Industry leaders bring experience and perspective to address issues affecting the recreational fishing industry and fisheries conservation.
Four members of the American Sport Fishing Association (ASA) were elected to fill two At-Large seats and two regional seats on the board of directors. Their three-year terms begin October 1, 2023. ASA is the national trade association representing the sport fishing industry.
The association has six regions: West, South Central, Great Lakes, Southeast, Northeast, and Northern Plains and Intermountains. Each member company or organization is assigned to the region where that member’s primary business is located.
Elected to At-Large board positions:
- Diana Bristol- Vice President, Culture and Community, Simms Fishing Products
- Matt Jensen – Vice President of Marketing, Rapala USA
Elected to regional board positions:
- Juan Johnson- Executive Vice President – Director of Sales and Revenue, Pitman Creek Wholesale, Southeast Region
- Doug Lasko President, Okuma Fishing Tackle, Western Region
“I congratulate Diane Bristol and Matt Jensen on their re-election to the board of directors and I welcome John Johnson and Doug Lasko to their first terms on the board,” said ASA President Glenn Hughes.
“These four industry veterans and longtime ASA members bring decades of experience to the ASA board of directors,” Hughes said. “I look forward to working with them and thanking the entire board for their time and service to the industry and the greater recreational fishing community.
diana bristol is vice president of culture and community for Simms Fishing Products. Bristol has been with Simms for thirty years and, in his current role, works on employee development and community engagement. Bristol is the chair of ASA’s new Sustainability and Community Committee.
matt jensen is vice president of marketing for Rapala USA. Jensen has been with Rapala for 19 years and is on the ASA Marketing Committee.
john johnson is executive vice president, chief revenue and sales officer, Pitman Creek Wholesale. He has an extensive career creating and maintaining key client partnerships, creating successful strategies, and mobilizing supportive resources for his clients.
doug lasko he is president of Okuma Fishing Tackle. Lasko began his career at Okuma in 1995 and has been in his leadership position since 2005. He is a long-time member of the Government Affairs committee and is chair of the Saltwater West committee.
The current members of the ASA board of directors are:
Executive committee: Phil Lillo, Don Coffey Company, President; Patrick Gill, TackleDirect, Vice President; Casey Shedd, AFTCO Manufacturing Co., Inc., secretary; Dan McDonald, Yakima Bait Company, Treasurer; Dan Ferris, Midwest Outdoors, At-Large; and Jesse Simpkins, St. Croix Rod, Immediate Past President.
Board members – Diane Bristol, Simms Fish Products; Dave Bulthuis, Pure Fishing, Inc; Ken Eubanks, Rather Outdoors; Peter Foley, Boone Bait Company, Inc.; Carey Graves, Daiwa USA; Todd Hammill, Wired2Fish; Frank Hugelmeyer, National Marine Manufacturers Association; Kirk Immens, Sportco Marketing, Inc.; Matt Jensen, Rapala USA; Chris Megan, On The Water, LLC; Daniel Nussbaum, Z-Man Fishing Products; David Pfeiffer, Shimano North American Fishing, Inc.; Mike Powell, Mason Tackle; Bruce Stanton, PRADCO Fisheries; and Mark Tisa, Massachusetts Division of Fish and Wildlife.
The American Sport Fishing Association (ASA) is the trade association for the sport fishing industry committed to representing the interests of the sport fishing and boating industries, as well as the entire sport fishing community. We provide the industry and anglers with a unified voice when emerging laws and policies could significantly affect the sport fishing business or sport fishing itself. ASA invests in companies for the long term to ensure the industry remains strong and prosperous, as well as to safeguard and promote the enduring economic, conservation, and social values of America’s sport fishing. ASA also gives America’s 55 million fishermen a voice in political decisions that affect their ability to fish sustainably in our nation’s waterways through Keep America Fishing, our national fisherman advocacy campaign. America’s fishermen generate more than $50 billion in retail sales with a $125 billion impact on the nation’s economy creating jobs for 825,000 people.