Seafood industry veteran Lilani Dunn has been promoted to executive director of the Bristol Bay Seafood Development Association (BBSDA), which represents drift gillnetters harvesting the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery.
Her appointment was announced on Feb. 21. She succeeds Andy Wink, of Wink Research & Consulting, who served as executive director of the BBRSDA for five-and-a-half years.
Dunn joined the BBRSDA in 2020 to oversee the association’s salmon marketing efforts, after holding positions with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) and Orca Bay Foods.
She is the president of Northwest Fisheries Association, a member of the National Fisheries Institute, and serves as chair of ASMI’s domestic marketing committee.
“The marketing program is our single biggest program and we have seen tremendous growth and success under her leadership,” BBRSDA board chair Fritz Johnson said. “While we recognize that marketing alone will not overcome all of the global market challenges our industry is facing, we feel confident that Lilani’s proven leadership, experience and ability to work with all facets of the industry will benefit our members.”
“The marketing messaging that we have to tell is unmatched,” Dunn said in a statement, adding that she sees a lot of opportunity for the BBRSDA through building relationships, creative and strategic marketing and a focus on quality, that will strengthen the Bristol Bay brand value.