Two new members join RBFF Board Of Directors

The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation has announced the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors.

Dirk Hyde and Libby Yranski will work closely with RBFF leadership to meet its mission, including its goal to increase participation from the current level of 49 million anglers to 60 million in 60 months.

Hyde comes to the RBFF Board after nearly 30 years within the Brunswick family of companies. He most recently added the role of president of Crestliner’s Aluminum Fishing Group and for the past nine years, he has served as president of Lund Boats, where he manages the strategic leadership and product development to drive sales and profitability.

Hyde began his time at Brunswick serving as chief operating officer at Attwood Corp., followed by working as president of Crestliner Boats and then Harris Kayot & Cypress Cay. He studied at Alma College in Michigan before earning his MBA from Central Michigan University.

Representing the States Organization for Boating Access (SOBA), Yranski brings strong knowledge of the boating policy space to the board. She currently serves as SOBA’s Executive Director and NMMA’s Director of State Government Relations, working to create more and better opportunities for boaters throughout the United States.

Prior to these positions, Yranski worked as a policy fellow and government affairs coordinator at the American Sportfishing Association (ASA). Before working in the conservation realm, she practiced molecular genetics at Boston University and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

She received her Masters in Environmental Policy and Science from Johns Hopkins University after earning a Bachelors of Science in Biology and Marine Biology from Northeastern University.

“As we push closer to the 60 million angler mark, we will need cooperation from every facet of the fishing and boating industry. I’m pleased to see that’s exactly what we’re getting with our newest board members,” said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. “With the addition of Dirk and Libby, we now have representation on the boat manufacturer and policy sides of the equation and I look forward to their contributions to the RBFF Board.”

The RBFF Board of Directors is made up of 24 individuals who have been appointed by RBFF and industry and state agency organizations.