MRAA Presents Awards, Scholarships at Dealer Week

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas this week presented its Great Dealerships To Work For and MRAA Dealer Ambassador awards, and announced two scholarship recipients. The recognitions were made at a luncheon during the association’s annual Dealer Week conference in Tampa, Fla.

MRAA Dealer Ambassador Award

Mark Curry, president of Just 4 Fun Powersports of Arizona, was presented the Dealer Ambassador award for 2023, which recognizes an MRAA member who displays an outstanding commitment to advocating on behalf of the boating industry and actively works to better boating in their community.

“Mark is dedicated to improving the safety of recreational boaters throughout Arizona, and I greatly appreciate his efforts to share these concerns and potential solutions with Rep. [Leo] Biasiucci and others in the Lake Havasu Boating Community,” Chad Tokowicz, MRAA government relations manager, said in a statement.

According to the statement, Curry worked with the MRAA and NMMA to guide Biasiucci on a tour of Lake Havasu and set up a networking reception at the London Bridge resort to discuss recreational boating safety in Arizona.

Kevin Lodder Scholarship

Jennifer Haning, business office manager at Oak Hill Marina in Arnolds Park, Iowa, received the Kevin Lodder Scholarship. She receives tuition to attend the Spader Total Management 1 Workshop in Sioux Falls, S.D., and a stipend to offset travel expenses.

According to a statement, Haning is responsible for human resources, payroll and support of multiple departments, and has participated in a variety of initiatives to restructure job roles, create new employee pay and incentive plans, and assist with annual budgets and annual inventory.

“Anyone who has spent much time in the boating business knows it takes real persistence and passion for your work to find success,” Matt Lodder, who serves on the MRAA Educational Foundation board of directors, said in the statement. “Those qualities make Jennifer an ideal candidate for the Kevin Lodder Scholarship.”

Duane Spader Leadership Development Scholarship

The MRAA Educational Foundation also announced that Zachary Meyer, general manager of Mark’s Leisure Time Marine in Canandaigua, N.Y., is the recipient of the Duane Spader Leadership Development Scholarship. Meyer receives full tuition to attend the Spader Leadership Development Program, valued at $14,875.

According to a statement, Meyer helped return the dealership to profitability soon after his appointment as general manager, and the business has grown his leadership.

“Given his dedication to his dealership and passion to see it grow, we are confident that Zachary will be able to leverage the scholarship to advance his family dealership to the next level,” Jeff Siems, chairman of the MRAA Educational Foundation board of directors, said in the statement.

Great Dealerships to Work For Awards

The MRAA also named the winners of the Great Dealerships To Work For awards.

Twenty-two dealerships qualified by earning an overall score of 90% or better on the MRAA Certified Dealership Program’s annual Employee Satisfaction Survey. Administered anonymously through the MRAA, the survey asks employees of Certified Dealerships to answer 32 ranking questions about overall satisfaction regarding customer relations, employee satisfaction, leadership, management and reputation.

Each of the following dealers earned an award and recognition art Dealer Week:

• Action WaterSports Arizona, Mesa, Ariz.

• Action WaterSports Texas, Fort Worth, Texas

• Aquaknox Marine, Knoxville, Tenn.

• Clark Marine, Manchester, Maine

• Colorado Boat Center, Johnstown, Colo.

• Off Shore Marine, Branchville, N.J.

• Regal & Nautique of Orlando, Orlando, Fla.

Russell Marine – Kowaliga, Alexander City, Ala.

Russell Marine – The Ridge, Alexander City, Ala.

• Ski & Sports, Rogers, Ariz.

• Superior Boat Repair & Sales, Rancho Cordova, Calif.

• Taylor’s South Shore Marina, Waynesville, Ohio

• The Boat House – Naples, Naples, Fla.

• The Boathouse – Hilton Head, Hilton Head Island, S.C.

• Russell Marine – Real Island, Equality, Ala.

• Great Bay Marine, Islip Terrace, N.Y.

• 3A Marine Service, Hingham, Mass.

• All Seasons Marine Works, Rowayton, Conn.

• Breath’s Boats & Motors, Bay St. Louis, Miss.

• Desmasdon’s Boatworks, Point au Baril, Ontario

• Riverside Marine, Essex, Md.

• Tri-State Marine, Deale, Md.