Gov. Sarah Palin has just named two new people to the board of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and tabbed one sitting member for another term.

The new appointees replace Don Giles, president of large processor Icicle Seafoods Inc. of Seattle, and Duncan Fields of Kodiak, who represented small processors on the board. Their three-year terms expired, a Palin spokeswoman said.

Here’s the press release:

Office of the Governor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2007

Governor Palin appointed Tom McLaughlin and Jack Schultheis, and reappointed Kevin Adams, to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute’s board of directors. The seven-member board includes representatives from the seafood processing and harvesting industries, and works to increase the value of Alaska’s seafood resource through promotions in both domestic and overseas markets and providing the industry with food safety and quality assurance training.

Tom McLaughlin fills an ASMI board seat representing large processors with an annual payroll of $2.5 million or greater. As president and CEO of Seafood Producers Cooperative, North America’s largest fisherman-owned cooperative, McLaughlin has helped build market awareness of premium longline and troll-caught Alaska seafood. He has held senior management or marketing positions with divisions of John Labatt Ltd., Tyson Prepared Foods, and ConAgra, and worked as marketing director for several other food companies. He has also served on national and international food marketing councils, including the Frozen Food Council, the International Food Manufacturers Association, and the Beef Marketing Board. He has a master’s of business administration from DePaul University.

Kevin Adams of Anchorage fills a seat representing seafood harvesters. Adams has extensive experience in fisheries and marketing, gained through 20 years experience as a Bristol Bay driftnet boat captain, his work for the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation and Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association, as vice president of the Great Ruby Fish Company fish processing and marketing company, and as manager of Adams Enterprises, a Naknek net and fishing supply business. He has a bachelor’s degree in international relations from California State University at Chico.

Jack Schultheis of Wasilla fills an ASMI board seat representing small processors with an annual payroll between $50,000 and $2.5 million. A seafood plant manager with extensive experience in the Yukon River fisheries, he is currently logistics and sales manager for Emmonak-based Kwik’pak Fisheries. He has previously worked as processing plant manager for 10th & M Seafoods and North Alaska Fisheries, as a rural Alaska fish marketing cooperative manager, and in numerous other seafood industry positions in buying, sales and marketing, and plant management.