“I leave active SFP staff work in good hands,” Johnson said. “We have a highly talented and dedicated team around the world committed to our mission and I am proud to have been a part of it.”
Johnson will retire from his current role of director of global programs effective at the end of 2012. In a release, SFP indicated Johnson would take on a role as a member of the nonprofit’s board of directors.
Johnson’s career in the seafood industry spans over 40 years, during which Johnson was involved in a number of activities including seafood procurement, aquaculture development, and industry analysis. His work took him from the U.S. to southeast Asia, Mexico, Chile and Brazil.
He is also known for founding and publishing the Annual Report on the United States Seafood Industry for the past 18 years, establishing the report as a respected information source for the industry.
He also founded and served as president of H.M. Johnson and Associates, a seafood industry research and analysis firm, starting in 1984 and ending in 2006, when he joined SFP.
“Back in 2005, when Jim Cannon shared his vision for an NGO that engages the seafood supply chain in supporting fishery and aquaculture improvement, I saw it as the perfect opportunity for closing out a 40+-year career by helping develop programs and strategies to promote responsible and sustainable seafood production,” Johnson said in a statement.
At its recent Annual Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, SFP presented Johnson with the Howard M. Johnson SFP Leadership Award, as the first recipient. The award will be presented annually in Johnson’s honor by SFP to “individuals who mirror your integrity and character and exemplify the leadership and innovation that you have contributed to SFP over your many years with us.”
“Howard’s involvement with and commitment to SFP is a major reason why the organization was able to successfully engage a broad section of the seafood industry in sustainability from the start,” said SFP CEO Jim Cannon. “We will miss his involvement in our everyday work, but we know he will provide excellent leadership from his new board position.”
