PHOTO COURTESY MRAAFive scholarships were awarded by the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas during an awards luncheon at Dealer Week in Austin, Tex., in early December.
In a statement, the MRAA said the Kevin Lodder Scholarship, the Duane Spader Leadership Scholarship and three MTA Technical Scholarships were handed out.
Kristy Stevens, owner and office manager at Grand Pointe Marina of Dimondale, Mich., received the Kevin Lodder Scholarship. It was founded in memory of Kevin Lodder of Lodder’s Marine in Fairfield, Ohio. Stevens will receive tuition to attend the Spader Total Management 1 Workshop and a stipend to offset travel expenses. The scholarship is valued at approximately $4,000.
Tyson Rhoad, assistant general manager and service manager at Clemons Boats of Huron, Ohio, was awarded the Duane Spader Leadership Development Scholarship. It was founded by Spader Business Management and the MRAA Educational Foundation in 2013 to honor the service of Duane Spader. Rhoad receives full tuition to attend the Spader Leadership Development Program.
Three marine trade associations were each awarded $1,500 to match their own scholarship awards. Because of the pandemic, awards were not granted in 2020 or 2021, so this year, three state associations were selected for the award, the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association, the Michigan Boating Industries Association and the Marine Trades Association of New Jersey. All three offer workforce development training or have scholarship programs that help fund their members through an application process.
PHOTO COURTESY MRAADarlene Briggs Woman of the Year Award
Nikki Storey, president of the Great Lakes Boat Building School was named the 2022 Darlene Briggs Marine Woman of the Year during the luncheon. In a statement, the MRAA said Storey was the 36th recipient of the award.
Labeled as a “can-do kid” by her grandfather, Otto, Storey has been president of the boatbuilding school since 2020. She leads a team that is committed to providing students with hands-on instruction to give them the skills required for careers in the maritime industry.
A native of Pickford, Mich., Storey graduated from Lake Superior State University with a BS in business administration with a concentration in management and human resources. She started at GLBBS in 2015 and rose from business manager to executive director before assuming the helm as president.
She championed the school through a national accreditation process that facilitated federal financial aid opportunities for students. Under Storey’s direction, the school added a marine service technology program in 2019 and forged a partnership with Mercury University to offer the company’s marine service certification. Additionally, GLBBS offers students the chance to test for ABYC certifications.
The Darlene Briggs Marine Woman of the Year Award is named after the late Darlene Briggs of Wayzata, Minn., who dedicated herself to the recreational boating industry.
