Northwest Aquaculture Alliance appoints new president and expands board.
The Northwest Aquaculture Alliance (NWAA) has appointed new officers and expanded its board following elections held at a recent board meeting.
Dick Jones has been elected president, with Jeff Hetrick appointed vice president. Jones is CEO and founder of Tidepoint Group and previously served as CEO of Blue Ocean Mariculture. He is also executive director of the Hawai’i Aquaculture and Aquaponics Association and executive director of the National Fisheries Institute’s Sushi Council.
Hetrick is director of the Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute in Seward, Alaska, and also serves on the boards of the National Aquaculture Association and the Kurt Grinnell Aquaculture Scholarship Foundation.
The leadership changes follow the retirement of long-time president Jim Parsons, CEO of Jamestown Seafood, who served as NWAA president from 2020 to December 2025. Parsons, who received the Alliance’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024, will continue to serve as president-emeritus and board advisor.
NWAA has also appointed two new directors: Marcela Paz Delgado, DVM, founder and CEO of Sudvet Corp., and Landen Talbot, global sales manager at Troutlodge, Inc.
Delgado is an aquaculture health specialist with more than 25 years’ experience in fish health, diagnostics, biosecurity, and sustainable production, and was named one of Chile’s 100 Most Influential Women Leaders in 2025. Talbot brings operational experience in trout genetics, broodstock management, and global hatchery supply.
NWAA executive director Jeanne McKnight said the expanded leadership team would guide the Alliance’s strategic initiatives in 2026, with a focus on aquaculture education, public engagement, and industry development across the Pacific region.
The new board appointments take effect immediately.