October 30, 2018, Venice, FL – The North American Headquarters of Freedom Boat Club recently hosted its annual employee meeting involving 260 team members affiliated with 19 corporate-owned club locations from Bradenton to Marco Island, FL. A key aspect of the event included the recognition of top performers for 2018 by Freedom Boat Club President and CEO John Giglio, and the company’s senior management team.
The Alison McMillen Award for “Employee of the Year” was won by Ronna Rogers who currently serves as the club manager for the Sarasota Marina Jack club location.
“Alison McMillen of Venice continues to manage our reservation system and won our top award so many times we decided to name the award in her honor a few years ago,” said John Giglio, president and CEO. “We were very pleased to present this year’s top employee award to Ronna Rogers who runs a first-class club operation at the Sarasota club, with a top-performing crew. She began her time with Freedom as a dockmaster at the Bradenton club and quickly advanced into management. Her positive attitude and focus on teamwork continues to set a high standard of service.
In the sales category, two individuals were recognized for outstanding achievement. The top sales award was won by Keith Lemley of the Venice & Englewood clubs who took home top honors as “Membership Executive of the Year.” Membership Executive Maurice Amaya of Punta Gorda, Pine Island and Cape Coral earned a sales milestone award for $1 million in sales.
“FBC Achievement Awards” were given to individuals whose contributions to the company have made a positive impact on the organization. Payroll administrator Cynthia Stanwood was recognized for her tremendous improvements to the employee onboarding process. Training director Captain Steve Jacobs was awarded for his hard work in receiving the prestigious approval from the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) for Freedom’s boat handling and safety course.
Another special recognition was the “Innovation Award”, presented to two employees for their development of new practices and programs within the company. Punta Gorda club manager Bill Groom was recognized for his new process improvements on the docks. The second award was given to Kevin VanHorn for his leadership in the development of the new Freedom RVing program, which launched earlier this year.
In addition, Freedom Boat Club recognized multiple individuals for exceptional performance on the docks.
The “Dock Master of the Year” award was presented to a northern and southern club manager. Marti Bowles of Bonita Springs took top honors for the south, while Alex De Cosmo of Englewood Cape Haze won the award for the northern sector.
The hotly-contested “Team Freedom” perpetual award is given to the club whose overall performance is considered best among all corporate-owned club locations. This year’s win goes to the entire dock staff of Burnt Store Marina in Punta Gorda.
An important component to Freedom Boat Club membership is the free, unlimited 1:1 training provided by the company’s in-house staff of more than 20 licensed Coast Guard captains. This year’s winner of the “Instructor of the Year” is Captain Frank DiMarino of Sarasota.
The “Rookie of the Year” award was presented to LeAnn Preston for her outstanding work in customer service and accounting.
“It’s been a great year for Freedom Boat Club, thanks in great part to the contributions of our team throughout the corporate footprint,” said Giglio. “I am very pleased by the outstanding performances of our team members and appreciate the opportunity we have to recognize their hard work and effort.”
Freedom Boat Club is the nation’s oldest and largest boat club, with 20,000+ members in 31 states and Canada, with 165+ locations and a national fleet of 2000+ boats. For more information, visit
www.freedomboatclub.com
