F.I.S.H.

Our Board Of Directors

Richard F. Phelps, Chairman of the Board
Mr. Phelps is a life long resident of the Hubert/Swansboro area. He graduated Campbell University with a BS degree in Biology. For 22 years he was employed as an Environmental Health Specialist and now he operates his own restaurant consulting and design business, Coastal Carolina Restaurant Services, LLC.

Mr. Phelps has two passions in life, fishing and showing the members of the military the support and appreciation they deserve. By founding Fisherman In Support of Heroes, Inc. he is able to combine both of those passions. Although Mr. Phelps has never served in the military, he is very proud that his father served 20 years in the United States Marine Corps in both Korea and Vietnam. It is that pride for his father’s service that has led Mr. Phelps to be a volunteer DAV shuttle van driver and a MAD volunteer in addition to founding Fisherman In Support of Heroes, Inc.

Bryan Scott Hobbs, Vice Chairman
Mr. Hobbs is a lifetime resident of eastern NC having been born and raised in Lenoir Co. He now resides in Duplin Co. The only time away was during his 20-year career as a proud member of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg and the Special Forces also at Fort Bragg. Mr. Hobbs has volunteered for all the Wounded Warrior pier fishing trips. In addition, he volunteers at Pechmann Fishing Education Center in Fayetteville, NC to teach young soldiers and their families how to fly fish and tie flies and encourages them to join him at meetings of the Tarheel Fly Flingers. He also routinely takes members of the military fishing in his boat on the many waterways of eastern NC.

Mr. Hobbs believes we have a lot of special people in this world and a lot of them are in our military services; giving, so we can stay home and have our freedoms. He cannot be on the front lines anymore however he feels strongly that he can give his time freely and get these heroic young men and women into the great outdoors and onto our waters fishing. Mr. Hobbs believes that “healing of a soul is only a cast away.”

John McDow
Mr. McDow was born and raised in North Carolina. After high school, he left for Florida where he worked on commercial and charter boats for several years. Having been on the water most of his life, he developed an admiration for the US Coast Guard, and enlisted. Most of his duty stations were in Alaska, and upon leaving the Coast Guard, began commercial fishing for Alaskan Crab and Halibut.

Now living in the Masonboro area of Wilmington, John is mostly retired from commercial and charter fishing, but still remains active in teaching fishing and boating techniques to new and young anglers. John is very involved with MAD, and has participated as a boat captain in every event from the beginning. Also he is proud and feels privileged to take military personnel offshore fishing from the Wounded Warrior, and Take a hero Fishing programs. Another passion is taking underprivileged children saltwater fishing.  “It’s just a small way of showing our gratitude for the many sacrifices these men and women make every day for us and our country”.