MRAA seeks nominees for lifetime achievement award

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is launching a lifetime achievement award to recognize and promote marine retail professionals who have made fundamental, significant and sustained contributions to the industry.

The inaugural MRAA Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be presented Dec. 10 on the opening night of the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, was created to pay tribute to marine retail leaders who have worked most of their career in the marine industry.

The recipient will have made a positive impact on the marine industry and community, obtained recognition from other industry or business groups, exhibited business, community and industry leadership and earned the respect of peers.

“We expect the MRAA Lifetime Achievement Award to quickly become the most sought-after recognition that MRAA offers,” MRAA president Matt Gruhn said in a statement. “With a nod to our association’s 45-year history, and particularly at a time when we will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of MRAA’s first annual conference, now is the perfect time for us to shine a spotlight on those individuals who have emerged as marine retail leaders.”

The MRAA said nominations for the award can be submitted by anyone, including self-nominations. Nominations can’t be made anonymously, as the burden of offering evidence of merit falls on the nominator.

The nominations should include the nominee’s resume and/or career summary and a comprehensive description of the nominee’s major contributions to marine retailing, with supporting documentation, the MRAA said.

It must also include at least three letters of endorsement, providing further evidence of the significance and magnitude of the nominee’s professional achievements.

The MRAA said individuals selected for the award should normally be in or near their retirement. The award may be received posthumously.

“This honor will recognize historic contributions to our great industry,” Gruhn said. “We’re seeking to identify the individuals who have helped to shape marine retailing as we know it today and to hold them up as inspirational examples to be emulated.”