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Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Adds 6 Board Members
All-Volunteer Board Dedicated to Celebrating , Promoting And Preserving the Sport of Bass Fishing
> THE BASS FISHING HALL OF FAME added six members to its Board of Directors to begin serving a three-year term in January 2021 , leading the organization into its next steps of growth on the heels of a highly successful recent effort to expand and increase the Hall ’ s outreach and impact .
Todd Ceisner has been associate publisher of In-Fisherman since January 2020 . Prior to that , he spent eight years as editor of BassFan . com , chronicling the tournament side of the sport on a daily basis . Before working in the fishing industry , he covered high school and college sports for daily newspapers in central New York and central Pennsylvania .
Kathy Fennel is the executive vice president and general manager of Major League Fishing in Benton , Kentucky . Fennel oversees day-to-day operations for the world ’ s largest lineup of bass tournaments , making sure the organization continues to provide prestigious , well-organized events which participants , fans , hosts and sponsors are proud to be a part of . Fennel is a 2015 inductee into the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame and a member of the USAngling board of directors and the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation ( RBFF ) board of directors .
Matt Pangrac has been involved in the professional bass fishing industry since graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 2008 , where he was a founding member of the Sooner Bass Anglers collegiate fishing team . He started his own media company , 71 Media L . LC ., and worked as a beat writer for the PAA Tournament Series and Toyota Texas Bass Classic . He also freelanced for both B . A . S . S . and FLW , served as the lead contact for professional team management for all Pure Fishing bass pros during the 2013 and 2014 seasons through Blue Heron Communications , and worked as an FLW LIVE analyst during the 2019 FLW Tour season .
Tim Price has worked in the fishing industry for 29 years and is currently the Freshwater Field Promotions Manager for Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics Group . As part of his duties , Price manages all of the freshwater team of some of the best professional anglers in the world for Minn Kota , Humminbird and Cannon , along with tournament sponsorships and numerous other marketing functions for the brands .
Clifton Rutledge , a former member of the board , returns for another term . He ’ s a proven industry leader and executive with over 35 years of experience in numerous restaurant companies throughout the U . S . Prior to joining GameIQ , Clifton was COO at Jack ’ s Restaurants , President and CEO at Bojangles ’ s Chicken and Biscuits and COO and Senior Vice President at Whataburger Restaurants LLC , and VP of Operations at KFC .
Bruce Stanton has worked at PRADCO Fishing in Fort Smith , Ark ., since 1996 . He began his career there in public relations and eventually became Vice President and General Manager in 2002 . The company has expanded greatly under his leadership due to several successful organic brand launches , including YUM and BOOYAH , and several acquisitions , including Lindy , Bandit , Bobby Garland , Gene Larew , War Eagle and Norman Lures . Bruce served on the American Sportfishing Association ’ s Board of Directors from 2007-2008 and was also the Industry Liaison for the Outdoor Writers Association of America in 1999-2000 .
“ This is an impressive group , and we are thrilled to have every one of them ,” said Bass Fishing Hall of Fame President John Mazurkiewicz . “ Each of our new board members bring a distinct skill set to assist us in our mission of celebrating , promoting and preserving the sport of bass fishing . We are an allvolunteer ‘ working board ,’ and we pride ourselves on the fact that our leadership encompasses all of the major tours , media outlets and sectors of the industry .”
The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization led by a volunteer board of directors and is dedicated to celebrating , promoting and preserving the sport of bass fishing . Since 2017 , the Hall ’ s inductees and memorabilia representing the history of bass fishing have been showcased in Johnny Morris ’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium in Springfield , Missouri , where it has rapidly become a popular destination .
For more information about the Hall , its mission , and to become a supporting member , visit BassFishingHOF . com or contact BFHOF executive director Barbara Bowman at bbowman @ BassFishingHOF . com .
TODD CEISNER KATHY FENNEL MATT PANGRAC TIM PRICE
CLIFTON RUTLEDGE BRUCE STANTON
12 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2021