Newly Proposed NASBLA Course Approval Policies & Procedures

Overview
Speaker(s)

Upholding the integrity of a NASBLA approved boating course, and student assessment is essential to maintaining the quality of and mutual state acceptance of the boating education system established and adopted by most states and territories in the United States.

Effective since January 1, 2016, the National Boating Education Standard - ANSI/NASBLA 103-2016: Basic Boating Knowledge-Power is undergoing its scheduled ANSI required review. The anticipated changes to this standard will necessitate that NASBLA updates its Policy for Basic Boating Education Course Approval.

The current Policy and Procedure for Basic Boating Education Course Approval has been in use since adopted in September 2016. The Education Committee Leadership has drafted revisions to the existing documents and seeks comments from all boating education stakeholders.

During this session, Stacey Brown, Education Committee Chair, and Mark Chanski, NASBLA Education Director, will describe fundamental policy changes, how to submit comments, the following steps, and answer questions.

Mark Chanski

Education Director, NASBLA

NASBLA

Mark Chanski is the Education Director for the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA). With over a decade of experience in boating education and safety, Mark has been instrumental in advancing NASBLA's educational initiatives and promoting safe boating practices nationwide.

In his role, Mark oversees NASBLA’s course review and approval process, which impacts nearly 500,000 students annually. He also serves as the lead staff member for state and national boater education programs, supporting the NASBLA Education & Outreach Committee and the National Boating Education Standards Panel.

Before joining NASBLA, Mark spent more than 12 years with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Boating Division, where he spearheaded innovative programs such as the BOATS initiative and the life jacket rebate program.

Mark holds credentials and certifications from the U.S. Coast Guard, American Canoe Association, National Safe Boating Council, and US Sailing. His contributions to boating education have been recognized with numerous awards, underscoring his dedication to enhancing boating safety and education nationwide.

Stacey Brown

Boating Law Administrator

Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

Stacey Brown has worked for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources as the Boating Safety Manager for fourteen years and was recently promoted to the position of Boating Division Director in 2023. Her primary functions are to assist in the administration of the all the agency’s boating functions including boating outreach and education, waterways management, and boat titling and registration. She is one of the agency’s cheerleaders for boating safety and boating programs throughout the Commonwealth.

She was born and raised in Virginia and currently lives in Hanover, Virginia with her husband and has two adult children. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Virginia and a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Commonwealth University. She enjoys gardening (planning and planting, not weeding), biking, reading mysteries and thrillers, and spending time on the water and in the water at Smith Mountain Lake.