NAUI 2015 Board of Directors Election
Gene Muchanski
NAUI 3821 L

2294 Botanica Circle
West Melbourne, FL 32904
Phone: 321-914-3778
Email: gene@diveindustry.net

Dear Fellow NAUI Members:

On November 2^nd the NAUI Voting Membership will have an opportunity to elect 3 new Directors to sit on the Board.  The primary role of a Board Director is to provide NAUI Headquarters / NSG with goals and objectives related to training and membership services that are in the best interest of the membership.  NAUI is always strongest when Board Directors represent the Membership that elected them and do what is best for the Members.  As your future representative, I ask for your VOTE on Election Day.

For those of you who do not know me, I have been a NAUI Instructor for over 40 years and have taught all levels of scuba instruction as an Instructor and Course Director.  I have always been as passionate about NAUI as I am about scuba diving and I have a lifetime of experience in the diving industry from a diving, teaching and business perspective.  I have been actively engaged in the business of diving all my life, in the Retail, Training, Manufacturing, Travel and Non-Profit sectors of the industry.  I have owned, worked for, or consulted with some of the largest companies in the diving community.  I have the education and experience necessary to help NAUI regain its rightful Leadership Role in the diving industry.  I would be honored to share my diving, teaching and business experience with NAUI as your newly elected Board Director.  Please see my complete Bio at www.UnderseaShowcase.com/Bio/

NAUI has made incredible gains in the past two years with the addition of new members to the BOD and NSG Staff. We have started on the path to recovery but there is still so much work to do.  As we move forward with a strong commitment to quality courses, higher standards and better customer service, we are still in need of a strong marketing strategy, transparent internal and external communications, and stronger brand recognition for NAUI goods and services worldwide.  This election is all about bringing on 3 experienced NAUI Board Members who have the necessary professional skills that NAUI needs, a history of successful industry employment, and a temperament suited for working constructively with such a talented, unique and diverse membership.

As your elected representative I would work hard to open up new teaching and business opportunities for our entire Membership by working with our Board of Directors and Headquarters Staff to design and implement a strong marketing strategy that would include superior products; customer acquisition, retention and reactivation; customer satisfaction; sales management, forecasting and training; marketing strategy and implementation; industry and competitive analysis; promotion and advertising; brand building and awareness; and sales and market growth opportunities.  As you can see, a strong marketing plan includes all of the items that many among us have been talking about in bits and pieces.  Please see a detailed marketing plan, based on input from the field, that could be acted upon in the near future at www.UnderseaShowcase.com/marketing/

A strong, integrated marketing plan would give NAUI the strength and Industry recognition needed to accomplish more than it has been able to in a long time.  We need to recognize and promote our International Members in all of the countries that affiliate with NAUI.  We need to increase our market visibility in Diving Resorts around the world.  We must work to increase our market share by gaining acceptance for NAUI products and services in Colleges & Universities, Retail Dive Centers, and Public Safety Dive Teams.  We need to mentor young NAUI Members to give them the necessary experience to fill leadership positions in the future.  As an Industry Leader, NAUI should be on the cutting edge of environmental concerns, working with World Environmental Leaders like Jean-Michel Cousteau, bringing awareness and activity to environmental issues.

We need to embrace modern marketing techniques that enable us to reach millions of people in a matter of seconds.  With digital technology we can take scuba education and promotion to a whole new level.  We have the means to integrate electronic, print and face-to-face marketing at our meetings, seminars, workshops and trade shows.  Transparent communication with our membership should already be an accomplished item on our “to-do” list but I agree with many Members that we still need much improvement in this area.  Communicating with an ageing population should not be an obstacle for NAUI Worldwide but should be considered an opportunity worth pursuing. I would propose that we work on developing new methods of communications and train our Members on their usage, while we master proven methods of communication that are known to reach our current membership.  We also need to employ and empower a younger generation of NAUI Members to help us develop new methods of reaching and communicating with new target markets.  NAUI needs to embrace the use of social media by using blogging sites like WordPress,  www.diveindustrynews.wordpress.com and being more active on facebook, www.facebook.com/DiveIndustry  LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, etc.  If we want to be the Leader in the Diving Industry again we need to Lead by Example.

NAUI’s Future is indeed a bright one.  There really is no limit to what we can achieve together in the next four years.  It is a future that will require experience, cooperation and dedication.  Please read my complete bio with endorsements from some of the most successful NAUI Professionals in the Industry, like Bob Brayman, John Duggan, Capt. Spencer Slate, Floyd Holcom, Claude Jewell, Jennifer King, Dan Orr, Bob Peck, Lt. Bill Pfeiffer and Jeanne Sleeper.  Thank you for your VOTE on November 2, 2015. 

“This message and any attachments are sent as campaign material by one or more candidate(s) in the 2015 NAUI Board election as permitted in the NAUI Elections Policy – NBP 2310 – and approved by the Board of Directors.  Any opinions contained herein are those of the author and not given or endorsed by the National Association of Underwater Instructors or NAUI Services Group. If you prefer to not receive further campaign materials this year from candidates through this service, please use the unsubscribe link below. Members who opt out will still receive member announcements from NSG.”