The National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) has announced changes in the NMEA Board of Directors. David Gratton, a dealer director and a partner in Martek of Palm Beach, Fla., has been appointed to the position of Vice Chairman of the NMEA. He replaces Jim Vander Hey, who is leaving the position to pursue a business venture outside of the marine electronics industry.
"Jim has been a very active member of the NMEA and has made a number of major contributions to the NMEA. We wish him great success in his new endeavor," said Jules Rutstein, Chairman of the NMEA Board and owner of Bethel Marine Electronics of Rockledge, Fla.
NMEA's new Vice Chairman, David Gratton, joined the Board of Directors in 2001. He is Vice President of Sales for Martek of Palm Beach, a full-service marine electronics dealership located in Stuart, Fla.
Gratton grew up in the Catskills, joined the Air Force in Biloxi, and worked in Los Angeles for Teledyne, where he was engaged in environmental testing for the space shuttle. While with the Air Force, he flew with the Emergency Airborne Command as a radio maintenance technician.
In 1987, Gratton joined Martek in Marmora, N.J., as service manager, and in 1997 headed south to start Martek of Palm Beach. Gratton brings a diverse set of skills and experience to his position on the NMEA Board. Among other things, he has championed the NMEA classification of Dealer Director in the firm belief that all NMEA members and sectors in the marine electronics industry should be equally and fairly represented on the NMEA Board in order to benefit the whole.
Gratton has also championed the Master Dealer Program and has been instrumental in getting the program defined and ready for implementation. Gratton holds a CMET rating and he is a managing partner in Martek of Palm Beach.
"I have known David for many years," said Chairman Rutstein. "He brings many strengths to the table for the NMEA, and I welcome him to this key position on the Board."
The NMEA Board has also accepted the appointment of Bruce Angus to the Executive Committee, the governing body of the organization between meetings of the complete Board of Directors. Angus is a manufacturer director on the Board and he is the Director of Business Development for Johnson Outdoors, Inc., owner of the Geonav line of marine electronics.