John Barrett
In 1989, John Barrett began creating television programming that would change the face of outdoor television. It began with a series titled, “Fly Fishing the World,” an award‐winning project that was the first fly‐fishing‐only television series ever produced. The show began airing on ESPN in 1990 and became one of the most popular outdoor programs for more than 23 years, exposing the greatest fly‐fishing locations on earth to millions of viewers worldwide.
Barrett spent his adult life searching the world for anything that could be caught on a fly rod. Along the way he was joined by recognizable names such as Robert Duval, Kevin Costner, Liam Neeson, Walter Payton, Chris Evert, John Denver, Henry Winkler, and Michael Keaton, just to name a few. The success of “Fly Fishing the World” on ESPN led to the network requesting more productions from Barrett which included “Fly Fishing America,” “Trout Unlimited” television, the “Fly Fishing Masters,” “L.L. Bean’s Guide to the Outdoors,” and other specials and series that included fly fishing as a core part of the projects. Barrett was also instrumental in the inclusion of fly fishing in ESPN’s Great Outdoor Games. In 2018, the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) unanimously voted John Barrett into their Hall of Fame.
Today, John is now part of the new ownership group of the Complete Fly Fisher fly fishing lodge, and when he isn’t spending time with this beautiful daughter and wife, he can be found on the banks of the Big Hole River.
Chad Moss
Chad Moss has been an IGFA Lifetime Member since 2003, and fishes competitively aboard his 72-foot Viking Sandbob. Chad works for his family’s business, Moss Construction, as Executive Vice President where he manages multiple accounts, business development, client strategy, new project pursuits, public relations, and community initiatives. He is a prominent ambassador for Moss & Associates and is known for building strong relationships throughout the South Florida construction field and in the community. He is an effective and passionate advocate for building sustainability, new technology, and mentoring in the industry.
Chad serves as President of the Moss Foundation, a non‐profit organization established to provide a platform for the community initiatives and partnerships Moss is involved with. The Foundation supports and aids other non‐profit organizations and community partners, promoting the premise that Moss isn’t just about building structures, they are helping to build communities.
A self‐described “people person,” Chad enjoys bringing people together to create significant projects. More broadly, he enjoys mentoring others, advancing education, and giving back to the community. He follows and embraces changing technologies to promote greater efficiency, better building, and sustainability. Chad is prominent in the community at many levels. A longtime champion of Florida International University (FIU), he is a member of the FIU Foundation board of directors and of the university’s Moss School of Construction, Infrastructure, and Sustainability Industry Advisory Council. He served on the board of directors of HANDY, a Broward County nonprofit that provides more than 1,300 at‐risk children with comprehensive programs focusing on education, youth development, and economic self‐sufficiency, and has been named a “HANDY Hero.”
Sam Peters
Sam Peters is president and owner of Release Marine and Marine Tables, located in Savannah, Georgia. An avid angler, Sam caught his first sailfish in 1968 at the age of seven and has not stopped fishing since. Whether trout fishing in Georgia or pursuing billfish across six different oceans, his love for the sport runs deep.
He has served as a past chairman of the board of the Masters Angling Tournament as well as the Pirates Cove Billfish Tournament, and is the current chairman of the John A. Peters Tarpon Tournament, which supports cancer research in the Savannah community. Peters has recently launched the Sta‐Stuk Hook company, which produces a unique, patented high‐end hook that has been proven to increase hook‐up ratios for lure fisherman.
Peters is also a passionate conservationist, especially for billfish. In fact, conservation is a concept that was baked into the DNA of Release Marine right from its inception, when Peters’ father, John A. Peters Jr., used the name Release to name his new fighting‐chair and marine accessory company. John Peters felt, as did his friend and IGFA Fishing Hall of Famer Johnny Rybovich, that being associated with releasing billfish is the right way to go, even back in 1974 when nearly all recreationally caught billfish were brought back to the dock.
Today, Release Marine supports the efforts of The Billfish Foundation as well as those of the University of Southern Mississippi’s Billfish Research Center as its largest financial contributor. Release Marine also provides sponsorship support for more than 20 high end billfish tournaments, all of whom have deep ties to conservation efforts around the world.
Ryan Seiders
In 2006, Ryan Seiders and his brother Roy founded YETI Coolers with the goal of producing a cooler that was built for the serious outdoor enthusiast rather than for the mass‐discount retailers. They built a cooler that could handle the abuse they had put previous coolers through out in the field and on the water.
The two brothers decided early on that product innovation would come from necessity and firsthand experience – not from market research and data analysis. Today, YETI products are the yardstick by which all other outdoor products are measured and include far more than the coolers that launched their business.
An avid outdoorsman from a young age, Seiders has fished and hunted in some of the top locations around the world and has also competed in several prominent angling tournaments.
YETI has been an IGFA Corporate Partner since 2015 and produces products that fit the level of the IGFA brand. Under Seiders’ leadership, YETI also supports a number of other fishing/conservation organizations such as the Billfish Foundation, Bonefish Tarpon Trust and the Coastal Conservation Association.