Charles Chapman Award
The Charles Chapman Award honors individuals or groups within the marine industry who have made outstanding contributions to the sport of boating for the benefit of the recreational boating industry and boating public.
QUESTIONS
2020: Carl Blackwell, NMMA and Joe Lewis, Mount Dora Boating Center & Marina
Joe Lewis
Joe Lewis, the owner and general manager of Mount Dora Boating Center & Marina, has been active in boating and fishing organizations in and around his community for more than thirty years. He has worked tirelessly on behalf of the industry, spending countless days away from his business at industry meetings, producing Discover Boating commercials and speaking on behalf of the campaign.
Joe ended a twenty-year career in the outdoor power equipment industry when he moved to Florida and purchased the Mount Dora Boating Center & Marina, a dealership and full-service marina. In the thirty years since, he’s raised the bar on sales and service; his dealership is routinely ranked as among the best in the country at providing an outstanding buying and ownership experience and has earned a Marine Industry 5-Star Certified designation.
Joe was chairman of Grow Boating from 2011 to 2019 and is currently serving as past chair. He served as chair of the Marine Industry Associations of Florida, Marine Industry Association of Central Florida and currently serves on the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation Board. He’s been an industry representative on the Governor’s Boating Advisory Council for the state of Florida, and a Regional Director for the Marine Retailers of the Americas.
Joe was honored with the MIAF Admiral Award and MIASF Anchor Award in 2003, inducted into the MRAA Retailers Hall of Fame in 2007, received the MRAA Irv Rosenthal Award in 2012 and the Lake County Community Service Award in 2011.
Mount Dora Boating Center & Marina was named Business of the Year in 2016 by the Mount Dora Chamber of Commerce and is well-known for its annual holiday display which boasts more than one million lights and draws thousands to the waterfront in Mount Dora every year. His business was recognized with the Four Winns Commander Award 2001 through 2007, earned Four Winns C.S.I Awards in 2006 and 2007, and was in the Boat Industry Top 100 2005 through 20011. It was the Lake County Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year in 2010 and earned a Monterey C.S.I Award in 2014.
Joe was born and raised in Harrisburg Pennsylvania. He and his wife Susan have a son, Joey (Jay) and a daughter, Julia and grandson, Connor. When he’s not at work, chances are you’ll find Joe boating with his family or scuba diving with his son.