Center for Sportfishing Policy Honors Regulator Marine’s Joan Maxwell During Annual D.C. Fly-in
May 11, 2023
Washington, D.C. – May 9, 2023 – Today, the Center for Sportfishing Policy (CSP) honored Regulator Marine President Joan Maxwell with its Eddie Smith Manufacturer of the Year Award for her impact on recreational fishing and boating and marine conservation across the country. Close friend of Maxwell, Kris Caroll, president of Grady-White Boats, accepted the award in her absence.
Center for Sportfishing Policy members are in Washington, D.C. for their annual member fly-in, “Center Focus on Washington,” where recreational angling and boating leaders participate in critical discussions with Members of Congress and Administration officials over a three-day meeting on Capitol Hill.
During the American Boating Congress Industry Lunch, hosted by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), CSP President Jeff Angers honored Maxwell for her passion for promoting marine conservation and the boating lifestyle. In 1988, Joan and her husband Owen founded Regulator Marine in an abandoned A&P Grocery Store and today, Regulator is recognized as one of the most prestigious U.S. center console brands. She remains active in the boating industry, where she served as the first female chairperson of the board of the National Marine Manufacturers Association and in 2021 was inducted into its Hall of Fame.
“Like Eddie Smith, Joan has been a leader in important battles for access to America’s public fishery resources,” said Angers. “She has made a lasting impact on recreational fishing and boating, going above and beyond her duties as an industry CEO.”
The Eddie Smith Award was established by CSP to honor extraordinary commitment to conservation by manufacturers. An icon in marine manufacturing, Smith was a leader on the boards of NMMA; Coastal Conservation Association North Carolina, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, and many other leadership roles. Well known as the owner of Grady-White Boats, Smith received the first-ever American Sportfishing Association Lifetime Achievement Award and is a member of the NMMA Hall of Fame. Past recipients of the award include AFTCO’s Bill Shedd; Bass Pro Shops’ Johnny Morris; CSP Past Chairman Bob Hayes; Maverick Boats Founder Scott Deal; NMMA Past President Thom Dammrich; Shimano USA’s Dave Pfeiffer; Sportsman Boats’ Tommy Hancock, and Yamaha’s Phil Dyskow and Ben Speciale.
The Center for Sportfishing Policy is the nation’s leading advocate for saltwater recreational anglers. The Center organizes, focuses and engages recreational fishing stakeholders to shape federal marine fisheries management policies. For more information, visit www.SportfishingPolicy.com.
Center for Sportfishing Policy members are in Washington, D.C. for their annual member fly-in, “Center Focus on Washington,” where recreational angling and boating leaders participate in critical discussions with Members of Congress and Administration officials over a three-day meeting on Capitol Hill.
During the American Boating Congress Industry Lunch, hosted by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), CSP President Jeff Angers honored Maxwell for her passion for promoting marine conservation and the boating lifestyle. In 1988, Joan and her husband Owen founded Regulator Marine in an abandoned A&P Grocery Store and today, Regulator is recognized as one of the most prestigious U.S. center console brands. She remains active in the boating industry, where she served as the first female chairperson of the board of the National Marine Manufacturers Association and in 2021 was inducted into its Hall of Fame.
“Like Eddie Smith, Joan has been a leader in important battles for access to America’s public fishery resources,” said Angers. “She has made a lasting impact on recreational fishing and boating, going above and beyond her duties as an industry CEO.”
The Eddie Smith Award was established by CSP to honor extraordinary commitment to conservation by manufacturers. An icon in marine manufacturing, Smith was a leader on the boards of NMMA; Coastal Conservation Association North Carolina, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, and many other leadership roles. Well known as the owner of Grady-White Boats, Smith received the first-ever American Sportfishing Association Lifetime Achievement Award and is a member of the NMMA Hall of Fame. Past recipients of the award include AFTCO’s Bill Shedd; Bass Pro Shops’ Johnny Morris; CSP Past Chairman Bob Hayes; Maverick Boats Founder Scott Deal; NMMA Past President Thom Dammrich; Shimano USA’s Dave Pfeiffer; Sportsman Boats’ Tommy Hancock, and Yamaha’s Phil Dyskow and Ben Speciale.
The Center for Sportfishing Policy is the nation’s leading advocate for saltwater recreational anglers. The Center organizes, focuses and engages recreational fishing stakeholders to shape federal marine fisheries management policies. For more information, visit www.SportfishingPolicy.com.