Minneapolis, February 14 – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas’ (MRAA) Board of Directors recently approved its 2024 legislative and regulatory advocacy resolutions as recommended by the Advisory Council of Marine Associations (ACMA).
The advisory council and its annual resolutions are an integral part of the MRAA’s advocacy efforts. ACMA was created to advise the MRAA on its annual policy agenda and comprises state, regional and national marine trade associations. ACMA helps highlight the MRAA’s collaborative approach to working on issues impacting the industry at large and its dedication to championing the dealer voice. The inclusion of recreational boating industry stakeholders from around the country ultimately results in a set of resolutions that cover issues and priorities impacting every aspect of the industry. These resolutions will guide MRAA’s engagement in state legislatures across the country throughout the year.
The 2024 resolutions are as follows:
- Create an Advocate for state and federal programs to assist with marine industry workforce development.
- Support Federal and State Blue Economy Legislation.
- Advocate for waterways access and policies to minimize user conflict.
- Work with Federal, State, and Local legislators and regulatory agencies to prioritize or protect the interests of the recreational marine industry, including dealers, manufacturers, and consumers.
Click here to download the full 2024 ACMA Resolutions.
In addition to working with ACMA on the resolutions, MRAA leads bi-weekly calls where ACMA members provide updates on State and Federal policy priorities as well as other relevant industry news in their region. These calls provide an opportunity to discuss legislative and regulatory actions impacting the industry and updates on the work any ACMA member is doing on policy priorities in their region. The MRAA began leading these calls in late 2019 to increase collaboration among ACMA members and ultimately create a tight-knit network of marine trade associations that engage together on legislative and regulatory priorities.
State marine trade association involvement allows for direct stakeholder input, providing MRAA staff a comprehensive understanding of the issues impacting dealers throughout the country. Furthermore, collaborating with regional stakeholders ensures that local voices are leveraged where possible and provides an opportunity for those who stand to be impacted most to get engaged and provide meaningful input.
“These resolutions represent significant input from ACMA members, and I am eager to continue to work with our marine trade association partners on our shared priorities across the country,” said Chad Tokowicz, MRAA Government Relations Manager. “As the MRAA continues to grow and increase our advocacy engagements, it is imperative we stay true to our mission and work collaboratively with partners throughout the country while leveraging dealer voices.”
“The National Marine Manufacturers Association looks forward to working with our industry partners to accomplish the shared resolutions set forth by the ACMA,” said David Dickerson, Vice President of State Government Relations at the National Marine Manufacturers Association. “Our commitment to collaboration across the industry continues to strengthen the recreational boating community.”
“I am the only employee at our association, and it is challenging enough to keep up with Maine’s state legislation, let alone federal issues,” said Stacey Keefer, Executive Director of the Maine Marine Trades Association. “Our association is always grateful for the collaboration and guidance from our national partners with ACMA. It makes us feel like we are not just one small voice advocating all alone from the corner of the country.”
“The Advisory Council of Marine Associations’ is an influential resource for the recreational marine industry with the leadership provided by MRAA,” said Brian Dursi, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association. “I value the collaboration of advocacy efforts amongst the state marine trade associations to create a national voice to promote our industry and its impact on the economy.”
“Working in a collaborative manner with our national partners at the MRAA has been extremely important to how our association is able to support our member businesses,” said Randall M. Lyons, Massachusetts Marine Trades Association (MMTA) Executive Director, a member of the ACMA council. “The MMTA looks forward to continuing this relationship in the future, with the common goal of supporting the recreational boating industry.”
Email Chad Tokowicz to learn more about ACMA or to get involved in the MRAA’s government relations efforts.
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.