Board of Advisors

Julia Gohlke, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, School of Public Health
University of Alabama-Birmingham, AL
Dr. Julia Gohlke, a nationally respected public health researcher with expertise in children’s health, environmental toxins and risk assessment, currently directs the seafood safety analysis that informs the Gulf Wild™ supplemental seafood testing protocol. Her experience includes the development of computational risk assessments and the health implications of energy use and climate change. She is currently conducting research on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and its impact on seafood safety. Dr. Gohlke earned her BA in biology from University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and a Ph.D. in environmental health from the University of Washington in Seattle. She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Jennifer Goldstein
Wild Fisheries Specialist
New England Aquarium, Boston, MA
Jennifer is a researcher and analyst for the Sustainable Seafood Programs at the New England Aquarium (NEAq).  A former research assistant at the Edgerton Research Lab at the NEAq, she returned to the Aquarium in 2009 to join the Sustainable Seafood team. Her current responsibilities include researching wild capture fisheries for environmental responsibility and developing recommendations for corporate partners. Ms. Goldstein has worked closely with fishermen and industry for much of her research career, focusing on the reproductive dynamics and foraging ecology of bluefin tuna, issues which relate directly to the conservation and management of this fishery. Ms. Goldstein was recently appointed to the International Sustainable Seafood Foundation’s (ISSF) Stakeholder Advisory Board and also has a Master of Arts in biology from the Boston University Marine Program and a Master of Science from the University of Massachusetts.

Jen Levin
Sustainable Seafood Program Manager
Gulf of Main Research Institute (GMRI), Portland, ME
Jen Levin is the first director of the GMRI’s Sustainable Seafood Program, started in 2009 to catalyze the evolution of economically and ecologically sustainable fisheries in New England. Working with all links of the supply chain, from fishermen to processors to retailers, Ms. Levin focuses on chain-of-custody and certification systems that motivate a sustainable seafood marketplace. Jen is the former Director of Operations at the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, where she developed an appreciation for the complexity of New England fisheries and seafood supply chains. She earned her undergraduate degree in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Southern Maine.

Geoff Luebkemann
Vice President for Education & Training
Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, Tallahassee, FL
Geoff Luebkemann is a recognized leader in public administration and hospitality, currently directing all education and training initiatives for Florida`s $57 billion industry of lodging establishments, restaurants and suppliers. In his current role, he handles regulatory affairs consulting, development, marketing, distribution of food sanitation and safety training materials. As former Director of Hotels & Restaurants, Mr. Luebkemann oversaw a statewide lodging and food sanitation and safety regulatory program with 300 employees in eight offices across the state and in Tallahassee. This division licensed and inspected over 85,000 public food service and lodging establishments. Mr. Luebkemann earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University.

Rick Moonen
Sustainable Seafood Advocate/Executive Chef
RM Seafood, Las Vegas, NV
A long-time advocate of sustainable fishing and seafood, Chef Rick Moonen has earned national acclaim for his commitment to conservation. After graduating at the top of his class from the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Moonen completed critical apprenticeships and leading roles at L’Hostellerie Bressane in Hillsdale, Manhattan’s La Cote Basque and Le Cirque. He later became Executive Chef at the iconic Le Relais, Century Café, Chelsea Central, and The Water Club. Under his kitchen management and direction, three restaurants achieved prestigious Three Star recognition from the New York Times: Oceana, Molyvos, and his namesake restaurant, rm.  In 2005, Chef Moonen closed his New York City restaurant to bring his unique flavor and specialties of the seafood world to the American West.

John Reuther
President and Laboratory Director
Eurofins Central Analytical Laboratories, Metairie, LA
John is a career analytical chemist with 33 years experience in analysis of a broad variety of food, agricultural products, dietary supplements, feed ingredients, minerals, soil, water, and marine tissue samples. His responsibilities have included business development, analytical laboratory operations and research support, cost control, global laboratory design and construction, quality assurance systems, LIMS design, and oversight of numerous analytical method development projects. John is experienced in modern techniques of atomic spectroscopy, high pressure liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry.  He has over 20 years of experience in contaminant residue chemistry of pesticides, metals, veterinary drug residues, and mycotoxins, and is extensively experienced with USFDA, USDA, EU, CFIA, and Japan MHLW sampling and testing protocols for trace contaminants and adulterants in food, meat and seafood, feed and agricultural commodities.

Gil Sylvia Ph.D.
Superintendent, Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station
Professor of Agricultural Resources & Economics
Oregon State University (OSU), Corvallis, OR
Dr. Gil Sylvia is nationally respected for his research in seafood marketing, fisheries management and policy, and aquaculture development. As a member of the Science and Statistical Committee of the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, he assists the West Coast industry and agencies in developing cooperative fisheries research. Dr. Sylvia works closely with the Astoria Seafood Laboratory, the OSU Department of Bioresource Engineering, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the National Marine Fisheries Service. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Dr. Sylvia earned his Ph.D. in Marine Resource Economics from the University of Rhode Island, and an M.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University.

Karl D. Turner
President/Founder
A La Carte Specialty Foods, New Orleans, LA
A respected seafood marketing expert, Karl Turner founded the popular A La Carte Specialty Foods, and created three of the company’s successful Louisiana-influenced brands including Creole Classics, Sauté Your Way, and Boudreaux’s. As the Executive Director of Louisiana’s Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, Mr. Turner developed and implemented all marketing, public relations and advertising programs for the state’s commercial seafood industry. In his 12-year tenure, he was the liaison between Louisiana seafood producers and various trade associations and government agencies.  He also held leadership positions at Xavier University, where he served as Chairman of the school’s Department of Business Administration and also Executive Director of the Xavier Center for Economic Development. Mr. Turner earned his B.A. Degree from Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn., and his M.A. in International Relations from the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY.