It
isn’t very often that we get to realize a long-held aspiration. But as
you read this, I am getting that very opportunity, and I’d like to share
that story with you.

It was about four years ago now that I had what was then an
off-the-record conversation with MRAA President Phil Keeter. In that
conversation he suggested he would be retiring in “a few years,” and
almost immediately my hopes and desires to succeed him set in.

I had been working in the marine industry for almost 11 years at the
time and had spent the better part of the prior six years working in
various capacities on the trade publication Boating Industry.
My passion for working with and helping marine dealers took a firm grasp
of me and my career ambitions as those years went by, and certainly the
prospect of focusing all of my energy on that single pursuit was
incredibly appealing to me.

Today, I’m officially three days into realizing that dream. I’m
currently holed up with Mr. Keeter in his Tulsa, Okla. office, where
he’s trying diligently to share his 50-plus-years of industry knowledge
and wisdom with me over a three-day period. Wish me luck.

Mr. Keeter and I will be working side-by-side for the next three
months as I ramp up toward succeeding him and he ramps down toward
retirement. I look forward to soaking up as much knowledge from him as
possible over those 90 days.

There will be plenty of time, through these blogs and the countless
conversations that I will have with you over the coming days, weeks,
months, and years, to share the aspirations I have for the MRAA and our
progress toward them. But for now, I just wanted to briefly introduce
myself (and this brand new blog site) and let you know that I hold it as
an honor and a privilege to succeed Mr. Keeter and to begin serving you
and the rest of the marine dealer body on an every-day basis.

I have newly created aspirations, and they’re focused on creating
more value for you and your membership in the MRAA. So stay tuned to
this blog for those developments, and just know that if there is ever
anything I can do to be of assistance to you, you should, please, feel
free to contact me at any time at matt@mraa.com or in my office at 763/315-8043.