Board Members

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 ATLANTA, GA

Debra may have grown up in the Big Easy, but it wasn't until a serendipitous fly fishing class with the Georgia Women Fly Fishers (GWFF) that she truly tasted the sweet nectar of the sport. Now, Debra's not just a dedicated member of GWFF (treasurer, no less!), but she also boasts past membership chair status with the Atlanta Fly Fishing Club (AFFC) and even served as treasurer for the Southeastern Council.

But don't let all those titles fool you, Debra considers herself the "luckiest bad fly fisherperson on the planet." And her luck has certainly taken her on some amazing fishing adventures.

As Debra so eloquently puts it, "fish don't live in ugly places," which is why she enjoys traveling to add new species to her list (and maybe snag a few bragging rights along the way).

But beyond the catch, Debra believes in the power of regional organizations like the Southeastern Council. Her hope is to help develop diverse opportunities for anglers in both big cities and small towns across the Southeast, ensuring that everyone gets a chance to experience the joy and beauty of fly fishing.

So, whether you're a seasoned pro or just dipping your toes in the water, keep an eye out for Debra. You might just learn a thing or two from this "enlightened" fly fisher with a heart as big as the oceans she's fished.

 ROME, GA 

Cathy Valancius, a Rome, Georgia resident, found herself with a fly rod and a whole lot of time during the pandemic. What started as a lockdown hobby quickly blossomed into a full-blown passion for fly fishing, tying, and keeping our streams healthy. A true "All Fish, All Waters" devotee, you'll often find Cathy wrangling native bass, sunfish, and brookies with dry flies on even the tiniest trickles of water.

Cathy's dedication extends beyond catching fish. She serves as treasurer for both the Georgia Council of Trout Unlimited and the Coosa Valley Chapter of TU, and she's also a citizen scientist with Science on the Fly. So if you see her out there, don't be shy - she's always happy to chat about fish, flies, and keeping our waterways pristine!

BALL GROUND, GA

Jeff's first Fly Fishing trip took place when his father-in-law took him to western Montana for a fly fishing only trip.  He's never looked back.   While Jeff continues those trips out west, 15 and counting, he spends most of his time fishing the waters of the SEC, whether it’s for Trout in mountains or Redfish in the Marshes of Glynn.

Jeff is also heavily involved in Trout Unlimited where he has served as President of his local chapter as well as Conservation Chair for the Georgia TU State Council.  He is currently 2nd Vice Chair on the Georgia TU State Council.

His interest in joining the Board is to take his passion for promoting fly fishing and conservation beyond just Trout and to help others experience the wonderful world of Fly Fishing.

ORIENTAL, NC  

Bobby began fishing, in his youth, in eastern Tennessee at his grandmother’s farm pond with his dad. He grew up wading creeks, streams, and river for whatever was available.  Initially he wasn’t interested in fly fishing. Later, he began to appreciate the grace and beauty of the cast and the serene settings of the fishing locations. Today he is a fishing guide that fishes locally in the salt waters around Oriental North Carolina and travels to various locations, both freshwater and salt, wherever his fly rod takes him.

NORTH GEORGIA

Charlie grew up chasing smallmouth bass with his father and grandfather near Antietam on the Potomac River. A friend introduced him to fly fishing when in his 20’s and even after he accidentally caught his first trout on his back cast, he was a skeptic about this whole fly fishing thing. Then after experiencing a truly profound light cahill hatch one drizzly afternoon on a North Central PA limestone stream he became a convert, not to mention very late for dinner.

Charlie is a US Navy veteran and graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, and in addition to his position on the SECFFI board he is a fishing guide and board member for Veterans Flyfishing, and a volunteer guide for PHWFF. Charlie has been living in North Georgia since 2018 with his very understanding wife, Sandra, who has stayed with him through over 20 relocations. When he is not chasing trout in the southeast, he is with friends and family scattered throughout the Rockies chasing their trout, looking for one more profound hatch, and being late for dinner. Again.

LELAND, NC

From Sulphur Hatch to 64 Species: Terry's Fly Fishing Journey

Born in the shadow of Pennsylvania's legendary Spring Creek, Terry arrived amidst a mythical Sulphur hatch that supposedly fattened up the trout by half a pound (okay, maybe not in December!). Regardless, this was the beginning of a lifelong love affair with fly fishing. A 3rd generation angler, Terry has spent over 40 years casting a line, catching an incredible 64 different species on the fly — truly an "all water, all fish" kind of guy.

A dedicated member of the fly fishing community, Terry boasts lifetime FFI membership and has served in various roles for Triangle Fly Fishers, even landing a spot in their Hall of Fame! Now in Leland, NC, he's joined forces with the Cape Fear Fly Fishers.

With a background in environmental science and over 30 years in the industry, Terry has cleverly combined his passion for clean water and conservation with his love for fly fishing. What can we say, the man's got a cast for all occasions!

Linda Vance discovered fly fishing while doing fish physiology coursework for her Ph.D in Conservation Biology at UC Davis. She is still not quite sure that her colleagues were really "sampling fish populations and health" with fly rods, as they claimed, but she decided not to challenge them, and has kept a fly rod handy ever since. Prior to her retirement in 2022, she led a comprehensive assessment and monitoring group at the University of Montana, evaluating the aquatic integrity of federally-managed streams, rivers, wetlands and uplands across the Western U..S.  If you mention an obscure trout stream in a forsaken corner of northern Nevada or southern Wyoming, she has probably "sampled" it. Since moving to North Carolina in 2020, she has been leaving her water quality meters, IPad and tape measures at home, exploring the waters of the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee with great enthusiasm but less scientific rigor.  Being the SEC's Women Connect Liaison allows her to extend her commitment to gender inclusiveness in aquatic science and resource protection by getting women involved with water and fishing. 

