Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative (SMC) Chair, Molly Moran-Ogren
Born in Juneau, Alaska, Molly is a fourth-generation commercial fisherman. She was raised in Anchorage and Ninilchik, Alaska and was only nine months old the first time she was on a boat! Molly’s great-grandfather started the family legacy fishing for salmon on a set-net site in the 1930’s, and most of her family thereafter followed suit.
Understanding that commercial fishing is a livelihood dependent on the resource, and wanting to keep her family’s legacy alive, Molly shifted her career from fishing to advocating for all parts of the seafood industry. She has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Nevada, a Juris Doctor from Roger Williams University School of Law, and a Master’s Degree in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island. Molly says that “everything she has worked for, has finally come together in this role.”
As the appointed Chair of the SMC, Molly oversees the day-to-day programmatic initiatives, budget, grant proposals, collaborative coordination and meetings, and more. Molly is excited to strive towards keeping commercial fishing and those who work tirelessly to harvest seafood relevant and seen. She will continue to advocate, promote, and help the hard work of the fishermen shine while showing the importance of supporting local seafood.