Postion #3
Serving since August 2019
Term Expires 30 June 2027

Gil Sylvia arrived in Newport Oregon in 1989 as a faculty member of Oregon State University and the newly formed Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station (COMES) located at the Hatfield Marine Science Center.   Gil has roots on the East coast and graduated from Fairhaven High School and the University of Massachusetts majoring in Natural Resources. He served in the Peace Corps as a fishery and aquaculture extension agent in the Philippines and then went on to receive a Master’s Degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University and a Ph.D. in Marine Resource Economics from the University of Rhode Island.  As a member of COMES his research has focused on fishery and aquaculture management and policy, seafood marketing, and bioeconomic modeling. Gil consulted on a wide range of national and international fishery and aquaculture projects and has been engaged in a variety of community, professional, and university service. Gil became Director of COMES in 1997 and consistent with the COMES mission, worked in close collaboration with the fishing/seafood industry, coastal communities, and management agencies to increase benefits from utilizing and sustaining West Coast marine resources.

Gil retired from Oregon State University in 2019 but continues to work on special projects for the University.  Gil serves on Newport’s Vision 2040 Strategic planning and implementation team and is Board Chair of Fish Trax Systems Inc., a private non-profit corporation dedicated to improving fishery and seafood information systems.  Gil Lives in Seal Rock with his wife Cathy and dog Koosi and enjoys outdoor recreation including camping, boating, and fishing.