The Goldstein Brothers
Memorial Fund
Established 1993
Brothers Lewis, Stanley, Fred, and Sam followed in the footsteps of their father, Jacob Goldstein, who founded the Liberty Fish Company of Philadelphia in 1907. SIRF, formerly known as the Lewis Goldstein Memorial Fund and then the Fisheries Scholarship Fund, was established to honor former National Fisheries Institute President Lewis Goldstein, who died in a tragic plane crash in 1964.
Myer Bornstein
Memorial Fund
Established 1993
Myer Bornstein founded Bornstein Seafoods in 1934, in the midst of the Great Depression. His hard work and commitment put his company on the seafood industry map. These qualities and the slogan, “If you don’t trade with us, we both lose money!” were the order of the day. Mr. Bornstein was an important supporter of SIRF.
Gershon J. Feigon
Memorial Fund
Established 1991
Gershon Feigon founded Central Seaway, now known as CenSea, in 1960. He pioneered the importation of seafood from new sources worldwide and was one of the first American businessmen to establish commercial ties with China. He began importing shrimp from China in 1975 before the Cultural Revolution ended. Mr. Feigon also worked as an economist for the federal government for several years in the pre- and post-war periods.
J. Roy Duggan
Memorial Fund
Established 1990
J. Roy Duggan played a key role in the frozen seafood industry, serving as the executive vice president and later president for the SeaPak Shrimp and Seafood Company. He went on to be the president, chairman, and chief executive officer for King & Prince Seafood, which is one of the largest buyers of fresh shrimp on the East Coast, until he retired in 1995. Mr. Duggan also served as the National Fisheries Institute chairman 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, California. This business became known as Mrs. Friday’s and used imported Japanese panko to coat shrimp and fish products. Mr. Kawaguchi was the first person to introduce authentic Japanese panko to the United States.
Russell S. Mentzer
Living Tribute Fund
Established 2020
Russell Mentzer was the president and chief executive officer of King & Prince Seafood. He is a seafood veteran, a leader, and an advocate for ensuring the seafood community supports research that advances the industry. In May 2012, Russ assumed the role of chairman of the SIRF Board of Directors and continued to successfully lead SIRF before retiring in 2019.
Michael C. Gorton, Sr.
Living Tribute Fund
Established 2018
Mike Gorton, Sr. was the chairman of Slade Gorton & Co, Inc. and was a longtime member of the SIRF Board of Directors. Throughout his career, he raised more than $500,000 for SIRF. In 2015, he retired from the board of directors. He led fundraising activities through a friendly game of hockey, which is now named in his honor. Mr. Gorton served as captain of the National Fisheries Institute’s hockey team for 25 years before retiring in 2018. 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’ vice president of business development. He helped guide the company’s growth for one of the seafood industry’s largest processing concerns in shrimp. In addition, as a member of the Better Seafood Board, Mr. Leslie dedicated his talents to combating seafood fraud and protecting the industry’s reputation. As a strong community activist, he volunteered as a board member for Catholic Charities North and the River House. Mr. Leslie passed away in 2017.
Bill and Betty More
Living Tribute Fund
Established 2016
Bill and Betty More were instrumental in the success of the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) program, a certification program run by the Global Seafood Alliance. 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. The Mores retired from the Global Aquaculture Alliance in 2015. Bill served as BAP director and Betty as BAP manager. The Bill and Betty More Living Memorial Fund honors their contributions to the seafood industry.
Michael C. Voisin
Memorial Fund
Established 2015
Mike Voisin was the owner of Motivatit Seafoods and an established lobbyist and advocate for the Louisiana seafood community. He helped found the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Boad in 1984, giving a voice to a vital and iconic Gulf Coast industry. Mr. Voisin also served on multiple boards, including as a commissioner for the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission and as the 2009 chairman of the National Fisheries Institute.
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