J. Roy Duggan
Memorial Fund
Established 1990
The founder of SeaPak Corporation, Roy Duggan, pioneered the frozen seafood industry. He purchased the King Shrimp Company, now known as King & Prince Seafood Corporation, one of the largest buyers of fresh shrimp on the East Coast. Mr. Duggan also served as chairman of NFI from 1969 to 1970.
Masashi Kawaguchi
Memorial Fund
Established 1987
A successful entrepreneur and a Japanese-American internment survivor, Masashi “Mas” Kawaguchi founded the Fishking Seafood & Poultry Company. Soon after, he opened a small processing facility near downtown Los Angeles, CA. This business became known as Mrs. Friday’s and was using imported Japanese panko to coat his shrimp and fish products. Masashi Kawaguchi was the first family to introduce Authentic Japanese Panko to the United States.
Russell S. Mentzer
Living Tribute Fund
Established 2020
Russell Mentzer was the president and CEO of King & Prince. He is a seafood veteran, a leader, and an advocate for ensuring the seafood community is supporting research that advances the industry. In May 2012, Russ assumed the role of chairman and continued to lead SIRF successfully and retired in 2019.
Michael C. Gorton, Sr.
Living Tribute Fund
Established 2018
Mike Gorton, Sr. is the chairman of Slade Gorton & Co, Inc., and a longtime member of the SIRF board. He led fundraising activities through a friendly game of hockey. In 2015, he retired from the SIRF Board of Directors. Now bearing Mr. Gorton’s name as the Gorton Cup, Mike marked 2018, his 25th Anniversary as a player and Captain of NFI’s Hockey Team to be his last game. His efforts culminated in a total of $1.7 million in donations.
Mark D. Leslie
Living Tribute Fund
Established 2017
Mark D. Leslie was High Liner Foods’s Vice President of Business Development. Mark helped guide the company’s growth for one of our industry’s largest processing concerns in shrimp. In addition, as a board member of the Better Seafood Board, Mr. Leslie dedicated his considerable talents to combating seafood fraud and protecting our industry’s reputation. As a strong community activist, he has volunteered as a board member for Catholic Charities North and the River House.
Bill and Betty More
Living Tribute Fund
Established 2016
Bill and Betty More have been instrumental in the success of the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP). The Mores helped train auditors, prepare farms and arrange certification of 358 farms, 267 processing plants, 30 hatcheries and 26 feed mills. They were also pioneers in their own aquaculture operations. At the end of 2015, Bill and Betty More will retire. Bill currently serves as BAP Director and Betty as BAP manager.
Michael C. Voisin
Memorial Fund
Established 2015
Mike Voisin was the owner of Motivatit Seafoods and a champion of the Louisiana seafood community. He helped found the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Boad in 1984, giving unified voice to a vital and iconic Gulf Coast industry. Mike also served on multiple boards, including the 2009 chairman of the National Fisheries Institute.
Ethel Feigon
Memorial Fund
Established 2015
Ethel Feigon, a Psychologist and wife to Gershon Feigon, became President of Central Seaway Company (Censea) after her husband’s death in 1983. After Gershon’s passing, Ethel Feigon ran the company well into her 80’s increasing revenues tenfold. Her husband, Gershon Feigon, founded Censea in 1960.
Jack Kilgore
Living Tribute Fund
Established 2013
Jack Kilgore joined Rich’s in 1978 as a Sales and Marketing Administrator. After excelling in a series of positions, he was appointed president of Rich’s Consumer Brands Division in 2004. With 32 years of experience in the food industry, Jack also served as chairman of the National Fisheries Institute in 2002. He recently agreed to serve as a founding board member of the Seafood Nutrition Partnership.
Richard V. Martin
Living Tribute Fund
Established 2012
Rick Martins is the Executive Director for Red Chamber Group and a seafood industry leader for over 40 years. He served twice as NFI Chairman, from 1985 and in 2006. He remains active in the leadership of the Global Aquaculture Alliance, the California Fish and Seafood Institute, and the American Seafood Distributors Association.
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