AMI Launches National Clean Marina Program

The Association of Marina Industries (AMI) has announced its plan to develop a national Clean Marina program. This will be the first national clean marina program of its kind in the United States. It is designed to provide clean marina certifications to marinas in states where no such program currently exists and augment existing state and regional efforts.

Its innovative approach will focus on training marina managers instead of certifying places. Once certified, these trained clean marina professionals can then certify facilities as clean marinas using an online process. Other segments of the health and safety industry commonly use this same approach to maximize impact and reach.

AMI named Erin De Vries, formerly of Michigan Sea Grant, to lead the program. De Vries has over a decade of experience in program development including work with clean marina programs.

This national program is being sponsored by many of the leading national marina management companies, including Safe Harbor Marinas, Suntex Marinas, Westrec Marinas, and MarineMax. Safety, health, and environmental compliance experts from each of these companies make up an advisory committee who will guide this process.

AMI will offer the clean marina training program alongside its other training programs, such as the globally recognized Intermediate and Advanced Marina Management Schools, which lead to Marina Manager (CMM) and Marina Operator (CMO) Certifications. Development of the clean marina program will run through the spring and summer of 2021 and include developing a clean marina manual, certification requirements, and a training curriculum. AMI expects to offer clean marina training in the fall of this year.