This week, Preston chats with the new Executive Director of The American Fisheries Society (AFS), Jeff Kopaska. They cover the unprecedented challenges Jeff has faced in his first year in the new role and the success of the San Antonio meeting in August. Jeff then discusses his innovative vision for how AFS can evolve to continue to meet the needs of its diverse membership base and to support federal employees in the current unpredictable political climate. We hope that you enjoy this episode!   Main point: "Relationships are everything!" Jeff's email address: jkopaska@fisheries.org  AFS' webpage: https://fisheries.org/    Get in touch with us! The Fisheries Podcast is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky: @FisheriesPod  Become a Patron of the show: https://www.patreon.com/FisheriesPodcast Buy podcast shirts, hoodies, stickers, and more: https://teespring.com/stores/the-fisheries-podcast-fan-shop Thanks as always to Andrew Gialanella for the fantastic intro/outro music. The Fisheries Podcast is a completely independent podcast, not affiliated with a larger organization or entity. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the podcast. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by the hosts are those of that individual and do not necessarily reflect the view of any entity with those individuals are affiliated in other capacities (such as employers).