Nominations and Applications Sought for 2014 Darlene Briggs Award

The MRAA Educational Foundation is currently seeking nominations and applications for the 2014 Darlene Briggs Woman of the Year Award.

The late Darlene Briggs, of Wayzata, Minn., was admired for her tireless dedication to the marine industry. To honor her memory, the Darlene Briggs Woman of the Year Award was founded in 1987. It is presented annually to an outstanding woman who is actively involved in the marine industry at any level. It recognizes "long and devoted service, untiring commitment and the advancement of women in the marine business.”

"I do see a lot more women boaters now than we did 10 years ago,” said Rallee Chupich, the 2013 Darlene Briggs Award recipient and director of service at Gordy’s Lakefront Marine, in an interview with Boating Industry magazine. "As I look forward, I see my role to encourage, coach, hire and train more young women in the marine industry and even more throughout our company in all roles.”

The 2014 recipient will be presented with the award at the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, taking place Nov. 16-19 in Orlando, Fla., by the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and Boating Industry magazine. The recipient receives a trophy furnished by Boating Industry, which will publicize the presentation and feature the successful candidate in an issue of the magazine following the event.

For more information, or to apply or nominate someone, please visit the Darlene Briggs Award page of the MRAA website: MRAA.com/DarleneBriggsAward. The deadline for nominations is August 31, and the deadline for applications is September 30.

For additional questions, please contact Liz Walz at 315-692-4533 or liz@mraa.com. You need not be nominated to apply for award consideration.

About MRAA Educational Foundation

The MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation, was founded in 2004 to provide financial support for education, training and professional development in the recreational marine trades. MRAA recognizes the need to provide for the growth of our dealerships and the professional development of their employees. MRAA and the MRAA Educational Foundation are dedicated to the growth of the recreational marine industry through workforce development. For more information, visit MRAA.com and select "MRAA Educational Foundation.”

About Marine Retailers Association of the Americas

At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the companies that interact with the boater in their community must thrive. Those businesses determine the boater’s experience and are the leading factor in the industry’s success. The MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those businesses, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com.

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