Our 2024 AGM Recap
Our 2024-2025 Board of Directors.
Held 6:00 PM on Friday, May 3, 2024, at Old Belize Food Market in Belize City, our Annual General Meeting officially heralds the start of a new membership year for us at Belize Game Fish Association! A quorum was represented through President Madelyn Bowen, Treasurer Andrew Roe, Weighmaster Giovanni Duran, VP of Sponsorship & Marketing Louise Courtenay, and Administrator Jason Valdes.
Following an official welcome to all members and non-members present, our President Madelyn delivered her official report: summarizing details of the last membership year’s major achievements, including tournament details and any additional education or outreach activities, while pitching upcoming changes ahead—to be decided on by BGFA members present.
Here’s our official 2024 Annual General Meeting recap at a glance, which includes our official tournament calendar.
Tournament Updates
Andrew Roe, Treasurer.
Ahead of official elections, Andrew Roe presented the Treasurer’s report, which detailed income, expenditure, and overall budget review for all financial matters.
Proudly, we hosted one of our most successful tournaments yet, held on October 20th & 21st of the past 2023 membership year. Garnering over $60,000 for The Belikin Blue Water Classic through sponsorship and our raffle fundraiser, we successfully matched 2022’s cash prizes, with the top placements able to take home $25,000 for 1st, $15,000 for 2nd, & $7,500 for 3rd place. After all expenses and payouts, our expenditure was roughly $110,000.
No easy feat, this is made entirely possible by our sponsors and the support of every team that entered—our flagship Blue Water Classic fishing tournament was a success thanks to BGFA members and non-members alike! Year after year, we aim to improve the tournament experience, with your help. We love the energy of these tournaments and the unanimous love everyone carries for the sport, we’re looking forward to this year’s 15th installment!
Elections + Changes To Membership Slate
Our outgoing 2023-2024 Board of Directors (L-R): Jovy Duran; Jason Valdes; Madelyn Bowen; Louise Courtenay; Andrew Roe; Nathan Duncker. Not pictured: Zacch Reich.
Pitching legal adjustments, our executive committee proposed name changes of positions on the Board of our Directors, including the adjustments to the articles of association to the following:
The VP of Tournaments renamed as Tournament Director.
The VP of Sponsorship & Marketing renamed as Public Relations Officer.
The VP of Conservation renamed as Conservation Director.
With a handful of positions open for elections, Jacinta Gomez was nominated for Conservation Director; Morgan Miles was nominated for Public Relations Officer; Nathan Duncker (previously our VP of Conservation) as Tournament Director), and Sydney Griffith was nominated as Administrator. All nominations were accepted with a sound-off of “aye” across our members present.
Madelyn Bowen delivers her President’s Remarks.
Additionally, our executive committee stipulated that our constitution schedules our Annual General Meeting (AGM) for May of each membership year, a traditionally slower month than March. We are especially grateful to our past members for their years of service, which include Jason Valdes who served faithfully as our Administrator, our dedicated VP of Sponsorship & Marketing Louise Courtenay, and Zacch Reich who held VP of Tournaments!
Sea of Life’s co-founder Paulita Bennet-Marin.
With Sea of Life’s co-founder Paulita Bennet-Marin sharing all about the organization—which is a Belize-based, non-profit that develops educational campaigns and manages community-based research and planning—we’re excited to announce a future partnership to host a Women’s Fishing Camp during the 2024 membership year!
And of course, a membership year isn’t complete without a tournament. While members decided between dates in October 2024 for either 18-19th or 25-26th, our 15th Blue Water Classic fishing tournament was voted to be October 18-19, 2024 in Belize City at Old Belize. But that’s not all. Ready for an exclusive sneak peek?
We’re excited to announce a NEW tournament, tentatively planned to take place on the Placencia Peninsula in May 2025! Stay tuned for more details.
Thank you to all BGFA members and friends who have helped make our past events a resounding success, including our two cleanups alongside partners Oceana Belize and Belize Waste Control, respectively, in Belize City. We proudly celebrate all graduates of our official Passport to Fishing Camp, held under IGFA’s signature hands-on and interactive method for teaching kids to fish! Mentoring the next generation of fishermen and fisherwomen alongside other stakeholders, including Mar Alliance for our second camp, we congratulate our 50+ cumulative camp awardees!
Missed our fundraiser in February 2024 at the Iguana Stop in Burrell Boom? Stay tuned for more details on our next one. Thank you to every person who shows up to any event we host, whether it’s to grab a drink or spend your time volunteering at one of our multiple initiatives. Your support is invaluable!
