Marine Fisheries Commission Advisory Committees
Overview
The MFC Advisory Committees provide insights and comments directly to the commission for consideration during their decision-making process. All advisors are appointed by the MFC Chair. There are five statutorily required Advisory Committees that fall into two categories. The MFC Chair also convenes committees to assist in the development of fishery management plans, and to deal with emerging issues as the commission deems necessary. To learn more about the Fishery Management Plan process and how you can get involved, watch this Fishery Management Plan presentation. For questions concerning the advisory committees, please contact Jesse.Bissette@deq.nc.gov.
View the list of upcoming Advisory Committee meetings
Apply to Serve
The MFC is looking for commercial and recreational fishermen, scientists, and other interested parties to sit on various fisheries advisory committees. If you are interested in serving as an adviser, please complete the application below. The solicitation period occurs in the fall of each year, with new advisor terms beginning in January. The 2025 solicitation period ends on October 24, 2025.
Regional Advisory Committees
Member Requirements
Members of the Northern Regional Advisory Committee must reside within areas from the Virginia line south through Hyde and Pamlico counties and any counties to the West.
Current Northern Regional AC Members
Advisors (County of Residence) | Term Expiration Date |
| Everett Blake (Harnett), Vice Chair | January 1, 2028 |
| Keith Bruno (Pamlico) | January 1, 2029 |
| Melissa Clark (Dare) | January 1, 2028 |
| Stuart Creighton (Pamlico) | January 1, 2028 |
| Herman Dunbar (Pamlico) | January 1, 2028 |
| Morton Gaskill (Hyde) | January 1, 2028 |
| Robert Makowsky (Durham) | January 1, 2028 |
| Thomas Newman (Martin) | January 1, 2027 |
| Jamie Lane Winslow (Martin) | January 1, 2029 |
| Sara Winslow (Perquimans), Chair | January 1, 2029 |
| Jason Weeks (Pasquotank) | January 1, 2029 |
Member Requirements
Members of the Southern Regional Advisory Committee must reside within areas from Carteret County south to the South Carolina line and any counties to the West.
Current Southern Regional AC Members
| Advisors (County of Residence) | Term Expiration Date |
| Samuel Boyce (New Hanover) | January 1, 2027 |
| Pete Lee (Brunswick) | January 1, 2029 |
| Laura Lukas (New Hanover) | January 1, 2029 |
| Pam Morris (Carteret) | January 1, 2029 |
| Michael Oppegaard (Pender) | January 1, 2028 |
| Fred Scharf (New Hanover), Chair | January 1, 2027 |
| Richard Sear (Pender) | January 1, 2029 |
| Kenneth Seigler (Onslow) | January 1, 2029 |
| Glenn Skinner (Carteret) | January 1, 2028 |
| Jeremy Skinner (Carteret) | January 1, 2027 |
| Tom Smith (Mecklenburg), Vice Chair | January 1, 2029 |
Standing Advisory Committees
Statutorily required standing committee comprised of commissioners and advisers that consider matters related to finfish.
Current Finfish AC Members
Advisors | Term Expiration Date |
Jeff Buckel (Carteret) | January 1, 2028 |
| Thomas Day III (New Hanover) | January 1, 2029 |
| Lewis Dunn (Wake) | January 1, 2029 |
Brent Fulcher (Craven) | January 1, 2028 |
| Jake Griffin (New Hanover) | January 1, 2028 |
| Selby Lewis (New Hanover) | January 1, 2029 |
| Jesse Mock III (Pender) | January 1, 2028 |
Randy Proctor (Wake) | January 1, 2028 |
William Tarplee (Onslow) | January 1, 2027 |
| Sammy Corbett (Ex-officio), Chair | MFC |
| Tom Roller (Ex-officio), Vice Chair | MFC |
Statutorily required standing committee comprised of commissioners and advisers that consider matters concerning habitat and water quality that may affect coastal fisheries resources.
