May 2, 2023
NMMA recently announced the appointment of Marie-France MacKinnon as Executive Director for NMMA Canada. MacKinnon officially joined NMMA Canada on May 1 and will oversee the Association’s strategic and advocacy efforts in Canada. MacKinnon is a respected association executive with over 25 years of experience working in public affairs and communications in the private and public sector.
“We are excited to welcome Marie-France to the team. She comes to NMMA Canada with over two decades of developing and executing government relations plans to drive results in public policy. Her thought-leadership will be essential to leading strategic initiatives for NMMA Canada and ensuring the growth of the recreational boating industry,” said NMMA President Frank Hugelmeyer.
MacKinnon most recently served as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications for the Canadian Meat Council, where she advocated for the labour challenges faced by the agri-food industry. She secured the first-ever federal Agri-Food Immigration Pilot and obtained an increase to the Temporary Foreign Worker Cap for her members, making her a voice for agri-food labour issues across Canada.
“I'm honored to have been chosen by NMMA to lead the strategic priorities for NMMA Canada. I look forward to working closely with the leadership team, Canadian members and industry stakeholders across the country and in Quebec to protect and grow recreational boating,” noted MacKinnon.
Before the Canadian Meat Council, she held public affairs, media relations and communications positions within the profit and non-profit sectors. MacKinnon is bilingual and lives in Ottawa.
Marine Industry Career Path: Brett Ramsey

Wendy and Brett Ramsey
Boating Industry Canada is kicking off its Marine Industry Career Path series once again. For the first installments this year, we have two subjects to highlight. Introducing Wendy and Brett Ramsey!
The Ramsey’s have been working in the marine industry for many years but have both had unique paths in getting to where they are now. They’ve also been working on an impactful pilot project for a long time, which will now be launching this spring. The focus of this initiative is to bring more young people into the marine industry.
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Building on its award-winning M Series, Bayliner unveiled the all-new M19 at the Miami International Boat Show. The M19 joins the M Series lineup of the M15 and M17 delivering the stability and versatility the series is known for with a focus on expanding boater participation through its intuitive design, ease of maintenance and inclusive price point.
With an overall length of 19 feet and starting at $30,995 USD, the M19 is built on an improved M-hull foundation offering increased stability and automotive style handling for familiarity to appeal to the next generation of boaters. The M19 features an upgraded nine-person capacity and is watersports capable for a full day of adventure on the water.
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Televisions on a boat are increasingly commonplace. With the simple-to-install Glomex Avior VT300 Omnidirectional TV/FM antenna from GA Communications, it's never been easier to bring analog and digital broadcasts onboard—at a price that's hard to ignore.
The most noticeable feature of the Avior VT300 antenna is its compact white, anti-yellowing radome. At only 4" dia. x 8" H and 8.8 oz., it's specifically made for smaller boats that can't accommodate large TV antenna domes and only need short range reception, depending on height and conditions. The amplifier allows the antenna to have an increase in gain with a 24.5 dB average to receive vertical and horizontal polarized TV signals simultaneously from 360°.
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Airmar hires Suzanne Hawley as Brand Manager

The Leader in Ultrasonic Technology and Multi-sensor Solutions Continues to Grow in Talent and Innovation. AIRMAR® Technology Corporation, a world leader in ultrasonic transducers and Chirp technology, has named Suzanne Hawley as the Brand Manager for the company’s wholly owned distributor, Gemeco Marine Electronics Specialists, located in Lake City, SC.
Hawley comes to Airmar with extensive marketing and PR experience in the marine electronics industry including 20 years as the owner of Hawley Communications, a consulting agency focused on creative marketing solutions for businesses in the recreational boating industry.
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