You
ARE THE
C H A M P I O N S
INTRODUCING ThE
2018 NORTHWEST Marine Champion Awards
COMPilED
BY THE NWY Team
90 NORTHWEST YACHTING || JANUARY 2019
The inaugural Northwest Marine Champion Awards winners are decided. Time to celebrate these outstanding individuals ( and boat names) that make life on the water special.
The new year is upon us, nominations have been collected, and the Northwest Yachting council has spoken. Here are the winners of the first ever Northwest Marine Champion Awards! These 12 categories represent a broad swath of boating culture from our furry first mates to outstanding new yacht brokerages in our attempt to celebrate the work hard, play hard element of this colorful world we call home. All too often, the good work of those who’ve devoted their lives to making boating in these parts a delight go about their days without well-earned public applause. Likewise, as with the categories of Supreme Boat Name and Beloved Chief Cook/Mixologist, being playful on the water is just as important. These decisions were not easy as there were many fine nominations, which encourages us to keep this award series chugging into the foreseeable future. This first round was highly experimental in nature (as first rounds tend to be), and we’re eager for suggestions of additional categories to add, methodology to tweak, and more. In the meanwhile, enjoy the read and send out those appreciative vibes as you embrace our watery playground.
T
E xc e l l e n c e i n I n d u s t ry E d u c at i o n :
g n i r e G Tory
The maritime industry is a central part of the Pacific Northwest’s identity and is made possible thanks to the unflagging work of education organizations dedicated to providing promising opportunity to our region’s youth and workforce. This award recognizes the outstanding work of an educational organization or individual who is our champion when it counts the most. Tory Gering has emerged as a dynamic face of the Core Plus initiative to bring trade skills and career tracks back to our high schools. As the program manager of the Manufacturing Industrial Council of Seattle, she’s been tireless in her successful mission. It’s in part to her hard work that many of the children she first helped years ago have successfully navigated the program and now have great local jobs in the marine industry. Gering is on the front lines working with kids, Olympia-based policymakers, and the public, including recently at the National Marine Trade Association Annual Meet. For all this and more, we acknowledge Tory Gering’s vital contribution to the industry and education.
Tory Gering (right) with Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan and Core Plus grad Malcolm Dunston.