New fisheries workforce specialist in Cordova

Alaska Sea Grant welcomes John Williams as our new fisheries workforce specialist, based in Cordova, Alaska. He will coordinate statewide commercial fishing training and events as well as provide extension, education and applied research in support of regional needs. Williams holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in wildlife and fisheries sciences from Texas A&M University and has been a commercial fisherman for over a decade. Williams served as the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program agent in Cordova in 2019, and knows firsthand the importance of this new fisheries workforce specialist position. 

“I most enjoyed having early career fishermen come into the Alaska Sea Grant office in Cordova and helping them navigate commercial fishing loans, working with them to tackle the complexities of starting and sustaining a fishing business,” said Williams. “Connecting them with the right resources and the right people was incredibly fulfilling. Knowing that my work helped to promote and sustain vibrant coastal communities made it all the more meaningful.” 

Since 2019, Williams continued his work in Cordova as a fisheries business outreach specialist for Cordova District Fisherman United, and was recruited as an Alaska Center for Energy and Power Cordova community liaison in 2023. 

“Important work remains to be done and my experience will help foster relationships that are integral to accomplishing Alaska Sea Grant’s mission,” said Williams. “I have long admired the holistic approach of the Alaska Sea Grant program that supports coastal communities and consider it an essential part of a healthy ecosystem and economy.” 

After arriving in Cordova in 1996 from Texas, Williams worked as a fish ecologist and scientific diver for the Prince William Sound Science Center. His other experience includes being a marine educator for the University of Texas Marine Science Institute and a fisheries observer for the NOAA Galveston Laboratory. His fisheries experience ranges from graduate research in the tropics of Venezuela’s Guri Reservoir, to the Gulf of Mexico along the Texas coast, to the Copper River, Prince William Sound and Gulf of Alaska.   

Keen to build on successful models like the fishermen apprenticeship programs of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, Alaska Marine Safety Education Association, and the North Pacific Marine Resource Education Program, Williams envisions Alaska Sea Grant acting as a hub for fishermen education to build capacity of individual fisherman and coastal communities.

Williams is an avid snowboarder and can often be found on Cordova’s Mt. Eyak Ski Hill. He serves as the Sheridan Alpine Association Board’s Vice President and spent seven years as the director of the Cordova Ski Patrol. 

“Alaska is my home and working to protect its people, economy and coastal resources is my highest priority,” said Williams.