Michael E. Jepson

CV

I am a recent retiree from NOAA Fisheries where I was Social Science Branch Chief for the Southeast Regional Office (SERO) in St. Petersburg, Florida.  I had worked previously as an academic, for a quasi-governmental agency, independent contractor and an NGO all related to fisheries and fishing communities with most of my work taking place in the Southeast US and Caribbean. While at SERO I was instrumental in creating a set of social indicators for fishing communities for use in management that has become widely used in fisheries management nationally.  I was also highly involved in starting an oral history program at SERO and creating a mobile display for presenting our work to the public.  It has been a very rewarding career and it has been my association with the SfAA that has provided me with a remarkable network of colleagues and friends that have provided inspiration and continuous support throughout. 

I have been a member of SfAA for many years and am a Sustaining Fellow. I am a member of the Fisheries and Coastal Communities TIG and have presented and chaired many sessions at the SfAA meetings over the years on the decades long work of creating social indicators for fishing communities.  At those meetings I have been amazed at the quality of work that my friends and colleagues have engaged in and have always come away with inspiration to do more and explore other areas of research like ecosystems, disaster, and climate change.

Now that I have a little more time on my hands, I would like to pay back to the Society some of the rewards I have benefited from as a member.  As a part of the Nominations and Elections Committee, I would hope to encourage others to serve the organization and continue the strong focus on providing a network of professionals dedicated to addressing problems in the world.  I would like to inspire others to view the SfAA as the glue that keeps us together, always providing the stimulus to try to make a difference.