TAMPA, FL, December 6, 2023 — The MRAA Educational Foundation announced today that Jennifer Haning, Business Office Manager at Oak Hill Marina in Arnolds Park, Iowa, has been selected as the recipient of the 2023 Kevin Lodder Scholarship. The scholarship recipient was honored today at the MRAA Educational Foundation’s awards luncheon at Dealer Week, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas annual conference and expo.
This scholarship celebrates the memory of Kevin Lodder of Lodder’s Marine in Fairfield, Ohio. Kevin worked in his family’s dealership and was dedicated to the marine industry from an early age until his untimely passing. The recipient of this scholarship receives tuition to attend the Spader Total Management 1 Workshop in Sioux Falls, S.D., and a stipend to offset travel expenses.
A relative newcomer to the marine industry, Haning has contributed to the success of Oak Hill Marina in numerous ways. In her business manager role, she maintains responsibility for human resources, payroll and support of multiple departments, and she has participated in a variety of initiatives to restructure job roles, create new employee pay and incentive plans, and assist with annual budgets and annual inventory.
“My position consists of multiple duties that will be utilized depending on what is needed for that day. Somedays, I can be found in my office working on payroll or collecting data for our daily dollar spreadsheet report, while others I could be checking in retail products and displaying them on the showroom floor,” she wrote in her application. “I thoroughly enjoy my job and the roller coaster ride that comes with it, but learning all aspects of the marine industry and job positions takes time and continuous training.”
The Spader Total Management 1 Workshop is a five-day program in Sioux Falls, S.D., geared toward decision makers, leaders, and key employees. Topics covered include decision-making processes, business adaptability, pricing practices, inter-department profit plans, and communication skills.
“Anyone who has spent much time in the boating business knows it takes real persistence and passion for your work to find success,” says Matt Lodder who serves on the MRAA Educational Foundation Board of Directors after a number of years of owning and operating the family dealership. “Those qualities make Jennifer an ideal candidate for the Kevin Lodder Scholarship. By applying that persistence and passion to what she learns during the Total Management 1 Workshop, she will turn this investment of our Foundation’s funds into real results for her, Oak Hill Marina, and the industry.”
About the MRAA Educational Foundation
As part of its mission to create a strong and healthy boating industry, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is committed to offering training, education and professional development opportunities to its members and the entire marine dealer community. In 2004, the association launched the MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 corporation, to provide financial support for education, training and professional development in the recreational marine trades. For more information or to donate to support the foundation’s mission, visit https://www.marineedfoundation.org/.
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.