On 4 October, 2022, at the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) GOAL conference, National Fisheries institute President John Connelly and GSA President Dr. George Chamberlain each were presented with the 2022 Wallace R. Stevens Lifetime Achievement Awards.
GSA Founder Wally Stevens himself gave out the awards at the conference, taking place at the Fairmount Olympic Hotel in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
After previously announcing his pending retirement from NFI, anticipated in January 2023, Connelly made a statement about his cancer diagnosis. In his acceptance speech, Connelly fondly reminisced about his time and growth in the seafood industry. He expounded on his journey from attending Holy Cross College, to his experience in the U.S. Navy, and his career spanning one-third of his life working in the seafood industry.
Chamberlain accepted the award with his family by his side. Chamberlain described his long history with GSA, formerly known as the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA), and his experience working internationally in the aquaculture sector, developing new feeds and improvements in manufacturing technology. Accepting his award, Chamberlain explained his appreciation for the people in the seafood industry.
"I just find that the way things have materialized from zero to what we are today as an industry, I can only think of one word, its just magical. It’s almost impossible," he said.
Photo courtesy of Bhavana Scalia-Bruce/SeafoodSource
