TAMPA, FL, December 6, 2023 — The MRAA Educational Foundation announced today that Zachary Meyer, General Manager of Mark’s Leisure Time Marine in Canandaigua, N.Y., has been selected as the recipient of the Foundation’s 2023 Duane Spader Leadership Development Scholarship. This year’s scholarship recipient was unveiled at the Foundation’s awards luncheon as part of Dealer Week, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas annual conference and expo.
The Duane Spader Leadership Development Scholarship was founded by Spader Business Management and the MRAA Educational Foundation in 2013 to honor the marine industry service of Spader founder Duane Spader, as well as his leadership philosophy of lifelong learning. The recipient receives full tuition to attend the Spader Leadership Development Program, valued at $14,875. Applicants must be employees of a Marine Retailers Association of the Americas retail member.
As a young and up-and-coming second-generation owner, Meyer has taken the reigns of the general manager position with great vision. He helped return the dealership to profitability soon after his appointment, and the business has been growing under his leadership.
Still, Meyer recognizes opportunity for growth and improvement – both in the dealership and in his own leadership style.
“I have struggled to implement process ever since my beginnings, and I know with some help, the company could achieve greatness,” he wrote in his scholarship application. “We have ambitious goals I wish to achieve, and I wake up looking forward to those every day. And while I feel like I’m a decent leader, and take pride in that, I know that with some help, I could become an excellent leader. I believe the Spader Leadership Development Program’s content will benefit me for years to come.”
The Spader Leadership Development Program is a 15- to 18-month program for current and future leaders that involves five, three-day sessions in Sioux Falls, S.D. Between sessions, participants are tasked with putting what they’ve learned to work in their dealership and tracking the results of those efforts.
“We are excited to award this scholarship to someone who has already contributed so much to the marine dealer community,” states Jeff Siems, Chairman of the MRAA Educational Foundation Board of Directors. “Given his dedication to his dealership and passion to see it grow, we are confident that Zachary will be able to leverage the scholarship to advance his family dealership to the next level.”
About 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.