2014 is coming to a close. For many people, the year-end is a time to look back at all that has been accomplished. For others, it is a time to look forward to a new year.

I am taking this opportunity to look back at 2014 and recap what has been a very full year for FYBA. The Board of Directors, Committee members and the FYBA staff are proud of all the events the association has hosted: Seven Broker Open Houses, three Charter Open Houses, four seminars, the Annual Dinner and a Golf Scramble. On top of this you can add six issues of Compass, FYBA’s presence at eight boat shows, participation at the American Boating Congress in Washington. D.C., and revising the FYBA forms for brokers.

Our Board of Directors and Committee members make all of this possible. Then there are our sponsors who aid us not only by contributing financially, but also by whole-heartedly believing in our association. The FYBA also has lobbyists in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., who, under the direction of the Board, work to push for legislation that will benefit the yacht brokerage industry.

The FYBA is not only made up of the Board of Directors, the Committee members, and the staff. The association also is composed of its members. The FYBA is the largest yacht broker association in the world, and it is our members who make this possible.

We urge all of you to continue participating in association events and supporting the FYBA Political Action Committee (PAC Fund). We also ask that you send us articles and photos for Compass and eCompass, as well as information about your companies. We also welcome your suggestions on how this association can continue to grow and what topics you’d like to see covered in the seminars. Finally we urge you to support the sponsors and Compass advertisers who support you.

2015 will be just as busy as 2014. We will add a seminar to the calendar – the Yacht Engineering Seminar for Brokers – which will be held on May 1, 2015.

Enjoy what’s left of 2014 and get ready for an exciting 2015!

Happy Holidays!

Ann