Current Habitat and Water Quality AC Members
Advisors | Term Expiration Date |
| Cate Arnold (New Hanover) | January 1, 2028 |
| Jack Durham, Jr. (Wake) | January 1, 2026 |
Joel Fodrie (Carteret) | January 1, 2028 |
| David Glenn (Carteret) | January 1, 2026 |
Nathan Hall (Carteret) | January 1, 2028 |
| Scott Leahy (Carteret) | January 1, 2027 |
| Markham Parrish (Carteret) | January 1, 2028 |
| Lisa Rider (Onslow) | January 1, 2026 |
| Mark Sonder (Carteret) | January 1, 2026 |
| Dr. Doug Rader (Ex-officio), Chair | June 30, 2026 |
| Sarah Gardner (Ex-officio), Vice Chair | June 30, 2025 |
Statutorily required standing committee comprised of commissioners and advisers that considers matters concerning oysters, clams, scallops and other molluscan shellfish, shrimp, and crabs.
Current Shellfish/Crustacean AC Members
Advisors | Term Expiration Date |
| Lauren Burch (Currituck) | January 1, 2029 |
| Mary Sue Hamann (Carteret) | January 1, 2028 |
| Michael Hardison (Brunswick) | January 1, 2027 |
| Mike Marshall (Carteret) | January 1, 2028 |
| Brassai Mustin (Onslow) | January 1, 2028 |
| Thomas Ray Todd (Pender) | January 1, 2029 |
| Peter Watkins (New Hanover) | January 1, 2029 |
| Tim Willis (Carteret) | January 1, 2027 |
| Brett Wilson (New Hanover) | January 1, 2028 |
| Mike Blanton (Ex-officio) Chair | MFC |
| William Service (Ex-officio), Vice Chair | MFC |
Fishery Management Plan Advisory Committees
To provide comments to the Spotted Seatrout Fishery Management Plan Advisory Committee, please contact the Division staff at the email addresses provided below.
Current Spotted Seatrout Fishery Management Plan AC Members
| Joe Albea |
| Steven Brewster |
| Johnna Brooks |
| Dr. Jie Cao |
| Stuart Creighton |
| Doug Cross |
| Herman Wayne Dunbar |
| Matthew Littleton |
| Kevin Poole |
| James Reilly |
| Rick Sasser |
| Jeremy Skinner |
| Donald Willis |
Division Staff
| Lucas Pensinger Species Lead | Lucas.Pensinger@deq.nc.gov 252-515-5636 |
| Melinda Lambert Species Lead | Melinda.Lambert@deq.nc.gov 252-473-5734 |
To provide comments to the Oyster/Clam Fishery Management Plan Advisory Committee, please contact the Division staff at the email addresses provided below.
Current Oyster/Clam Fishery Management Plan AC Members
| Rosanna J. Gusler |
| Barry Martee Hodowanic |
| Perry Allen McMahon |
| Brassai Marie Mustin |
| Thomas Edward Newman III |
| Brandon Joel Puckett |
| Abby Elizabeth Williams |
Division Staff
| Joe Facendola Oyster Lead | Joe.Facendola@deq.nc.gov 910-796-7291 |
| Bennett Paradis Oyster Co-Lead | Bennett.Paradis@deq.nc.gov 252-515-5482 |
| Jeff Dobbs Hard Clam Lead | Jeffrey.Dobbs@deq.nc.gov 252-515-5640 |
| Lorena de la Garza Hard Clam Co-Lead | Lorena.delagarza@deq.nc.gov 252-423-5256 |
Other Committees
Section 6 of the Act to Provide Further Support to the Shellfish Aquaculture Industry in North Carolina (S.L. 2019-37) amended G.S. 143B-289.57 to require the Chair of the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) to appoint a three-member Shellfish Cultivation Lease Review Committee (SCLRC) to hear appeals of decisions of the Department of Environmental Quality Secretary regarding shellfish leases issued under G.S. 113-202. The SCLRC includes one MFC member who serves as the hearing officer and two public members, one with expertise or other relevant experience in shellfish aquaculture, and the other with expertise or other relevant experience with respect to coastal property or property assessment.
Shellfish Cultivation Lease Review Committee Members
Advisors | Seat |
| Sammy Corbett (Chair) | MFC Member |
| John Suralik | Coastal Property or Property Assessment Expert |
| Mike Oppegaard | Shellfish Aquaculture Expert |
DMF Committee Staff
Jesse Bissette MFC Marine Fisheries Commission Liaison | 252-515-5530 |
Phillip Reynolds Legal Counsel Special Deputy Attorney General Department of Justice | 919-716-6400 Preynolds@ncdoj.gov |