenges you encountered when starting the organization, and how has it grown or changed since its establishment in 2013?

SNP was one of the first organizations to build awareness of the health and nutritional benefits of seafood. The challenges in the beginning were to build a case for support for the mission; find donors, partners, and stakeholders to rally around the mission; and understand all of the complexities with seafood, supply chain issues, and consumer behavior changes.

  What have been some of the results of SNP’s efforts? Is there a particular project or accomplishment you are most proud of?

I am most proud of the committed board members, science council members, partners, and donors that have supported SNP over the last decade. I was recognized as No. 35 of the top 100 seafood executives globally by IntraFish Media in 2024, and that is a credit to all of the stakeholders that have come together around the importance of seafood nutrition. It takes a village of passionate people to create the change we seek in the world. We have helped to strengthen the seafood recommendations in the USDA dietary guidelines for Americans that come out every 5 years, and in the recommendations for moms to eat more seafood with the FDA. Per capita consumption of seafood was 14 pounds per person, per year in 2013; now it is 20 pounds per person, per year. If we all ate seafood at least twice a week, we should be at 26 pounds of seafood per person, per year.

  Were there any important people or experiences from your time at UCR that have had a meaningful impact on you or your career?

UCR provided me with a great foundation in business administration and accounting. The skills I gained through academics and the relationships I built have made a tremendous impact on who I am today as a leader.

  Do you have any advice for people interested in starting their own nonprofit organizations?

Starting and leading a nonprofit organization requires the same business principles of leadership, management, strategy, people management, and technical aptitude as with other types of organizations. It requires a lot of discipline and perseverance to bring a mission and vision to life. The best advice is to surround yourself with the best talent you can find.

  What’s next for you and for SNP? Any new initiatives you are excited about?

We are rolling out a national seafood campaign called “Fall in Love with Seafood.” We want to remind all Americans that seafood is fun, delicious, and good for you. I hope everyone will give seafood a try and see how it can support a healthier and happier life.