Joseph P. Fischer has been elected vice-president operations, it was announced by Thomas W. Burke, president of American Steamship. Mr. Fischer joined American Steamship as senior marine superintendent in 1977, and was elected vice president-engineering in 1979. He spent nearly 19 years with the naval architectural firm of R.A. Stearn, Inc. of Sturgeon Bay, Wis. Mr. Fischer started his marine career in 1947 as a loftsman for the Christy Corporation, now a part of Bay Shipbuilding Corporation, also of Sturgeon Bay.