Jennifer Ferdinand has been appointed deputy director of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, AFSC science and research director Robert Foy announced Aug. 6. Ferdinand, a former commercial fisheries observer, joined NOAA in 1998.
In his announcement, Foy praised Ferdinand’s leadership skills, saying she is highly regarded by colleagues, staff, constituents and partners for her ability to bring together disparate groups to build consensus.
Ferdinand spent a decade with AFSC’s Fisheries Monitoring and Analysis Division as a debriefer, observer trainer and program manager. In 2008, she became the center planning officer, coordinating the development and implementation of the center’s strategic planning process.
In 2018, she became director of the organization’s Fisheries Monitoring and Analysis Division, where she conceived and executed innovative approaches to keep observers safe while providing needed catch and bycatch data to fishermen and resource managers working through the pandemic.
This included modifying standard operating procedures to minimize in-person interactions and the use of remote tools for training and debriefing for observers returning from deployments on fishing vessels.
“For many, becoming a fisheries observer is their first introduction to the federal government,” Ferdinand said. “I think it is really important to provide coaching and mentoring to new and recently promoted staff.”
“While providing professional development opportunities to staff,” she continued, “I also was able to grow the division’s skill sets and increase the value and utility of our data to the agency. I look forward to implementing some of these practices more broadly as the center’s deputy director.”