CLEVELAND, TN

 From Casting with Dad to Streamer-Junkie Supreme: Brian's Fly Fishing Journey

Brian's love affair with fishing began at 15, learning the ropes from his old man. Together, they formed the Lee U. Anglers program and snagged their CI certifications, proving they weren't just messing around. It took four years of dedicated practice (and mastering everything from intricate knots to fancy boat strokes) before Brian earned his coveted MCI patch.

But his ambitions didn't stop there. Brian soon became associate editor of the FFI's Loop Journal, eventually taking the helm as editor-in-chief. He even found time to get published in American Angler and The Drake Magazine and some fancy academic journals, proving he's got the brains and the brawn.

After a stint with the Loop, Brian returned to his studies at the University of Tennessee, successfully defending his dissertation in 2023. Now, he's back where his heart belongs, serving on the FFI SEC Board. He's passionate about sharing the joy of fly fishing with future generations and believes FFI plays a crucial role in the future of the sport.

When it comes to casting, Brian's a self-proclaimed "streamer junkie," often found in the back of a boat chucking flies at unsuspecting fish. And if the streamers aren't biting? He'll happily switch gears and tangle with carp or bass on the fly. So next time you see Brian on the water, don't be shy! He's always up for a good fishing story (and maybe even some tips on tying the perfect streamer).

HIGH POINT, NC

From Spinning Reels to Fly Feels: James' Fly Fishing Journey

James spent his childhood zooming around on wheels and casting lines in Florida waters, battling bass, perch, and panfish in inland lakes and chasing sea trout, redfish, and mangrove snapper in Tampa Bay. Spinning and baitcasting were his weapons of choice, until a fateful summer day in 2022 changed everything.

A fly fishing trip with a friend introduced him to the world of graceful casts and delicate presentations, and even though he didn't land a single fish that day, he was hooked. Now, with two young boys by his side, James is all about exploring new waters, mastering new techniques, and tying flies (sometimes with more laughter than success).

Join James and his boys on their fly fishing journey as they stumble, learn, and share their passion with fellow anglers along the way. Be prepared for a few fishy tales, a dose of humor, and a whole lot of love for the sport.

HUNTSVILLE, AL

 Ralph Shuey is a 30+ year member of Fly Fishers International and has been active in both the Southeastern and the Southern Councils and chapters (TVFF & NAFF), Administrator for the Classic Fly Rod Forum, founder of the Bamboo Bash (20+ years), active supporter of Casting for Recovery and Veterans activities.  Ralphs has fifty plus years of international fishing experience in both salt and freshwater fisheries and is a frequent supporter of fly tying events. Ralph has fished all over the world including the US, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. He is a retired Rocket Scientist with experience in multi-million dollar programs, conference organization, international program cooperation, and domestic inter-personal as well as international skills.  Ralph’s  wife is also an experienced fly fisher and contributor to women’s activity in the sport.  As an ordained clergy person she has a deep interest in the spiritual aspects of the craft and its potential for healing.  They both share an enthusiasm for involving the young in this potentially life-long endeavor. 

It was an issue of Fly Fisherman magazine, back in 1978 that first got Kathleen interested in our noble endeavor. The gorgeous cover shot of an angler standing hip-deep in a stream among colorful autumn leaves pulled her into the publication to find out more. After a few casting and fly tying lessons, she was soon following in the footsteps of that angler, as well as the writers in that issue – Art Flick, Ernie Schwiebert, and John Merwin, among others – pursuing the elusive trout. Her job took her to various parts of the country, and she was able to fish the waters in California, Oregon, Montana, Maine, and Virginia, as well as her native Texas. 

Sadly, Kathleen’s career in transportation drew her to focus more and more time dealing with engineers, and less on communing with fish. Yet, much of that career dealt with conservation-related matters: protecting waterways and natural habitat in highway construction areas, promoting the use of “critter crossings” to allow

wildlife migration to flow over or under highways, the use of alternate transportation fuels, and recycling of motor oil, tires, and batteries. In the mid-1980s, she chaired a newly formed Environment Section of the Public Relations Society of America, the largest professional communication association in the world. 

After retiring from the Federal Highway Administration, Kathleen moved to North Carolina to work on a writing project. Here, Kathleen’s love of flyfishing has come back to life and she found an unanticipated benefit of the move: the Old North State’s many hidden mountain streams and rivers...and the fish that live there. 

Just for fun, Kathleen located and purchased a copy of that now almost fifty-year-old issue of Fly Fisherman magazine. The cover is as beautiful as ever, but inside was an ironic twist: One of the articles outlined an effort to defeat a huge dam project along Maine’s St. John River. Conservationists across the country – doubtless including FFI members -- joined that fight to stop the project and protect the river’s native trout

habitat. Ironic because today, Kathleen finds herself a part of FFI’s Conservation

Committee, the group that frequently joins with other concerned outdoors

organizations to do battle against similar projects in order to protect rivers, lakes

and streams. As they say, what goes around comes around.