Boater of Year Award presented to N.K. woman at boat show

KATE WILSON, center, accepts the John H. Chafee Boater of the Year Award from Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, left, and Neal Harrell, right, at the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association industry breakfast on Feb. 3. Harrell is president of Brooks Marine Group in Newport and last year’s Boater of the Year. / COURTESY BILL SHEA
KATE WILSON, center, accepts the John H. Chafee Boater of the Year Award from Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, left, and Neal Harrell, right, at the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association industry breakfast on Feb. 3. Harrell is president of Brooks Marine Group in Newport and last year’s Boater of the Year. / COURTESY BILL SHEA

PROVIDENCE – The John H. Chafee Boater of the Year Award was presented to Kate Wilson of North Kingstown at the industry breakfast hosted by the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association on the opening morning of its annual boat show on Feb. 3.

Wilson, of North Kingstown, was recognized for the grassroots work she has done in getting more Newport-area youth engaged in boating, according to a news release about the boat show from RIMTA released this week.

“This award is really for all the volunteers who are getting kids on the water,” said Wilson, in accepting the award. “To create life-long sailors we need to start with our youth.”
Gov. Gina M. Raimondo and R.I. Department of Labor & Training Director Scott Jensen also spoke at the event, which included a panel discussion and question-and-answer session on workforce challenges and solutions in the marine trades.

RIMTA reported strong boat sales and attendance at the show, held Feb. 3-5 at the R.I. Convention Center. The show also was shortened to three days; previously, it ran four days.

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Presented by Washington Trust Bancorp Inc., more than 140 exhibitors attended the show.
“One of our biggest challenges we face as an industry is getting new people involved in boating – and that is something the Providence show is perfectly suited for,” Wendy Mackie, CEO of RIMTA, which owns and manages the show, said in a statement. “We focused on affordable ways to get out on the water in our marketing – and the success of that strategy proved that a small regional show like ours can be a strong marketing opportunity for the marine trades while also helping to cultivate new boaters.”

In addition to Washington Trust, other sponsors included Brewer Yacht Yards & Marinas, Dockwa, Helly Hansen and Kellogg Marine Supply.

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