MINNEAPOLIS — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today that it has named Sonja Moseley as its Director of Certification & Benefits.
Sonja, who recently earned a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Studies, joins the MRAA having most recently served as the Executive Director for the Arizona Parks & Recreation Association. At the APRA, she led a team that stabilized and strengthened the association, creating systems and processes that resulted in its growth. She was responsible for the association’s professional development programs, certifications, and marketing, as well as its annual conference and trade show.
“We are extremely excited to have Sonja join our growing team,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “She will be the critical link in ensuring the success of the dealer certification program, and her understanding of association business, as well as her knowledge specific to continuing education and certification programs, make her the perfect person for this position.”
In her role as Director of Certification & Benefits, Sonja will oversee MRAA’s management and administration of the Marine Five Star Dealership Certification Program, as well as the benefits of both the MRAA and the MFSDC program. She will serve as the main contact for certified dealers, as well as those dealers and manufacturers who are interested in pursuing and supporting the certification program.
In June, the MRAA assumed the management, administration and promotional responsibilities for the MFSDC program, and since that time, MRAA staff has worked closely with Five Star Solutions to open up an industry dialog to discuss ways to make the program more accessible to dealers and more valuable to the industry. Sonja will take the reins of this program to help finalize a direction and growth strategy before it is relaunched, and then she’ll work to market it both to the industry and to consumers.
“It is with great enthusiasm that I am joining the MRAA team,” Sonja says. “I am looking forward to bringing the MFSDC program to the next level and contributing to the continued growth of this outstanding association.”
Sonja is an avid outdoors woman, having grown up boating on the lakes of northern Minnesota. She is also a PADI Divemaster and recently enjoyed a sailing adventure in the French Polynesian Islands. Her official start date is Sept. 16th.
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 companies that interact with the boater in their community must thrive. Those businesses determine the boater’s experience and are the leading factor in the industry’s success. The MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those businesses, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit
