National Safe Boating Council Elects Board of Directors, Names NMMA’s Robert Newsome to Executive Committee
The National Safe Boating Council (NSBC), a national catalyst for recreational boating safety, has announced the board of directors for 2019-2020, naming NMMA’s Robert Newsome to the board’s executive committee. The NSBC membership voted to elect the board at the General Membership Meeting in Anchorage, Alaska in conjunction with the National Association of State Boating Law Administrator’s Annual Conference.
Newsome, NMMA Senior Vice President, Strategy, Engineering Standards & Membership, stated, “I’m honored to be elected as an executive committee member on NSBC’s board and look forward to continuing our work to advance boating safety. It’s imperative the industry and its partners work together on safety issues to ensure recreational boaters have the best experience on the water.”
Here’s the full list of directors:
- Chair: Stu Gilfillen, US Sailing
- Immediate Past Chair: Chris Stec, ACA Canoe & SUP Instructor Trainer Educator
- Vice Chair: Alan Dennison, BoatU.S. Foundation
- Treasurer: Robert Newsome, National Marine Manufacturers Association
- Secretary: MariAnn McKenzie, Oregon State Marine Board
- Member-At-Large: Stephanie Hussey, Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation
- Member-At-Large: Joe McCullough, Alaska Office of Boating Safety
- Member-At-Large: Dana Gage, The LV Project
“On behalf of the newly elected NSBC Board of Directors, thank you to the membership for putting their trust in us to continue the NSBC's vision to help create a safe boating experience for recreational boaters,” said Stu Gilfillen, NSBC’s newly elected board chair. "We look forward to continuing to collaborate with partner organizations to make America’s waterways safer and more enjoyable for all.”
The NSBC fosters a boating safety culture by uniting the boating community, building alliances, providing resources, empowering our partners, and influencing and strengthening programming and messaging to recreational boaters.
The board and staff will implement the NSBC’s 2020-2024 Strategic Plan, which supports the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Recreational Boating Safety Program in their mission to ensure the public has a safe, secure, and enjoyable recreational boating experience.
“I am excited to partner alongside Stu, Chris, Alan, Robert, MariAnn, Stephanie, Joe and Dana,” said Peg Phillips, NSBC executive director. “Each of them brings deep community knowledge, a passion for recreational boating safety and the desire to envision an ambitious future for the National Safe Boating Council.”