The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has opened the nomination period for the 3rd Annual Lifetime Achievement Award. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes marine retail professionals who have made fundamental, significant and sustained contributions to the marine industry.
Applications are due October 18th, 2019.
Last year, Gary Briggs of Wayzata Marine, Wayzata, Minn., was named the second recipient of the award. Briggs was a founding member of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Marine Dealers Association and has remained active for more than 50 years. He held a 43-year membership of the North Central Marine Association, and he became an MRAA member in the mid 1970s. And over the years, he was recognized as the founder of the Darlene Briggs Marine Industry Woman of the Year Award, Boat & Motor Dealer magazine’s National Dealer of the Year, an Irv Rosenthal Award winner and an NCMA Hall of Fame inductee.
The selection of the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient will be made on the basis of the nominee’s contributions to the industry; the lasting impact of those contributions; and the demonstration of a lifetime commitment to the business of selling and/or servicing boats, and the delivery of an outstanding boating lifestyle to consumers.
“Presenting the MRAA Lifetime Achievement Award has quickly become one of the greatest honors of my professional position,” says Matt Gruhn, President of MRAA. “The leaders we recognize through this award really laid the groundwork for the health and prosperity of the marine industry and our incredible network of boat dealers.”
The award will be presented on December 10th, 2019, during the MRAA Awards Ceremony, at the inaugural Dealer Week, MRAA’s Annual Conference and Expo. For more information or to submit a nomination, visit here.
Nominations for the MRAA Lifetime Achievement Award may be submitted by anyone, including self-nominations. Nominations may not be made anonymously, as the burden of offering evidence of merit falls on the nominator. Those nominations should include the nominee’s resume and/or career summary; a comprehensive description of the nominee’s major contributions to marine retailing, with supporting documentation; and at least three letters of endorsement, providing further evidence of the significance and magnitude of the nominee’s professional achievements.
Anyone who lives up to these criteria is eligible for consideration, although individuals selected for this award should normally be in or near their retirement. The award may be received posthumously.
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.
