(Current as of May 2008)

Teresa Platt is executive director of Fur Commission USA, a trade association representing some 400 mink-farming families on over 300 farms in more than two dozen states. FCUSA works to ensure superior standards of animal husbandry through its own certification program, and to educate the public about responsible fur farming and the merits of fur.

Teresa has over 25 years' experience in public relations, marketing, government affairs, administration and management, with a strong background in resource-based industries working internationally.

Since Teresa joined FCUSA in 1998, retail fur sales in the US have recovered dramatically, at one point surpassing the record highs of the late 1980s. Meanwhile, the value of American mink pelts at auction has risen from $73 million to approximately $200 million.

Before joining the fur industry, Teresa ran a public relations firm specializing in fisheries and other resource-based industries. She coined the term "production P.R.", and established this public relations field which focuses on food and fiber production, complementing marketing programs highlighting the benefits of the end product.

The most controversial and polarized issue she tackled concerned tuna/dolphin. Contributing to her expertise in this area was her 20-year involvement in the Southern Californian tuna fishing industry, including seven years as operations manager for her family's 1,000-ton seiner. Teresa helped found the Fishermen's Coalition in 1992 to educate the public about responsible fishing practices and the importance of fishing in feeding the global village.

Teresa Platt can be reached at: Fur Commission USA, PMB 506, 826 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA 92118-2698 USA, (619) 575-0139, (619) 575-5578/fax, furfarmers@aol.com.

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