The Marine Industries Association of South Florida hosted its annual meeting and awards luncheon last week at the Broward Center for Performing Arts.
The group announced in a statement several board appointments, including Rich Merhige, of Advanced Mechanical Enterprises, and Justin Montes, of DeAngelo Marine Exhaust, who are new to the board.
Bob Denison, of Denison Yachting, and Chuck Cashman, of MarineMax, were re-elected, and MIASF recognized outgoing members Danny James, of Compass Logistics & Marine, and Megan Washington, of Pier 66 Hotel & Marina.
“It’s been a great year, and we continue to see investments in our community with $7.4 billion invested in the tri-county region, or 62% of the total invested in the state of Florida for 2022,” said Jimmie Harrison, owner of Frank & Jimmie’s Propeller and chairman of the MIASF board. “The region’s economic impacts were an estimated $6.9 billion in wages and earnings, $9.8 billion in value-added, and an associated 141,860 jobs.”
Bob Swindell, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, received the Golden Anchor Award, a lifetime achievement recognition. Swindell served as president of the Marine Research Hub.
Awards of excellence went to Deborah Cleaver, of Safe Harbor Lauderdale Marine Center, and Kitty McGowan, president of the U.S. Superyacht Association. Advocacy winners were Broward County Mayor Lamar Fisher and Florida State Rep. Adam Botana for their support of the boating industry.
The Frank Herhold NSU Changing Lives Scholarship recipient was John Alfirevich, a graduate student researching coral reef restoration.
