Tag Archives: Darlene Briggs Woman of the Year

By Nikki Storey If you were to ask me, the number one trait required for success in the marine industry comes down to two words, problem solving.  That is where my story in the industry began, as I was asked to join Great Lakes Boat Building School (GLBBS) in Cedarville, Michigan to spearhead a campaign to establish GLBBS as a ...

By Wanda Kenton Smith As Boating Industry celebrates the distinguished Women Making Waves in this edition, our Profiles in Leadership shines the spotlight on Susan Bonivich, Volvo Penta’s Senior Dealer Business Manager responsible for business relations with the Cobalt 20 Group, OneWater/SMG and the U.S. western territories.   Susan grew up around creeks and streams in Waynesboro, Va. and at a ...

Nikki Storey, President of the Great Lakes Boat Building School has been named the 2022 Darlene Briggs Marine Woman of the Year, announced the MRAA Educational Foundation. The Award was presented to Storey, the thirty-sixth recipient, as part of the Dealer Week Award’s Luncheon on Wednesday December 7th in Austin, Texas.   As the president of the Great Lakes Boat ...

By Roxanne Rockvam First of all, congratulations to this year’s Women Making Waves award winners! As the current Darlene Briggs Marine Woman of the Year, saying I’ve grown up in the boating industry is an understatement.  Our family owns a marina on Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota. The Ship’s Store was in the lower level of our house and as a ...

By Wanda Kenton Smith Kristen Frohnhoefer, president of Sea Tow Services International, Inc. and the Sea Tow Foundation board of directors, was raised in the family business, but came aboard full time in 2003 after a teaching career. She has worked in virtually all aspects of the business and oversees internal operations. Besides selection as the 2020 Darlene Briggs Marine ...

By Wanda Kenton Smith I’m old enough to recall going to boat shows and being only one of a few female executives in attendance. While I’ve always enjoyed the company of male colleagues, I longed to meet other women who shared my career of choice.  Back in the early ‘90s, I founded International Women in Boating (IWB) with the goal ...

Sara Anghel of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Canada has been selected as the recipient of the thirty-third annual Darlene Briggs Marine Industry Woman of the Year Award. The award was presented to Anghel by the 2018 award recipient, Angela Pilkington, on Tuesday morning, Dec. 10, as part of the Dealer Week Awards Luncheon in Tampa, Fla. The Darlene ...

The MRAA Educational Foundation has kicked off the 2018 application process for its six scholarships and the Darlene Briggs Marine Woman of the Year Award, at MRAA.com/Foundation. Included in those six scholarships is a new scholarship to help support dealership apprenticeship programs, our Marine Apprentice Technician Scholarship. The award and scholarships, which will be presented during the Marine Dealer Conference ...

Wanda Kenton Smith of Freedom Boat Club has been selected as the recipient of the 31st annual Darlene Briggs Woman of the Year Award. The scholarship was presented to Kenton Smith on Sunday evening, Dec. 10, during the the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas Opening Night Awards Celebration at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla. Joining the marine ...

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas will host an Opening Night Awards Celebration at the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo. The MRAA Awards Celebration will shine a spotlight on marine industry workforce efforts, showcasing a series of awards and scholarships to be presented by both the MRAA and the MRAA Educational Foundation. Other recognitions will include Marine Industry Certified Dealerships, ...