MINNEAPOLIS, DATE – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) is proud to announce that Liz Keener, Director of Dealership Development, has been honored by Boating Industry magazine as one of its 40 Under 40 list of young professionals within the marine industry.
“Being named one of Boating Industry’s 40 Under 40 is a massive honor, and I was surprised to be nominated,” says Keener, who has been with MRAA since 2018. “While I appreciate being on the list, I know it wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing team we have at the MRAA. The 23 people I get to work alongside every day make this job fun and so much easier than if I didn’t have their support. I hope our whole team sees my award as a testament to the work they’ve put in to make MRAA a strong organization.”
The 2024 Boating Industry 40 Under 40 award recipients were selected from hundreds of nominations and includes representatives from many segments within the marine industry. Like Keener, other young professionals were chosen for their individual contributions, both in the field and outside of it, and career accomplishments. The Boating Industry staff selects nominees that serve as boating advocates within their company and beyond, have the passion for leadership and requires that all nominees demonstrate growth in the recreational boating industry. Over the years, award winners have ranged from those with no marine background to some who have been involved from almost birth.
“We at Boating Industry see the importance of a diverse and strong workforce to both carry on traditions and knowledge from many years of success as an industry, and bring new ideas to the forefront to ensure our industry is never left behind,” said Adam Quandt, Boating Editor Editor-in-Chief, Top 100 Director. “The 40 Under 40 highlights young professionals that continuously set the bar for excellence in the recreational boating space and we at Boating Industry are excited to watch the award winners’ success, as they carry the torch into the future.”
Keener first joined the marine industry in 2010, at the parent company of Boating Industry magazine. She worked at her first Marine Dealer Conference & Expo and Top 100 gala in November 2010. Keener joined the Boating Industry editorial team, as a writer and Top 100 judge in 2013. She joined MRAA as an education specialist in 2018. Keener then went on to take the reins of the MRAA’s Dealership Certification program in 2019, and this past December, she was promoted to her new role as Director of Dealer Development and a member of the MRAA Leadership Team.
Keener says she has always admired the people who make the 40 Under 40 list, adding, “The boating professionals who have made the list over the past several years include many of the great people in this industry. I’m honored and humbled to have been nominated for this award, and I’m so excited I’ve made the list among some of my friends and MRAA Members, including J Hurless, Frank Matcha and Kyle Cook, the husband of my co-worker Stevie Cook. Congratulations to the entire 40 Under 40 class of 2024.”
Read the 40 Under 40 story in the March edition of Boating Industry, here.
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.
