Local anglers. Real data. Better rivers.

FOUNDER

Mike is the founder of Fishtagged and serves as the organization’s Director of Science, Data, and Research. With over five decades of experience in small business and a deep-rooted passion for meteorology, hydrology, and technology, Mike brings both vision and field expertise to the project.

EDUCATION & YOUTH PROGRAMS

Janice helps build bridges between the classroom and the field—connecting educators, students, and researchers to real-world environmental science. When she’s not hiking local trails, paddling the Potomac, or spending time with her grandchildren, she’s working to inspire the next generation of conservation-minded scientists and technologists.

ANGLER ENGAGEMENT & PARTERNSHIPS

Driven by his passion for river smallmouth, Sam brings energy and authenticity to every connection he builds with the local fishing community. Whether tagging fish or helping strengthen partnerships that support our mission, he’s most at home where the river meets the people who love it. When he’s not working, you’ll find him somewhere along the Potomac chasing trophy smallmouth or walking his German Shepherd, Mila, along the river.

DEVELOPMENT, OUTREACH, & EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

A passionate outdoorsman, Scott is a self-declared Potomac “River Rat,” having fished, hunted, and camped on nearly every section of the river from Cumberland to the Anacostia. His adventures are often shared with his loyal hound, Diego, as they navigate the river in Scott’s Towee guide skiff. Despite all his effort, he remains a poor angler, bad knot tier, and worse turkey hunter.

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Leveraging her expertise in the advertising industry, Nikki leads Fishtagged’s marketing and social media strategy, helping build a strong brand presence that reflects our mission and values. She also supports partnerships to strengthen long-term relationships that advance our work.

FIELD OPERATIONS & SOCIAL MEDIA LEAD

Clark’s passion for the outdoors is only matched by his dedication to the local fishing community. As our Field Ops Director and Social Media Lead, Clark serves as a key liaison with anglers, sharing insights, gathering feedback, and helping foster connections that support the organization’s mission.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & VISUAL MEDIA

Stephen shapes the organization’s visual identity and storytelling strategy. His work will educate and engage the community while amplifying the mission of citizen science and environmental conservation. Through powerful photo and films, Stephen ensures that the Fishtagged narrative reflects the dynamic and impactful work being done on the ground.

FIELD OPERATIONS & CONTENT CREATION

Jeff’s roots trace back to the Potomac, where a short bike ride to Swain’s Lock sparked a lifelong pursuit of river smallmouth. A certified American Canoe Association Level 3 River Kayak instructor, he specializes in teaching whitewater skills to anglers and shares his expertise through his widely followed social channels. At Fishtagged, Jeff supports field operations while using his content to connect anglers with the Potomac.

Charles is a freshman at the University of Maryland. Serving as Fishtagged’s lead software developer, he leverages digital technology to automate data collection processes, ensure data integrity, and improve organizational security. He is looking forward to seeing where the unique fusion between technology, fisheries science, and conservation will take FishTagged in the coming years.

Olivia is a student in the Global Ecology Program at Poolesville High School. With experience in logistics, research, and communications, she helps document, organize, and improve the systems we use to process and present data on our fish. Whether she's leading lobbying campaigns or organizing public events, Olivia’s focus is always on creating impact through structure, strategy, and service.

Daniel is an undergraduate student at Cornell and serves as Fishtagged’s lead data visualization developer. He leverages his background in data analysis and experience with behavioral economics to make the project's fish tracking and citizen science data more accessible and visually compelling. He is looking forward to seeing where the unique fusion of data, fisheries science, and conservation will take Fishtagged in the coming years.

Oren’s enthusiasm and innovative mindset make him a valuable part of our team. While working with us, he has created an interactive map showcasing points of interest along the Potomac, adding fresh, engaging content to our website. Community-focused and full of energy, he lifts morale, drives progress, and brings ideas to life.

Santiago is a senior at Poolesville High School. He’s helped compile historical and current information in order to present the data in an accurate context. FishTagged has deepened his understanding of the local ecosystem and allowed him to contribute to a local project in a meaningful way.

Krit was the first intern at Fishtagged, looking through thousands of photos to log tagged fish, creating a program that extracted data from these photos, and writing a research paper about the patterns of the Smallmouth Bass. Introduced to fishing and hands-on conservation ecology through this project, he's excited to see what this project will do for the fish in the Potomac and for the scientific community that studies them.

Crest is a rising senior in the Science, Math, and Computer Science (SMCS) magnet program at Poolesville High School. They love art and the outdoors, and are currently working towards the Eagle Scout rank. They are using Fishtagged data to analyze the effect of water level and temperature on the Potomac River ecosystem.

Justin is a rising senior in the Poolesville High School Global Ecology Program who serves as part of Fishtagged’s efforts to ingest data from tagged and recaptured fish, while also contributing to FT’s developing presence on social media. Justin’s love for spending time outdoors hiking and fishing fuels his passion for aiding in Fishtagged’s conservation efforts as he finds his role in preserving a precious ecosystem.