Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/173871
INDIVIDUALS IN ASSOCIATION Four trade association leaders making a big difference BY TOM KAISER p ower in numbers is such a common refrain that it can be difficult to remember the influence that one focused, ambitious person can wield. Whether it's influencing legislation as the head of a one-person shop like Susan Zellers at the Marine Trades Association of Maryland or reinvigorating one of the country's largest boat shows like John Thorburn of the Northwest Marine Trade Association, a single person can move mountains. As part of our coverage for our Movers & Shakers issue, we interviewed four leaders from four different trade associations across the country that are doing the hard work of representing the industry, looking out for the environment, bringing industry stakeholders together and keeping the public excited about boating. SUSAN ZELLERS Executive Director Marine Trades Association of Maryland Few professions have as many major achievements on their resume as Susan Zellers, executive director at the Marine Trades Association of Maryland. Her legislative wrangling on behalf of the association most recently helped pass a bill capping Maryland's excise tax on boats. After several years of work, she was able to ensure that gas taxes paid by diesel fuel sales at 30 | Boating Industry | October 2013 P30x32-BI13OCT-Associations.indd 30 marinas goes back to boaters through the state's Waterway Improvement Fund, rather than going toward highway funding. Along the way, and in concert with many other achievements, Zellers has also made sure marine interests were represented when the state enacted new volatile organic compound regulations, and pushed back deadlines on the implementation of new regulations to allow member businesses time to comply without adversely impacting their bottom lines. The ever-shifting work keeps Zellers very busy. "As a one-person office, my struggle is I either do work or I tell people what I'm doing — it becomes a challenge to do both," she said. "What we do really well is the advocacy work. What we don't do really well is tell people what we do." Zellers, a registered lobbyist, is very proud of the effort to cap the state's excise tax, which many politicians labeled as a giveaway to wealthy boat owners. After it was discussed for years, with twists, turns and last-minute deal making, she was able to frame the cap as www.BoatingIndustry.com 9/5/13 12:58 PM