Jack Travelstead '76 Gets Top Job at VMRC

Jack G. Travelstead, who holds degrees from Old Dominion University and the College of William and Mary, has been appointed commissioner of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell.

The appointee has served with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission since March 1, 1981. He has been chief of the Fisheries Management Division since 1984, and deputy commissioner since 2006.

Travelstead was appointed acting commissioner by McDonnell on March 22, 2012, when former commissioner Steven G. Bowman retired from state service.

After receiving a bachelor's degree in biology from ODU in 1976, Travelstead earned a master's in marine science at William and Mary. He resides in Toano with his wife, Ellen.

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission serves as stewards of the commonwealth's marine and aquatic resources, and protectors of its tidal waters and homelands, for present and future generations. The agency manages saltwater fishing, both recreational and commercial, and works to create and maintain sustainable fisheries for the benefit of all anglers and the ecosystem. It also manages water bottoms in public trust for the citizens of the commonwealth.