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PRESTON P. PATE, JR.

As director of the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, Preston Pate is responsible for regulating the state's $1 billion saltwater fishing industry. Pate enforces rules and policies set by the state's Marine Fisheries Commission, a nine-member citizen panel appointed by the Governor. Traditionally ranked in the top seafood producing states, North Carolina has over 4,000 miles of shoreline and 2.5 million acres of marine and estuarine waters. Latest estimates show that 4,000 full-time commercial fishermen and 2 million recreational anglers enjoy the bounty of the state's marine resources.  

The mission of the Division of Marine Fisheries is to ensure sustainable marine and estuarine fisheries for the benefit of the citizens of North Carolina. By achieving this mission, there will be ample opportunity for compatible commercial and recreational uses of our fisheries. Pate plans to turn the division into the best fisheries management agency in the United States.

At the federal level, Pate is the chairman of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and serves on both the Mid and South Atlantic Fisheries Management councils.

During his career, Pate has not been a stranger to resource conservation issues. He won high marks for being a skilled negotiator in his role as assistant director for Permitting and Enforcement with the state Division of Coastal Management. From 1984 until August 1997, Pate was responsible for issuing permits and enforcing rules that govern development in North Carolina's 20 coastal counties. His job was to ensure that development did not damage our state's fragile coastal environment. From 1980 through 1984, Pate was Chief of Field Services for Coastal Management, where he was in charge of permit reviews.

Ironically, Pate started his resource management career in 1971 with the Division of Marine Fisheries, studying herring in the Albemarle Sound area. His work changed in 1975 when he began evaluating coastal development permits for Marine Fisheries. In 1980, Pate's duties were shifted to the newly created Division of Coastal Management.

A native North Carolinian, Pate was born in Snow Hill. He attended NC State University, where he received an undergraduate degree in Fishery Biology and a Master of Science degree in Zoology. Pate loves the outdoors and frequently is found riding his motorcycle, cycling, running, or fishing for speckled trout. He resides in Newport, with his wife Pat. They have two children, Megan and Bryan.