Dave Washburn joined Major League Fishing (MLF) as a Communications Specialist in 1999 and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming Communications Director and Executive Editor of Bass Fishing magazine in 2002. By 2004, he was promoted to Vice President of Communications, where he led groundbreaking media outreach efforts that secured national coverage in outlets such as USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Field & Stream, Reader’s Digest, Sports Illustrated, Time, Forbes, Fortune, CNN, World News, Nightly Business Report, On the Money, The Early Show, and NBC’s Today.

In 2011, Washburn was promoted to Vice President of Operations, overseeing domestic operations and managing MLF’s international partnerships spanning tournaments in 20 countries. His leadership has been instrumental in advancing MLF’s mission through strategic initiatives focused on angler Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation (R3), conservation, public access, boating safety and infrastructure enhancements.
Washburn has championed innovative communications and outreach methodologies, including social marketing strategies that connect diverse audiences to outdoor recreation. He played a pivotal role in launching College Fishing and High School Fishing as nationwide programs, helping secure recognition of High School Fishing as an official school sport in Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana and Georgia. He also helped establish one of the nation’s first summer camps for high school anglers and their parents.

As a founding force behind the MLF Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, Washburn has promoted education, conservation and active lifestyles among youth. His advocacy for hands-on learning and community engagement has led to Memorandums of Understanding with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Notably, he spearheaded an innovative program mobilizing hundreds of volunteers to support families during National Fishing and Boating Week by visiting thousands of retail locations to help parents prepare for success on the water.

Washburn holds a bachelor’s degree in advertising and a master’s degree in mass communications from Murray State University, where he graduated in 1995 as “Outstanding Senior Man.” Prior to joining MLF, he worked as a communications specialist for Ralston Purina in St. Louis and completed internships with the St. Louis Rams and Fleishman-Hillard International Communications.

Active in his community, Washburn has served as a booster for several Marshall County High School athletic teams, president of Marshall County Youth Basketball and chairman of the Marshall County Chamber of Commerce. He also served as president of the Murray State University Alumni Association and currently serves on the Wildlife Forever board of directors, the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Selection Committee and as chairman of the American Sportfishing Association’s R3 Committee.