20 Years of MCFA: Hope, Resilience, and Perseverance — Together

Remarks from our 20th Birthday Party, held on January 15, 2026

Thank you to everyone who came out this evening to celebrate 20 years of MCFA.

We have many of our board members here tonight, past and present. I am so appreciative of the time and energy and care that you put into your charge of stewarding our mission, and the empowerment you have shared with our team to go and get stuff done.

Thank you to our many partners in the room. Fishermen, nonprofits, DMR, research institutions, small businesses, schools, municipalities, elected officials, and community members. It’s an eclectic group which is reflective of the wide variety of projects and work that MCFA is involved in.

One of the things I am most proud of is MCFA’s ability to bring partners together to amplify our collective impact. So often, when we get together, we are able to change the equation so that 1 plus 1 equals 3, and I am just so thankful for the trust and friendship that so many of you have shown our team over the last 20 years.

And the staff at MCFA. The caliber of people I have been able to work with over my past 15 years is humbling. Emerson, Kat, Nina, Jill, Susan, Mary, Monique: you are MCFA. Every day I look forward to working with you. The care you bring to this work, the passion, and your ability to deliver for Maine’s fishermen allows MCFA to punch above our weight. These are people who care and show up again and again and I am so proud of what we have built together. And the fishermen who have entrusted us to be their voice... fight for them... sit through boring meetings for them… and build solutions together to solve the complex problems of our past, present, and future. Thank you for this honor and for your continued partnership.

I want to share a few thoughts about the future of Maine’s coast and the role that MCFA will play. MCFA was founded to be the voice for groundfish fishermen in the policy area, but over time, it became clear that we couldn’t solve the problems that our fishing communities face through policy alone. Yes, it all starts with the need to have fish in the ocean. But even if you have fish to catch, if our local fishermen don’t have the permits or the working waterfronts then there is no way to embrace that opportunity.

If we have fish and access, but fishermen can’t be paid a fair price for their fish, once again that opportunity is lost to Mainers. That's where Fishermen Feeding Mainers comes in. And if we have fish in the ocean, access for our fishermen, fair prices for what they are catching, but the individuals aren’t healthy, we have failed the people who we have been fighting to create this opportunity for. That's when we engage our Fishermen Wellness program.

Resilience has become a real focal point on the coast of Maine, especially after the January storms of 2024, and while we all can nod our heads and say “oh yes, resilience is good” it’s actually kind of hard to define what resilience means. When I think about it though, I perceive it to be the act of investing in the foundation building today that will create the opportunities of tomorrow. And while MCFA is helping building those foundations too often, we get focused on the “thing”- the dock, the building, the boat, while forgetting the people. I see one of our key roles at MCFA as building the bridges to help fishermen meet the opportunity that we are collectively investing in. Sometimes those bridges look like working waterfront access or permits, sometimes they look like better data, and sometimes those bridges are simply made of hope, so that fishermen can see that that they and their kids matter in that future.

The fishermen, the fishing families, the fishing communities—they are our north star. And every piece of work we embark upon is focused on building resilience, opportunity, and hope for those we serve.

Our tagline is “together, we persevere.” And to persevere is not always about winning. It is about fighting, even when the deck is stacked against you. It is about continuing through it all. But the only way to persevere is to see that there is hope. MCFA is in the business of building hope. Real hope, which can only be created through hard work, transparency, and trust. Some of the things that MCFA has accomplished just over the past year are things that I would have said were impossible even three years ago. This is why I am forever optimistic and hopeful about the future fishing in Maine. What was impossible just a few years ago is already happening today. And we have been able to accomplish these things because of the people in this room: our fishermen, our staff, our partners, our board, and our community. You are the embodiment of our tagline, and together, I am excited to persevere.

Enjoy this small selection of our favorite memories from the last 20 years.

So many friendly faces, great events, strong partnerships, and thriving communities!