Responsibilities & Expectations of an MRAA Board Member
MRAA Board Members serve as front-line champions of boat retailers and the recreational boating industry they serve. You are the leaders our industry relies on to represent the boating industry and the boat dealership profession, and you are the leaders that your dealer association, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, has selected to direct and oversee the operations and financial health of the organization.
The mission of the MRAA — to help marine dealers find growth and greater success in the ever-changing and demanding recreational marine market place — should be your guiding light for directing the affairs of the association, and the MRAA bylaws should serve as the framework by which you ensure accountability. As a non-profit trade association, the MRAA relies on its board members to engage and help direct the strategies and objectives of the association. In order for the MRAA staff to successfully deliver resources, tools and educational programs and in order to advocate for the needs of our industry, the organization requires an active Board of Directors to ensure the challenges facing marine retailers are being addressed in a meaningful way.
Your fellow board members, as well as the staff of the MRAA, expect that you will abide by the values of the MRAA, outlined here:
- AUTHENTICITY – Industry service offered with genuine care, respect and integrity.
- LEADERSHIP – Serve and represent the dealer community, actively contributing to marine retail and marine industry improvement and growth.
- ACCOUNTABILITY – A vibrant and healthy organization with a strong foundation that supports the stellar execution of its mission now and into the foreseeable future.
- DRIVE – The continuous improvement of MRAA’s service to its team, its members and the industry.
To fulfill this mission and to live by these values as an MRAA Board Member means you will oftentimes be required to separate yourself from your own business and its preferences and make decisions based on the greater good of the industry. For example, while an MRAA product or service may not be meaningful or helpful to your specific business, we should make decisions based on the needs of the industry at large.
Eligibility:
In order to serve as a board member of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, the following criteria must be met:
- Must be a current member of MRAA and been an active member for a minimum of 2 years;
- At least 50 percent of your business must be from retail operations;
- Must be a principal or member of the senior management team at the retail operation.
MRAA Board Member Responsibilities & Expectations:
- Passion and Effort
As a Board Member of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, you have been elected by the MRAA membership or hand-selected by the Chairman of the Board, and you have volunteered to represent boat retailers across North America in the business of selling and servicing boats and motors. Your MRAA staff and fellow board members expect you to bring a certain level of passion and effort to this exclusive, important role, giving of yourself, your insights, your business and your resources to help further the profession of being a boat dealer. There is no effective way nor desire on the part of the MRAA to regulate this, but your bringing this passion and effort is by far the most important attribute of any individual volunteering to participate in the critical work of the MRAA. We ask that you bring the highest levels of passion and effort to this role and contribute to the greatest extent possible to making MRAA, its members and the entire marine industry a success. - Membership.
MRAA Board Members are required to maintain their MRAA membership throughout their board term. If for some reason, membership is not renewed upon proper notice of expiration, this would constitute removal from the board. - Attendance.
MRAA Board Member attendance and participation at board meetings — both at in-person and virtual meetings — is the expectation.- Upon first missed meeting, board members will receive a call or note from the Chair.Upon second-consecutive missed meeting, board members receive a formal warning.The third-consecutive missed meeting, constitutes removal from the board, per the policy outlined in the MRAA BylawsMissing three out of four consecutive meetings, constitutes removal from the board.
- Confidentiality.
All board matters are to be kept confidential in nature, unless members are otherwise instructed to discuss specific issues with non-board members. - Preparation.
It is expected that MRAA Board Members will arrive prepared for all meetings and will be prepared for thoughtful, high-level, strategic participation and conversation. - Participation.
It is the expectation that MRAA Board Members will attend and participate in MRAA’s Annual Conference. This is our industry’s premier dealer event. It’s where the leaders gather to build the future of the industry. MRAA Board Members should be there and should be active participants in the dialog. - Whistleblower, Conflict of Interest and Anti-Trust Policies.
All MRAA Board Members must agree to the MRAA Whistleblower, Conflict of Interest and Anti-Trust Policies. - Representation.
All MRAA Board Members are asked to represent MRAA and its interests in their region and/or their local or regional marine community and at industry events. The MRAA asks that you be willing to be promoted and promote yourself as an MRAA Director and serve as an MRAA representative at industry events in line with the Passion and Effort section of this document. - Advocate.
MRAA expects that its board members will advocate for the association, encouraging both dealers and manufacturer/supplier members to support the association, both as members and as participants at our annual conference. MRAA staff will call on its board members for outreach initiatives and other recruitment efforts on occasion. - Communications.
MRAA Board Members, with staff support, are asked to create occasional communications among members and non-members in their respective regions. (e.g send emails to members and non-members; communicate benefits programs at trade association or dealer meetings; invite dealers and suppliers to support the MRAA annual conference, etc.). Similarly, feedback related to the association received from members (or non-members) should be communicated to MRAA staff and/or board officers in a timely fashion. - Responsiveness.
As an MRAA Board Member, it is the expectation that you provide timely feedback to staff requests and board matters, such as minutes approval, report reviews, feedback and similar insights or communications. - BoatPAC contributions.
BoatPAC represents a significant advocacy initiative for the MRAA, in cooperation with the National Marine Manufacturers Association. As such, MRAA Board Members are expected to remain up-to-date with their BoatPAC prior approval forms, and also note that the MRAA Board of Directors passed a resolution that recommends each U.S. board member make a minimum annual contribution of $1,000 to BoatPAC. (Note: Canadian board member(s) not eligible.)
As a member of the MRAA Board of Directors, you accept great responsibility to oversee the affairs of the association, ensuring accountability of the staff, your fellow board members, our retail and partner members and yourself in living up to the mission, the values and the strategic direction of the MRAA.
As stewards of our industry, you bear both the burden and the privilege of making the decisions at a high level that protect and promote our industry and the many businesses, customers and employees it impacts. Your signature hereby notes your agreement with this commitment, as outlined above.