After seven years as executive director of Fish Florida, Scott Nichols will be stepping down on Feb. 1, 2026. The Fish Florida Board of Directors has recruited Rob Kramer to replace Nichols. Kramer is the former president of Wild Oceans and the International Game Fish Association, and was the original executive director of Fish Florida. Fish Florida, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, encourages responsible angling by helping educate Florida’s youth to become the next generation of anglers and stewards of our marine environments. The organization created and managed the "FishFlorida" speciality license plate which results in a portion of the vehicle's registration fee being transferred from the Florida DMV to Fish Florida each time a Floridian buys or renews a FishFlorida license plate. “I am both excited and honored for the opportunity to once again lead an organization that has done so much for aquatic education and marine resource stewardship in our great state,” Kramer said. “As one of the original founders of Fish Florida and a fifth-generation Floridian, this incredible opportunity is very meaningful to me. I have enjoyed working with Scott and the Fish Florida Board on several important conservation initiatives during my tenures with Wild Oceans and IGFA over the years. I now look forward to working with them from the inside as part of the Fish Florida team.” Nichols will continue to be involved with Fish Florida, joining the Board of Directors and continuing to ensure the organization’s success through his leadership and experience. “I’m very proud of my work with Fish Florida since co-founding the organization and I feel lucky to have had this chance to change things for the better, for future generations,” Nichols said. “I’ve known and worked with Rob for 30 years and I’m confident that Fish Florida will be in good hands to continue our successful mission here in Florida.” During Nichols’ time as executive director and on the board, Fish Florida has completed numerous accomplishments. These include: • Raising more than $14 million from sailfish license plate proceeds and private donations • Purchasing and distributing 637,000 fishing rods and reels for children fishing clinics • Providing support to more than 1,562 organized educational fishing events in 237 Florida cities • Awarding 357 grants to 119 different charitable organizations totaling more than $2 million • Providing $690,000 in marine-related scholarships to 62 students from eight Florida universities “We are extremely excited to have Rob officially rejoin the Fish Florida team,” said Fish Florida President Brendan Barry. “In addition to co-founding the organization back in 1998, Rob brings three decades of experience in marine resource conservation and an in-depth knowledge of nonprofit administration to the organization. With Rob as executive director and Scott remaining actively involved as a member of the Board of Directors, the future looks more promising than ever for Fish Florida.”