MRAA names 2019 Dealer Week ‘Education Hosts’

MRAA announced that it will divide its education during its new Dealer Week conference into three main classrooms, or Education Pathways: The Dealership, The Customer and The Employee. Each of these Pathways will feature sessions, case studies, workshops, dealer-to-dealer interaction — and a top marine industry trainer as host.

These dedicated “Education Hosts” will act as guides throughout the week to help draw connections, provide deeper context and ultimately move dealers toward implementation.

The 2019 Dealer Week Education Hosts are:

• The Customer Pathway: Sam Dantzler, Wheelhouse College
• The Dealership Pathway: David Spader, Spader Business Management
• The Employee Pathway: Jim Million, Million Learning

“We are thrilled that three of the most requested trainers from previous MRAA events have agreed to take on this expanded role with Dealer Week,” said Mike Davin, Director of Education at MRAA. “Not only will each of these experts present material during the conference, they will be like personal guides for the dealers and ensure that our educational programming builds toward a greater whole.”

The Education Pathways were selected because they represent the three pillars of MRAA’s education strategy. They were also designed to engage a cross-section of dealership employees.

“Our hope is that representatives from departments across the dealership will attend these sessions together,” Davin said. “We’ve built in additional time for discussion to give attendees time to process and discuss what they’re learning with the help of their peers and the Education Hosts.”

Sam Dantzler is a sought-after keynote speaker, 20-Club moderator and workshop trainer throughout in the U.S. and abroad for the marine, powersports and bicycle industries. 

David Spader has served as a lead trainer and consultant for Spader Business Management for 18 years. He specializes in leadership development, succession planning, strategic development, company culture and effective hiring practices.

Jim Million has worked with dealerships for the past four decades as a salesperson, service writer, sales manager, facilitator, developer, writer, speaker and consultant. He has experience in both automotive and marine and works closely with MRAA as a Certification Consultant.

Also announced was the Dealer Week schedule, which can be viewed at DealerWeek.com/schedule. In addition to the new education pathways, the event will kick off with an optional field trip and feature an evening Dealer Week Industry Celebration. Additional details on both of these new events will be available in the near future.