AMI announces new board members, honors newest CMMs and CMOs

The Association of Marina Industries elected its 2017 officers and directors at its annual International Marina & Boatyard Conference held Jan. 25-27 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Brad Gross, certified marina manager, was reappointed chair; Joe Riley, CMM of Windmill Marina Association, Inc., was reappointed vice chair; Chris Petty of Suntex Waterfront Management was reappointed treasurer; and Chris Dolan of Marina Electrical Equipment, Inc. was appointed secretary.

This year, AMI welcomes one new member elected to the 2017 board of directors for a three-year term: Jason Johnson of Marine Travelift, Inc. Meanwhile, the AMI board bids farewell to Mick Webber of HydroHoist Marine Group.

Johnson will join the existing board of directors which includes: Keith Knowlton, CMM of Riverside Yacht Club; Ronaldo Souza, CMM of Westrec Marinas; Austin Cameron of VIP Marina, LLC; Ray Fernandez of Bridge Marina; John Chiazza of USI Insurance Services LLC, Inc.; Bob Evans, CMM; Jeff Rose, CMM of Safe Harbor Marinas; Michael Short, CMM of Vancouver Marina; Mitch Jones of Tennessee Marina Association; Kevin Thompson of Bellingham Marine; David Bluestone of Morningstar Properties; Rick Chapman, CMM of Port of Sunnyside Club, Inc.; Alex Laidlaw, CMM of Westrec Marinas; and John Swick, CMM of Safe Harbor Marinas.

The International Marina Institute the training arm of AMI, held its award ceremony for new CMMs and certified marina operators on Thursday, Jan. 26, at IMBC. New CMMs and CMOs have completed a rigorous, multi-year training to receive the professional designation. As an added bonus, all domestic and international CMMs and CMOs were invited to an invitation-only celebration of the program’s 25th anniversary at IMBC later that evening at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina.

“This award ceremony and this year’s 25th anniversary celebration are part of many networking events we hold for CMMs and CMOs,” Merritt Alves, IMI training coordinator, said. “IMI has been bringing marina professionals together for decades so we can all build our industry through common experiences, shared information, and mentorship programs.”

This year’s CMM recipients are:

• Cory Ginsky, Black Canyon/Willow Beach, Willow Beach, Ariz.
• Jake Rowe, Pelican Isle Yacht Club, Inc., Naples, Fla.
• Timothy Baugh, Pelican Petes, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
• Gili Wojnowich, Yacht Haven Grande Marina, St. Thomas, USVI
• Tony Anderson, Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas, Bullfrog, Utah

This year’s CMO recipients are:

• Timothy Baugh, Pelican Petes, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
• Ricardo Ermel, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Martin Leemaster, Bay Harbor Lake Marina, Bay Harbor, Mich.
• Shane Spinner, Bridge Bay, Redding, Calif.
• Joe Monroe, South Beach Harbor, San Francisco, Calif.
• Lisa Buie, Cleveland Metroparks, Cleveland, Ohio
• Kelley Poe, Charleston, S.C.

Currently, there are 340 CMMs and 24 CMOs worldwide. To become a CMM or CMO candidate, marina professionals must satisfy specific criteria including a minimal number of years working in the industry in a supervisory role managing a marina. Once accepted into the program, CMM and CMO candidates take Intermediate and Advanced Marina Management classes with IMI to gain proficiency in financial management, sales and marketing, regulations and personnel skills. For more information, visit www.marinaassociation.org/certifications/apply.

AMI is a nonprofit membership organization that provides management training, education, and information on research, legislation, and environmental issues affecting the marina industry. For more information about AMI, visit www.marinaassociation.org.