From the Captain's Chair: State of the County
More than 1,000 business and community leaders and elected officials from Broward County and South Florida gathered on Friday, March 15th for Broward
Workshop's 11th Annual State of the County Forum. It was heartening to hear Broward County’s Mayor, Mark Bogen, and the Florida Chamber Foundation executive vice president, Tony Carvajal, include the marine industry and its economic impact in their respective speeches to the invitation-only crowd.
Additionally, the keynote speaker, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, dedicated a portion of his address on the need for apprenticeship programs and an emphasis on building the trades skills workforce on which the marine industry is so reliant; a message that is relentlessly echoed within MIASF’s Workforce and Education Committee and through the Salty Jobs video series.
MIASF recently executed a Memorandum of Understanding with five separate associations to promote the Salty Jobs series by sharing the episodes in electronic newsletters, on social media networks, with members, and at speaking opportunities. Working with the United States Superyacht Association, the Palm Beach Marine Industries Association, South Florida Manufacturers Association, the International Yacht Brokers Association, and the International Superyacht Society, MIASF is expecting Salty Jobs to become the voice of the marine industry workforce and job market. Through this collaborative effort the opportunities for students, young adults, parents, and others to view the series, which showcases the full gamut of marine industry jobs, will increase substantially, as will the awareness of the industry’s economic contribution to South Florida.
The 23rd Annual Plywood Regatta, another fantastic opportunity to reach the next generation of marine industry blue collar, white collar, and entrepreneurial workers, will take place on April 6th and 7th in Dania Beach. I invite everyone to come out and spend a few hours witnessing the enthusiasm of the kids, the dedication of the mentors, and the generosity of the sponsors and volunteers for this two-day boat building and racing event.
The ability to change, adapt, and evolve in business is incredibly important as entire industries continue to be impacted and disrupted. Informa’s announcement regarding the creation of the Superyacht Village at FLIBS in 2019 is a perfect example of this and taking advantage of the opportunity at Pier Sixty-Six Hotel and Marina allows for additional activation for attendees and exhibitors alike.
As we prepare for our Board of Director elections coming up in April, we anticipate great leadership serving the association and encourage all regular voting members to participate in the election process.