Brian Pawlak

In his role as Fisheries’ new Chief Financial Officer and the Director of Fisheries’ Office of Management and Budget, Mr. Pawlak provides oversight of Fisheries-wide strategic planning (including facilities planning), budget formulation and execution, and many of our agency’s administrative and operational functions such as grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. The Director is also responsible for the administration of Fisheries’ Financial Services Division. 

Mr. Pawlak has held several leadership positions within the agency. Over the last 20 years he has served as Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Deputy Director for the Office of Habitat Conservation, Chief of the NOAA Fisheries Budget Formulation and Planning Division, as the Fisheries' Policy Coordination Office Liaison, and as a Marine Habitat Resource Specialist. Mr. Pawlak’s real roots are in Fisheries, where he began his career in 1990 as a field biologist conducting habitat mapping at the Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Mr. Pawlak holds a Bachelor's Degree in Marine Biology from University of North Carolina at Wilmington and two Master's Degrees from University of Washington, one in Marine Policy and one in Business Administration.