2026 Grand Marshal
Michael Lee Greene, Sr.

Our 2026 Guinea Jubilee Grand Marshal got an early start to working on the water. When he was only about five years old, he began crab-potting with his Dad and Grandfather. In those early days, he was the chief oyster-toad stabber!

When he started school, his working days were limited to Saturdays, but he worked efficiently and quickly learned both the tricks of the trade and a strong work ethic from his Dad.

At age eight, his Uncle gave him a 14-foot jon-boat with an electric outboard motor. He patched up and rigged about a dozen of his Dad’s discarded crab pots and started his own crab-pot line in the creek. He was soon bringing in about a bushel or more of crabs a day, which he sold to a crab dealer who happened to be his neighbor across the road. And his grandmother got the culls to steam and pick!

By age 13, he had saved enough from his crab sales to upgrade to a 22-foot flat-bottomed skiff. He expanded his line to more than 50 pots and started gill-netting. During the summers, he still worked alongside his Dad—promoted from oyster-toad stabber to crab-pot dumper—while continuing to learn from his Dad and Grandfather.

By high school graduation, he had saved enough money to buy a new pickup truck. While his school buddies were buying fancy cars, he had a different idea: a pickup would give him transportation and allow him to haul his crabs to better-paying buyers. And that decision led to one of the best stories in this man’s journey.

One Sunday afternoon, he and his “new” girlfriend—who would later become his beautiful wife—were taking a drive in his new truck. They ended up in Richmond, where he spotted an old-timer selling crabs from a street-corner stand. He stopped and asked if the man would be interested in some really fresh crabs. The answer was, quickly, yes. He made arrangements to deliver 20 bushels of crabs the very next day.

So he rushed home, built a wooden cover for the bed of his truck, loaded up the next morning, and headed back to Richmond. And that was just the beginning. Soon he was hauling not only his own catch, but his Dad’s catch as well, delivering crabs to Richmond, Washington, D.C., Petersburg, Maryland, and North Carolina. Before long, he had upgraded his boat again—this time to a 22-foot fiberglass Sea Ox.

Then came a twist that I don’t think anyone saw coming. To fill what few spare evenings he had, he took a job at Food Lion stocking frozen foods. Within a couple of weeks, the displays were looking so good that the Store Manager asked him to work his ‘magic’ in the produce section. He did that so successfully that he became Produce Manager, then Assistant Store Manager, and eventually Store Manager. After three years with Food Lion, he spent two years with Wal-Mart as a Produce Manager Trainer.

But somehow, this remarkable young man still found time for something else he cared deeply about: his community and its children.

At age 19, he began coaching the Gloucester Midgets football team. He stayed with them for three years before moving up to the Youth and Junior football teams. He eventually spent six years on the coaching staff Gloucester High School football.

When his daughter developed a passion for softball—and she became quite an outstanding player, ranking 13th in the country—he left football and became involved with her in softball. However, coaching his daughter’s softball team became too personal and he left softball to go back to football, coaching the Gloucester youth football team, the Knights.

And this year, you’ll find him once again with a direct hand in several of the watermen’s activities here at the Guinea Jubilee.

About eight years ago, he and his wife took a bushel of steamed crabs to the Williamsburg Farmers’ Market. They sold out so quickly that it planted another idea: selling fresh seafood directly to the local community.

Today, he and his son are crab-potting six days a week. Their day starts at 3:30 in the morning. They’re on the boat by 5:30, tending nearly 400 crab pots a day, and they’re home before noon.

Oh, and that idea he had about selling seafood to the public? In October 2020, he turned it into a reality — a business at Gloucester Point you know today as the J & M Seafood Shack.

Through all of the chapters of his life—waterman, businessman, coach, husband, father, church member, and community servant—one thing has remained constant: the balance of a strong work ethic, a love for his family, and a commitment to his community.

So, ladies and gentlemen, it is my distinct honor to introduce this outstanding Guineaman to you today —  please join me in welcoming the 2026 Guinea Jubilee Grand Marshal  —  Mr. Michael Lee Greene, Sr.!