Frank Hugelmeyer, who joined the National Marine Manufacturers Association as president-elect on July 15, has released a letter to members recounting his first three weeks on the job.
This story originally appeared in Trade Only Today.
“My parents always said, ‘Son, you have two ears and one mouth for a reason,’” Hugelmeyer said in the letter. “That was good advice. Since joining NMMA July 15th, I’ve followed those wise words and focused my time on listening and learning.”
The president-elect traveled with NMMA president Thom Dammrich in the first week on the job to a gathering of state marine industries associations in Washington state. Hugelmeyer said he met with marine industry association leaders from more than dozen states as well as NMMA members in the Northwest. “These interactions allowed me to better understand the role of the local marine association and how we can work together to further our strategic vision,” he wrote.
Last week, Hugelmeyer met with NMMA staff in its Chicago offices. “I sat down with most of the NMMA team to understand what they would like more of, less of, and kept the same,” he wrote. “Along with Thom, I met with the senior leadership team to formulate our FY20 plan and budget, which we’ll present to the NMMA Executive Committee in September.”
This week, Hugelmeyer said, he will be meeting with association leaders across multiple manufacturing sectors to learn about “unique issues and opportunities” facing the boating industry. He said he will continue to meet with others in the industry.