AT THE HELM
VOLUME XVII, No. 6, DECEMBER 2011
As many of you may already know, Nancy Michelman, President of
BoatU.S., died on October 7th after an 18-month battle with cancer. Just
over a year ago, Nancy shared her diagnosis with you in this space, using
her own story to encourage you to live your life to the fullest.
Many of you wrote back to her, sharing your
personal stories, and sending encouragement, and
for that she was very grateful. Like everything else
Nancy did, she faced her illness with courage,
optimism, and an unswerving sense of reality.
That’s why she also wrote about her bucket
list, that journal of dreams both realized and
unfulfilled, that kept her hopeful, and literally
fighting for her life.
Nancy’s smile always brightened our days.
Her devotion to you, our members, inspired
all of us to work ever harder to serve your best
interests. It wasn’t unusual for Nancy to pick up
the phone and call a few members to talk about
a new policy or program we were contemplating,
or to personally answer a concern. What you told
her mattered. It was also typical of Nancy to call
you back a few months later to let you know what
had happened as a result of your conversation. You
mattered to her on a very personal level, too.
That interaction with you, our members, was what Nancy prized most when she took
over the helm of our flagship publication. She inspired excellence, and had a vision for
this magazine that married the technical and government news with the dreams we dream
when we board our boats. She encouraged our editors to pull all those elements together
to create a dynamic, personal, and inspirational magazine that would fuel your boating
aspirations, help keep you safe, and inform you — and she went on to make this “At The
Helm” space her own.
As Chairman and Founder of BoatU.S., I’m no stranger to this space. In the early
days, this was the place where I’d share news from Washington with you. We often had a
rigorous dialogue about your issues. You never hesitated to tell us what you thought about
what we were doing, and always directed us toward the causes that mattered most to you.
So, this month, it is with respect and affection that I’m writing to tell you about
Nancy in this special place. Her voice and vision will continue to reverberate in the
coming issues, for she’s left a lasting imprint on everything we do for members, and an
excellent leadership team that shares her goals. On behalf of all of us at your association,
please accept our pledge to continue the dialogue, to always keep your best interests at
the forefront of our work, and to cherish the memory of the woman who made this place
in BoatU.S. Magazine her own. Bon voyage, Nancy Michelman. We’ll miss you …
NANCY’S PLACE
BoatU.S. loses a beloved member
of the family: President Nancy
Michelman dies at 60. For a
tribute and photos, visit www.
BoatUS.com/Magazine/Nancy
CHAIRMAN & FOUNDER Richard Schwartz
CONSULTING EDITOR
Bernadette Bernon
EXECU TIVE EDI TOR Michael Vatalaro
MANAGING EDITOR Ann Dermody
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Ryck Lydecker
CONSUMER EDITOR Caroline Ajootian
ELECTRONICS EDITOR Lenny Rudow
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
John Adey, Bob Adriance, Don Casey,
Elaine Dickinson, Chris Landers, Tom Neale
PUBLIC AFFAIRS ASSOCIATE
Claire Wyngaard
PROOFREADER Regina Cruz
AR T DIREC TOR Carla Shamblen
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Rick Kelvington, Marcus Floro
DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING
Elio Betty
PHONE: 703-461-4383
FAX: 703-461-2845
ebetty@BoatUS.com
ADVERTISING SALES
John Bratten, Advertising Sales Manager
PHONE: 703-461-4389
FAX: 757-383-6132
jbratten@BoatUS.com
William J. McVey, Jr.
PHONE: 212-316-0383 / 800-447-4766
FAX: 212-666-1980
billm@mcveymichaels.com
CLASSIFIED ADVER TISING
PHONE: 888-282-2628
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Lauren James
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Chairman & Founder
©BoatU.S. Magazine (ISSN 1090-1272) Published bimonthly by Boat
Owners Association of The United States, 880 South Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304 (six issues). Periodicals Postage Paid at Alexandria, VA. and at additional mailing offices.
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