Florida Yacht Brokers Association announces new board, awards Broker of the Year
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Florida Yacht Brokers Association (FYBA), the world’s largest association of yacht brokers and charter agents, announced the results of its 2015-2016 Board of Directors election at the association’s Annual Meeting, held at Hyatt Regency Pier 66 in Fort Lauderdale on January 30, 2015.
FYBA also presented its prestigious Broker of the Year and Charter Professional of the Year Awards, as well as the first Lifetime Achievement Award, during the Annual Meeting.
Re-elected to serve a two-year term on the FYBA Board of Directors were the association’s President, Gary Smith of Sarasota Yacht & Ship; Vice President, Bob Saxon of International Yacht Collection; Bruce Schattenburg of Allied Marine, and Paul Flannery of HMY Yachts.
Newly elected to serve a two-year term on the Board were Jason Dunbar of Luke Brown Yachts, Paul Burgess of Sunseeker International, and Jeff Partin of Camper & Nicholsons.
These Board members join existing members Bob Zarchen of Ardell Yacht & Ship Brokers, Bob Denison of Denison Yacht Sales, Jeff Erdmann of Allied Marine, and George Jousma of Sanlorenzo, who return to complete their terms.
“I give the new members of the Board of Directors a warm welcome and thank them in advance for their long hours and hard work,” said FYBA Executive Director Ann Vernon. “I am looking forward to working with the Board of Directors to raise the standards of professionalism for our industry even further, as well as taking on issues that will benefit the brokerage and marine industry as a whole by bringing more boats and jobs to the U.S.”.
Three FYBA members also were recognized for their individual contributions to the yachting industry during the Annual Meeting.
FYBA Broker of the Year was presented to Jon Burkard, president of Allied Marine Brokerage & Charter. Burkard has worked in yacht sales and management for the last 35 years. He has served on the FYBA Board for over 10 years, and has mentored many brokers found throughout the industry today.
FYBA Charter Professional of the Year went to Barbara Stork Landeweer. She joined the International Yacht Collection (IYC) team in October 2010 as a Charter Agent, bringing with her more than 22 years of experience in the yachting industry and an impressive portfolio of success in the yacht charter field.
“Skip” Mansfield was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. A licensed yacht salesman and charter broker at Sarasota Yacht & Ship, Mansfield is a veteran of the yacht brokerage business. His career includes holding positions at Mt. Desert Yacht Yard in Maine, Wm. Edgar John Yacht Yard in New York, and Northrop & Johnson in New York City, where he was instrumental in opening offices around the country, most of which still exist today. Mansfield later was hired by Dick Bertram to manage all of his operations in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. A few years after that, he returned to Northrop & Johnson, then was hired to establish Emerald Yacht and Ship, which he ran along with other corporate duties for 21 years.
“Hearty congratulations go to Jon, Barbara and Skip for earning these well-deserved awards,” Vernon said. “They have raised the bar for the rest of the yacht brokerage and charter industry.”
