Innovators Create a New Boating Market, New Type of Boater & New Enforcement Challenges

Boaters today need not be traditional boat owners or ever own a boat to have affordable, regular access to the water, often from many locations. Boat clubs, companies offering fractional ownership and owner-rental operations face challenges in safety education, compliance with regulations in multiple states, and often the need to educate law enforcement with the intricacies of their programs.This panel discussion will present valuable insights into these challenges, the current market and the future expansion of these innovative routes to boating.

David Dickerson

Vice President of State Government Relations, National Marine Manufacturers Association

A Florida native who grew up boating on Tampa Bay, David first worked as a political reporter and bureau chief for Florida newspapers before moving to Washington to be press secretary for former Senator Bill Nelson. His work included managing media relations after the Challenger space shuttle accident for the House Space Science Subcommittee. Thereafter, he was Vice President of Communications at the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America and managed the industry’s adaptation to online liquor sales. He joined NMMA in 2003. He currently manages NMMA’s state-level political strategy and actions in all 50 states, where concerns frequently include boater access, taxation, manufacturing regulation, aquatic invasive species, and safety issues. 

Fiona McGlynn

Contributing Editor, BoatU.S. Magazine

Fiona McGlynn is a contributing editor at BoatU.S. Magazine and an award-winning freelance writer. She recently completed a 13,000 mile sail from Vancouver to Mexico to Australia on a 35-foot sailboat and now lives in Atlin, BC (two hours from the Alaska border) where she's a board member of Atlin Search and Rescue. Her stories have taken her many places, from investigating why millennials don't own boats to covering retro round-the-world yacht races. Fiona is also a contributing editor at Good Old Boat Magazine and an editor at WaterborneMag.com. This month she has a story in BoatU.S. Magazine that explores the ins and outs of peer-to-peer boating insurance. 

John Giglio

President, Freedom Boat Club

John Giglio is President of Freedom Boat Club, the world’s largest and oldest private boating club in the nation now celebrating its 30th anniversary. With 35,000 members in 195 locations throughout the United States, Canada and Europe and sporting a fleet of more than 2300 boats. Freedom Boat Club offers an attractive alternative to boat ownership and delivers memories that last a lifetime.

A business graduate of Florida Southern College with an MBA from the University of South Florida, Mr. Giglio was part owner of a 20-chain auto body repair firm prior to joining Freedom Boat Club in 2004 as operations manager for its corporate-owned stores, a post he held for three years. He was promoted to sales manager, and within six months, was named director of sales and operations. He and his former partner purchased the company in 2011 and Mr. Giglio was named president of Freedom Boat Club LLC. Just a little more than a year later, in May 2012, he bought out his partner and became president and CEO, with direct responsibility for all franchise and corporate operations. He held the CEO role until his sale of the business to Brunswick Corporation in May 2019.

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