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joy to families.” by Heather Steinberger
DRAWN WATER TO THE
Nicki Polan, lifelong Michigander and MBIA’s executive director, gets to “work in an industry dedicated to bringing joy to families.”
(Opposite page) Top: Nicki Polan driving a boat; Bottom left: Polan (right) next to Amy Krueger Malow and Pete Beauregard, Jr.; Bottom right: Polan (second from left) at an MBIA event.
BY HEaTHER STEINBERGER
If you live near the Great Lakes, it’s not hard to be close to the water. Even if you don’t have a boat, lakes big and small beckon with temptations like swimming, fishing, and coastal hiking and camping.
That’s how it started for lifelong
Michigan resident Nicki Polan, one of four children growing up in what she calls a big outdoors family. Then, when she was 15, her parents upped the ante.
They moved the family to Brendel Lake in They moved the family to Brendel Lake in
Oakland County and they bought a boat.
“We got a Sylvan deckboat, and I learned to waterski,” Polan says. “I also had a windsurfer, and my two younger brothers became big fishermen. My parents still live there.”
After graduating from nearby Lakeland
High School, Polan went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State
University in East Lansing and her master’s degree in marketing and management from Walsh College in Troy. At the time, she says, applying her education and skills to the on-water activities and lifestyle she loved wasn’t even on her radar.
“Our family often went to the Detroit
Boat Show even before we moved out to the lake,” she explains, “but I didn’t realize there was a whole industry behind it.”
An industry calls While she was still in college, Polan worked for her father, a certified public accountant with his own firm. After graduation, she relocated to Chicago and took a position with a financial services company.
“Initially, it wasn’t as wonderful as I thought it would be,” she says with a laugh. “I started sending out resumes, and I heard back from the Michigan Boating Industries Association (MBIA).”
Founded in 1958, this nationally acclaimed nonprofit trade association is dedicated to the promotion, protection and advancement of the recreational boating industry in Michigan. It currently represents more than 350 marine businesses, and is the premier boat show producer in the state, responsible for the Detroit Boat Show, the Novi Boat Show and the Metro Boat Show.
In 1988, Polan took the job with MBIA and returned home to southeastern Michigan. She said it wasn’t a hard decision.
“The connection to the boat shows and to boating itself drew me in,” she says. “How fun, to be able to do what we do! To work in an industry dedicated to bringing joy to families.”
Thirty-three years later, Polan is now MBIA’s executive director. In addition
Polan’s parents on their fi rst boat in 1978 (top) and while boating in 2021 (bottom).
Photos this page: Polan enjoying the boating lifestyle with her family.
to producing the three annual boat shows and all other MBIA-related events and programs, she and her four staff members are also deeply involved with industry relations and any legislative issues that concern MBIA membership.
“We started with just one show,” she recalls. “Now there are three, and we assist with a few others. I love the shows! They’re pretty amazing. It’s wonderful to see all of our members, and to see the joy on people’s faces when they purchase their new boats. Each show is a huge undertaking; to see all our hard work come together provides a real sense of satisfaction.”
Education, advocacy and boat shows Due to ongoing uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of inventory, MBIA made the difficult decision to cancel the 2022 Detroit Boat Show. Polan says the MBIA board of directors was also concerned with buyers’ expectations.
“We didn’t want them to be disappointed when they couldn’t see the boats they were most interested in,” she explains. “They might not be able to see those models for a year or two.
“We hope to be back to normal in 2023 with the winter show,” she continues. “Until then, dealers are learning how to sell boats with limited inventory.”
At press time, the Novi Boat Show in March was tentatively scheduled to take place, but MBIA indicated it would make a final decision on February 1. And Polan has high hopes for the Metro Boat Show in September, as the 2021 show was a great success.
“We saw a 17% increase in traffic at the Metro Boat Show this past September,” she says. “Boaters are anxious to get back to the shows, to be together and to see the product — especially if they can be outdoors.”
When it comes to legislative work, Polan says her team focuses on five key priorities on behalf of the MBIA membership. The first involves protecting Michigan’s lakes and fisheries.
“We’re cautious about further industrialization, especially offshore wind turbines as we see on Lake Erie,” she says.
“First, we need to have environmental impact studies and a process to guide this type of development.”
The second priority is to foster a positive business environment. For example, in 2013, Michigan finally passed legislation that allowed boaters to only pay sales tax on the difference between their new boat and their trade-in. Neighboring states were already doing this, so joining them proved to be a win for boaters and businesses in Michigan.
“Because of term limits, we have to keep educating legislators on the importance of our industry on the state’s economy and quality of life,” Polan notes. “We continuously monitor for negative legislation to oppose and push forward legislation that is good for our industry and boaters in Michigan.”
The third priority is education. MBIA is supporting the Water Ski Industry Association’s efforts to educate boaters about operating in a courteous manner.
“Michigan has strong boating laws on the books, and all boaters need to be responsible for their wakes,” Polan says. “New boaters are encouraged to take a boating safety class, which are readily available in person and online. Michigan law states that anyone born after July 1, 1996 must have a boater safety certificate to operate a boat. We’re not in favor of new laws or restricting boating. Rather, we seek to educate — to encourage all boaters to be courteous of others.”
The fourth priority is infrastructure. Polan and her MBIA team advocate for initiatives that support federal funding for boating access infrastructure and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Waterways Fund and grant program, which provide funding for engineering studies and infrastructure improvements to assets such as harbors and public boating access sites.
The fifth priority is workforce development. Polan says MBIA is dedicated to helping people understand the many career opportunities within the recreational marine industry.
“Most people don’t realize there is an industry behind the fun of boating,” she explains. “We actively work to cultivate talent and offer continuing education so we can help grow our industry. Without a qualified workforce, it’s difficult to provide boaters with the highest standards of customer service — and to keep boats on the water during the beautiful summer months in Michigan.
“There is a misconception that employment in the industry is seasonal, and that is not true,” she adds. “Employees will find year-round, gainful employment with good paying wages in an industry that is in desperate need of skilled individuals.”
Embracing the lifestyle As Polan works hard on preparations for shows and programs underway in 2022, she is mindful of addressing the needs of future boaters as well as current ones. She emphasizes the importance of addressing perceived barriers openly and honestly.
“Our industry is working to reach a more diverse audience, and we need to help educate them,” she explains. “Even if someone isn’t buying a boat right now, it’s still valuable to plant that seed for ownership. So we talk to them about affordability, overall value, ease of operation — especially with technology like joystick docking, one-touch cover systems and virtual anchoring systems — and time.”
Time has been a sticky point in recent years, with families suffering from over-scheduling with work and children’s activities. But, as Polan notes, the pandemic is shining a powerful light on how we really want to spend our time. And collectively we are learning that slowing down, spending time together and making memories is what we have been yearning for.
Polan says that is true for her family as well. She, her husband, and their two college-age sons enjoy recreational water life aboard their 22-foot Bennington pontoon and 15-foot Boston Whaler. They also spend time with her parents at Brendel Lake, and with her husband’s family at their lake cottage in Coldwater, Michigan.
“We still want to spend time all together,” she says. “Fishing, watersports… there’s just something about the water. It does magical things.” ★
