Sea Tow International held its annual meeting yesterday, presenting several awards for outstanding service, boating advocacy and community support to captains from its network of nearly 100 locations across the U.S. and Caribbean.
“Whether it’s outstanding customer service, the best business practices, boating safety advocacy or involvement in the local community, this year’s award winners exceeded the expectations we set for the Sea Tow network as a whole,” said Sea Tow President Kristen Frohnhoefer in a statement.
Award recipients for 2021 included:
Sea Tow Franchise of the Year: Sea Tow Venice (Florida) owners Capt. Craig Marcum, Charlotte Marcum and Capt. Cameron Marcum.
The Captain Joe Frohnhoefer Visionary Award: Presented posthumously to Capt. Steve Winkler, co-owner of Sea Tow Boston (Mass.) Steve Winkler’s brother Capt. Dave Winkler, who was a co-owner with Steve, accepted the award on his behalf. The award is presented annually to the “captain who most exemplifies the vision of Capt. Joe Frohnhoefer, the founder of Sea Tow.”
The Georgia Frohnhoefer Award: Heather O’ Brien of Sea Tow Fort Myers. (Fla.) This award is named after EVP Georgia Frohnhoefer and recognizes an exemplary woman in the Sea Tow network.
Sea Tow Rookie of the Year: Sea Tow Eastern Long Island (New York) owner Capt. Brian Becker.
The Sea Tow Foundation Hero Award: Capt. John Bilski, owner of Sea Tow Southern Connecticut. The award recognizes the best promotor of public safety.
The Sea Tow Shipmate Award: Capt. Chris G. Ward, owner of Sea Tow Key West, Sea Tow Lower Keys, and Sea Tow Islamorada. (Fla., which honors the franchise owner that “most exemplifies enthusiasm, supportive attitude and willingness to help fellow franchises.”
The Public Relations & Social Media Champion Award: Sea Tow Crystal Coast and Sea Tow Wrightsville Beach owner Capt. Chris Willis. (N.C.). Best PR/marketer.
The Marketing Excellence Award: Sea Tow New Orleans, (La.) owned by Capt. Christian Orfanello.
“We want to congratulate them, their Sea Tow captains and support teams back home. The year 2021 saw an upsurge in the number of boaters who took to the water – many of them new to boating – but the success of our network was made possible because of the incredible efforts of everyone who proudly wears the Sea Tow yellow,” Frohnhoefer said.
