Mexico Beach, FL Marina Owner Odum Up For Election To RFA "BOD"

August 13, 2013 - The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) today announced that Nate Odum of Mexico Beach Marina is up for election to the RFA board of directors (BOD) in October following his official appointment by the nominating committee.

Odum (48) was born and raised in Miami but settled in the Florida panhandle after purchasing Marquardt's Marina in 2009 which he now runs as Mexico Beach Marina & Outfitters with his family, a 35-slip marina which is also a key area dealer for Yamaha and Sea Tow port.

"It's an honor to have been appointed and my hope is to contribute working on our greatest challenge in bringing common sense and sound science into the fisheries management process," Odum said of the upcoming RFA BOD election.

RFA BOD member Jamie Wilkinson, group publisher at F&W Media and member of the nominating committee which has appointed Odum for final vote at the RFA national meeting called Odum "an avid RFA supporter and extremely integrated advocate for the east panhandle fishing industry."

"He wants to help, he wants to serve the board and he wants to fight for our right to fish," Wilkinson said.

The Odum family is active in their Florida community, Nate himself has also been a member of the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association (MBARA) board since 2012.

"We all love waking up and going to work in the morning here at what we refer to as 'Mayberry on the Gulf' - you won't find better people anywhere," Odum noted. "All of our customers and tenants are like family."

In addition to the anticipated election of Odum, the RFA BOD will also consider reappointments of several other board members whose four-year terms expire at the end of 2013, including Nick Cicero (Folsom Tackle Corporation), Jack Holmes (Southern Kingfish Association), Mike Leech (World Cup Blue Marlin Tournament), Jerry Straub (Viking Yachts) and Capt. Tred Barta (The World of Tred Barta).

"We have a stellar board of directors in place right now from all walks of the recreational fishing industry," said RFA BOD volunteer chair, Robert Healey, Jr. of the Viking Group. "The red snapper situation in the Gulf of Mexico has really showcased RFA's position on federal fisheries reform over the past 5 years, and our continued strength in the Panhandle region can really help bolster efforts at the federal level in the coming months to fix a national problem."

Rounding out the RFA BOD are Capt. Len Belcaro (Big Game Fishing Journal, Offshore Satellite Services), Carl Huffman (Electric Fishing Reel Systems), Marty Bistrong (Yellowfin Boats), Ken Ehlers (Lamiglas Rods), Jim Motsko (White Marlin Open), Peter Harper (GE Capital), Patrick Healey (Viking Yachts) and Bob Healey, Sr., the Chairman and CEO of the Viking Yacht Company.