LEADERSHIP & GOVERNANCE
Board of Directors
Industry leaders who know Southeast Alaska sport fishing from the waterline up—and bring that experience to the decisions shaping its future.
9Current directors
6–13Board seats
6Area perspectives
1Southeast Alaska voice
EXPERIENCE AT THE TABLE
Regional knowledge. Industry perspective. Shared responsibility.
SEAGO’s directors bring experience across charter operations, remote lodges, hospitality, aviation, small business, community leadership, and fisheries management.
Together, they set organizational priorities and carry the perspectives of Southeast Alaska’s sport fishing service providers into the conversations and rooms that affect our communities, businesses, and way of life.
Good representation begins with people who understand both the resource and the communities that depend on it.
BOARD OFFICERS
Leadership grounded in the industry.
Select “Read full biography” on any card to see the complete profile.
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Tom Ohaus
President · Sitka · Angling Unlimited
Charter operator, fisheries biologist, and conservation-minded guide with decades of North Pacific experience.
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Tom Ohaus is the co-owner of Angling Unlimited, which operates eight boats and two lodge buildings. Founded in 1988, the business has operated independently in Sitka since 1995, where Tom and his family live part of the year and remain active in the community.
Tom began fishing almost as soon as he could walk and has since fished extensively in the Atlantic and Pacific, from the tropics to Alaska.
Captain Ohaus has run guided trips on the North Pacific for more than 20 years, logging over 2,000 days in pursuit of salmon and halibut. He holds a B.S. in Fisheries Biology from the University of Washington and is a strong advocate for light tackle and conservation-based fishing.
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Russell Thomas
Vice-President · Ketchikan · Alaska Sportfishing Expeditions
A lifelong Ketchikan resident whose leadership spans lodge operations, hospitality, aquaculture, and fishery policy.
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Born and raised in Ketchikan, Russell Thomas is CEO of Alaska Sportfishing Expeditions, which operates three fishing lodges in the Ketchikan area.
Russell learned hospitality from the ground up in his family’s hotel business, working as a housekeeper, desk clerk, and bookkeeper. When the family shifted its focus exclusively to sport fishing guests, he left college to manage the Cedars Lodge, later managed Clover Pass Resort for 10 years, and then moved into the CEO role.
Russell also serves on the Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association and Southeast Alaska Regional Dive Fishery Association boards. He represents sport fishing on the Pacific Salmon Commission’s Northern Panel, which advises U.S. Commissioners on salmon issues.
Russell and his wife, Leah, have four children and live year-round in Ketchikan.
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Richard Yamada
Board Secretary · Juneau · Shelter Lodge
A captain, lodge owner, and longtime recreational fishing advocate working across state, federal, and international arenas.
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Richard Yamada has been involved in Alaska’s recreational fishery for more than 40 years as a licensed captain, sport fishing lodge owner, and advocate at the state, federal, and international levels.
Raised in the Hawaiian Islands, Richard grew up in a culture closely connected to the ocean. He left college for military service and was assigned to Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks in 1972, where his love for Alaska’s outdoors and fisheries began.
Richard owns Shelter Lodge outside Juneau. He is a past member of the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee, a board member of the National Association of Charterboat Operators, a U.S. Commissioner on the International Pacific Halibut Commission, and Executive Director of the Recreational Quota Entity.
BOARD MEMBERS
Voices from across Southeast Alaska.
Each director adds operating experience, regional context, and a practical understanding of the people and communities SEAGO represents.
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Seth Bone
Board Member · Sitka · Kingfisher Charters
A lifelong Sitka resident, charter operator, and experienced participant in state and federal fishery management.
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Seth Bone is a lifelong resident of Sitka.
After several seasons as a commercial longline and troll deckhand, Seth purchased his first charter boat, the Kingfisher, in 1991. He went on to build Kingfisher Charters, a Sitka-based sport fishing operation with a lodge and charter bookings for local owner-operators.
Seth has participated in fishery management since 1997. His service includes the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Charter IFQ, Charter GHL, and Charter Halibut Stakeholder committees, as well as Alaska’s King Salmon Management Task Force and State Guide Licensing Task Force.
His interests include fishing, hunting, hiking, and camping in the wilderness surrounding Sitka.
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Scott Van Valin
Board Member · Prince of Wales Island · El Capitan Lodge
A second-generation Alaska lodge and aviation operator with deep roots on Prince of Wales Island.
