Julie Morris appointed to national advisory committee

  • Post author:

Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs Julie Morris (‘70) was appointed to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC) on April 21. “I applied for the appointment in December of 2010 and received notice that I had been appointed in mid-April,” Morris told the Catalyst in an e-mail. According to the Department of Commerce, MFAC’s “objective is to ensure the nation’s living marine resource policies and programs meet the needs of commercial and recreational fishermen, and of environmental, consumer, academic, tribal, governmental and other national interests.”

Morris studied biology and ecology as a New College student and wrote her thesis on invasive aquatic plants in Upper Myakka Lake. Her fist appointment was to a Florida advisory committee on non-game wildlife in the 1980s. “That led to my appointment by Gov. [Lawton] Chiles to be Commissioner of the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, the constitutional body that manages freshwater fish and wildlife in Florida,” Morris told the Catalyst. The Commission was later reorganized to include marine fish in the late 90s and became the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

“After two terms as a Commissioner, I was appointed to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council where I served for nine years,” Morris explained. She worked with the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council until August 2010.

“I first considered seeking appointment to MAFAC last fall,” Morris told the Catalyst. “I have all this knowledge and experience with fishery management and wanted to continue working toward sustainable science-based management.”

Morris’ term begins with the next MAFAC meeting on May 24-26 in Key West. “I’ll send postcards,” Morris said. “If anyone wants to discuss fishery management, I am always interested.”

Leave a Reply