Legend Biography

Helen Sevier has devoted three full decades of service to the fishing industry, and B.A.S.S., Inc. -- a for-
profit corporation whose major division was, at the time, the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society.
Acknowledged as the world’s largest fishing organization with more than 600,000 members, the multi-
faceted company also published six full-color national magazines: Bassmaster, Guns & Gear, Fishing
Tackle Retailer, BASS Fishing Techniques, Bassmaster Tour and CASTINGKIDS. Serving affiliated B.A.S.S.
Chapters and Federations, it also published a four-color monthly tabloid: B.A.S.S. Times. Rounding out the
media package were two popular national television shows: The Bassmasters and World Championship
Fishing. These national media properties provided a combined monthly reach of more than ten million
readers and viewers.
Under Sevier’s tutelage, B.A.S.S., Inc. was also a major event marketer, and conducted the world’s most
prestigious fishing tournament circuit that attracted more than a half million spectators and awarded more
than six million dollars in cash and prizes. The BASS Masters Classic to this day remains the pinnacle of
success for bass anglers worldwide. In addition, the company administered nearly three thousand local
fishing clubs throughout the United States and in countries as far away as Japan, Zimbabwe and Spain.
To promote the growth of fishing, Sevier realized the importance of passing the legacy of fishing down to
the youth of America. She established the Bassmaster CASTINGKIDS program using the B.A.S.S. Chapter
fishing clubs. After only nine years of existence, over 1.5 million children had competed in the Bassmaster
CASTINGKIDS program through which B.A.S.S. had given away more than a million dollars in cash, prizes
and scholarships. Another highly successful B.A.S.S. education program, BASS Fishing Techniques, was
administered through the continuing education departments of 49 colleges and universities throughout the
U.S.
When Sevier joined the company, its membership rolls held fewer than ten thousand names. Thirty years
later, the last fifteen of which she held the combined titles of President & CEO and Chairman of the Board,
the 33-year old organization, having enjoyed a more than sixty-fold increase, was the fishing industry’s
leader; influencing both consumer and industry decisions. Moreover, Sevier and B.A.S.S. were recognized
leaders in the areas of conservation and resource management. Sevier played notable roles in fishing
industry partnerships, and received numerous awards in recognition of her contributions:
 Elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sport Fishing Institute in 1987, and guided its
merger with the American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association.
 Awarded in 1997 the William E. Ricker Resource Conservation Award by the American Fisheries
Society in recognition of her accomplishments and leadership in resource conservation.
 Presented in 1997 the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Conservation Service Award.
 Received the 2002 Norville Prosser Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Sportfishing
Association.
 Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 presented by the B.A.S.S. Federation
Today, Sevier continues as head of Sevier Properties, LLC where she directs several book and magazine
properties including STRATOS Magazine and OakLeigh Press, a custom book publishing company.
Furthermore, she remains involved in several local civic organizations and is a member of the Board of
Visitors for the University of Alabama’s College of Commerce and Business Administration, and the
University’s National Advisory Board.
Prior to joining B.A.S.S., Sevier served as marketing director of Fuller & Dees, a Times-Mirror subsidiary,
and was responsible for the successful launch of the highly successful cookbook club operations for
Southern Living magazines, now major titles under the AOL Time Warner umbrella. She holds a Bachelor
of Science from the University of Southern Mississippi with majors in Marketing and Business
Administration, and a Masters in Marketing from the University of Alabama. She is a former member of
the Magazine Publishers Association, and numerous other industry organizations.