Sea Pact elects Inland Seafood’s Mary Smith as new board chair

Inland Seafood Corporation Director of Sustainability Mary Smith has been elected as the new advisory board chair of Sea Pact, the pre-competitive collaboration announced on 7 January.

Sea Pact, which is comprised of ten leading American and Canadian seafood companies, seeks to drive industry progress in the realm of sustainability. The organization announced Smith’s appointment during its annual meeting, which is taking place virtually this year on 5 and 12 January.

“Kicking off 2021, Sea Pact is delighted to announce Mary’s selection by her peers to this leadership role,” Sea Pact Managing Director Rob Johnson said in a press release.

Smith was hired by Inland in 2018 as its first-ever director of sustainability. Before joining the Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.-based company – which is the largest full-line processor and distributor of more than 2,000 fresh, frozen, smoked, and specialty seafood items in the U.S. Southeast – she served in various marketing and sustainability capacities for Santa Monica Seafood and The Plitt Company.

“I am thrilled to serve as the chair of Sea Pact’s board, especially during such an interesting time in our industry,” Smith said of her position. “Sea Pact’s focus on pre-competitive collaboration to support member companies and positively impact the global seafood industry has never been more relevant. I believe strongly in the transformative power of this organization and the enthusiasm of the people who continue to build it. The opportunity to work with passionate and dedicated colleagues who share the same goals is so rewarding both professionally and personally and I am excited about what’s next for all of us.”

Johnson said the Sea Pact collective will focus on elevating sustainability in the seafood industry in 2021 by engaging in innovative projects, collaborative partnerships, and transformational processes – all while working collaboratively to navigate the unpredictable global climate of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Sea Pact’s innovative seafood business collaboration model continues to advance as a dynamic industry leadership platform, as we reinforce our resolve to work together to face the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19 and work to catalyze an industry-wide transformation to a more sustainable future in seafood,” Johnson said. “I’m very excited to have Mary elected to the role as chair of the advisory board for a two-year term, and look forward to working closely with her to drive new initiatives of our organization forward. We expect her passionate energy, deep supply chain and sustainability knowledge and experience, bright ideas, and strong commitment to the industry will bring great value to our collective efforts and outcomes.”

Euclid Fish Company, Fortune Fish & Gourmet, Inland Seafood, Ipswich Shellfish Group, J.J. McDonnell, North Atlantic Inc., Santa Monica Seafood, Seacore Seafood, Seattle Fish Company, and Stavis Seafoods are among Sea Pact’s unified member roster. FishWise, Ocean Outcomes, and the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership provide sustainability council to the group, while impact accelerator Multiplier offers operational support.