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Scott Van Valin owns and operates El Capitan Lodge and Island Air Express on Prince of Wales Island.
Born in Anchorage and raised at his parents’ remote fly-out fishing lodge on Lake Clark, Scott has been involved in Alaska aviation and fishing lodges since childhood. His family moved to Prince of Wales Island in 1987 and built El Capitan Lodge on the island’s west coast.
Scott began managing the lodge in 1990 and purchased it from his father in 2002. He and his wife, Nani, continued expanding the operation. El Capitan now operates seven 28-foot North River boats, employs 22 crew members, and hosts approximately 650 guests each season.
Scott also serves on the Alaska Air Carriers Association board.
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Scott McKelvey
Board Member · Prince of Wales Island · Waterfall Resort
A veteran guide and resort manager with practical experience in fishery policy and hatchery stewardship.
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Scott McKelvey is General Manager of Waterfall Resort on Prince of Wales Island. He began his Alaska career as a Waterfall fishing guide in 1991, guided for 15 years, and then moved into management.
Scott has served on an Alaska Board of Fisheries subcommittee and as a board member of the Prince of Wales Hatchery Association, known locally as POWHA.
Before his Alaska career—and during many offseasons since—Scott worked on extended fishing trips based in Southern California. Those trips ranged as far south as the Equator and often focused on waters hundreds of miles offshore from Cabo San Lucas. When he is not in Alaska or with family in Arizona, he still returns to the warmer waters where he began.
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Darryl Bosshardt
Board Member · Admiralty Island · Pybus Point Lodge
A remote lodge manager whose experience connects hospitality, business leadership, regulation, and advocacy.
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Darryl Bosshardt manages Pybus Point Lodge, a remote fishing and adventure lodge in Pybus Bay on Admiralty Island. The lodge welcomes guests seeking world-class fishing, wildlife, and wilderness experiences in one of Alaska’s most remarkable settings.
Darryl brings broad experience in business leadership, hospitality consulting, and regulatory policy. He has worked extensively on food safety, labeling, and government affairs at the state and federal levels and brings that same advocacy mindset to protecting Alaska’s sport fisheries and the coastal communities that depend on them.
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Haley Janttie
Board Member · Elfin Cove · Eagle Charters
A next-generation lodge leader with experience spanning guided sport fishing, healthcare, commercial fishing, and self-guided operations.
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Haley serves as Manager at Eagle Charters in Elfin Cove and brings a lifetime of experience in Southeast Alaska’s guided sport fishing industry. She grew up working alongside her family at Tanaku Lodge, developing a deep understanding of lodge operations and the daily realities of running a successful fishing program.
Having spent nearly every summer in Elfin Cove since she was two years old, Haley’s connection to the community and fishery runs deep. Although she explored work in healthcare and emergency medicine, she was ultimately drawn back to the water and the industry.
Her experience also includes commercial fishing and ongoing exposure to the self-guided angler sector, giving her a balanced, practical perspective. Haley is committed to continued learning and the long-term strength and sustainability of Southeast Alaska’s sport fishing industry.
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David “Dave” Creighton
Board Member · Craig · Shelter Cove Lodge
A lodge operator, small-business owner, and public servant invested in Craig’s long-term economic strength.
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Dave Creighton was born in Anchorage, raised in Ketchikan, educated at Oregon State University, and settled in Craig with his wife in 2006 to raise their three children and continue the family business.
He entered the charter fishing industry in 1995 at age 16 and has not missed a season since. Under his leadership, Shelter Cove Lodge has more than doubled its guest capacity and now employs 33 seasonal staff and five year-round employees.
As the owner of several small businesses in Craig, Dave is deeply invested in the community’s long-term strength and in keeping it economically vibrant while preserving its small-town character.
Dave’s public service includes the Craig City Council, the Craig Advisory Committee, and the Recreational Quota Entity Board.
BOARD COMPOSITION
A board designed to reflect the region.
SEAGO’s board consists of a minimum of six and a maximum of 13 directors. The organization seeks representation from inside and outside waters across Northern, Central, and Southern Southeast Alaska.
When an area seat cannot be filled, a director may be appointed at large. Every seat carries responsibility for the interests and concerns of Southeast Alaska sport fishing operations and their supporters.