The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has added senior education developer Bernie DeGraw and education coordinator Carolyn Howell to its education team.
DeGraw will work with the education team to develop new learning opportunities for MRAA members, leveraging his experience managing a marine dealership. He will maintain his position as part owner of FLX Marine in the Finger Lakes of Central New York.
Howell is a recent college graduate who joined MRAA after completing an internship with the Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources.
“Adding Bernie and Carolyn will help us enhance our educational initiatives and deliver on our mission to fuel dealer success,” Liz Walz, vice president of education at MRAA, said in a statement. “They both have already made great contributions to our educational products and bring with them unique perspectives and skill sets that will improve our team.
Additionally, MRAA has promoted Liz Keener, Stevie Cook and Sherri Cuvala, while Mike Davin is taking on the role of vice president of industry relations.
Keener has been moved up to director of dealer development. In 2023, she created opportunities for the MRAA that included 11 in-person dealer meetings, two virtual dealer meetings, four recorded sessions, customized OEM websites and dozens of live presentations. In her new role, she will work alongside MRAA partner members to develop membership, education, advocacy and certification plans for their dealer networks with the goal of increasing engagement.
Sherri Cuvala has been named director of membership. Since she joined MRAA in 2020, Cuvala guided the implementation of new MRAA membership satisfaction that let the association better understand member needs.
Stevie Cook is the new certification specialist. She has been with the association less than two years. She will administer the certified dealership program, including oversight of participant recruitment, retention, administration and marketing.
Davin has been with MRAA since January 2019. He helped launch Dealer Week, has overseen MRAA’s brand, and managed internal business planning while at the association. In his new role, he will manage stakeholder relationships and develop strategic alliances within the marine industry.
