Ken Sorley, owner and President of Marineland Boating Center of Waco, Texas, has been selected as the recipient of the 2019 Kevin Lodder Scholarship. The scholarship recipient was honored on Tuesday morning, Dec. 10, as part of the Dealer Week Awards Luncheon in Tampa, Fla.
This scholarship was founded in 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.
Ken started in the boating industry in 1978, as a boat technician. In 1983, he, with his wife Mary, became the owners and operators of Marineland Boating Center in Waco, Texas. During that time he has dedicated his life to helping customers create lasting memories. With his vast experience from technician to owner, Ken has deep knowledge as a business leader. Yet he continues to seek even “more tools in which to approach his market” by being a “continual learner,” as noted in his application.
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 that it takes real persistence and passion for your work to find success,” comments Matt Lodder of Marine Sales Group and the MRAA Educational Foundation Board of Directors. “Those qualities make Ken an ideal candidate for the Kevin Lodder Scholarship. By applying that persistence and passion to what he learns during the Total Management 1 Workshop, he will turn this investment of our Foundation’s funds into real results for him, Marineland Boating Center, 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 MRAA.com/foundation.
