Conference & Expo Presenters

Shirley Adams, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Adams & Associates, LLC - President

Shirley is a Proven HR professional and trainer with over 30 progressive years of
hands-on operations and strategic leadership experience. Her experience has
given her a well-rounded knowledge of HR and has directly managed functions to
include: Safety and Environmental, Payroll and Benefits, Employee Relations,
Recruitment, Selection & Retention and various Operations functions.
Believing that people are the key to success, Shirley has a passion for helping
organizations work towards aligning their human capital resources with the
corporate strategic plan to maximize efficiency and profit.
Currently the Head of People and Culture for Regal Boats in Orlando, Shirley is
working with the leadership team to prepare leadership for growth and
sustainability. Culture is important at Regal Boats and so a focus on activities
and community involvement are a focus to ensure that the company lives out it’s
values.
Shirley also serves as an adjunct professor at Rollins College in addition to
founding and operating Adams & Associates, LLC. With a focus on advancing
manufacturing skills and education, she works as an instructor for the American
Boat Builders and Repairers Association (ABBRA), the Association of Marina
Industries, the Marine Industry Technical Education Council (MITEC), and
previously served as the Chairwoman for The Grove Counseling Center.

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Caitlin Ajax is Vice President of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) at Safe Harbor Marinas with expertise in corporate sustainability strategy, reporting, and stakeholder engagement. Caitlin’s career spans several industries, including law, energy, manufacturing, agribusiness, and most recently, marine services. Caitlin is passionate about leveraging private sector innovation and resources to help solve the world’s most pressing environmental and humanitarian problems.
In addition to completing the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) certified training, she earned her JD magna cum laude from Chicago-Kent College of Law and is licensed in both Illinois and Rhode Island. As one of only a few attorneys to serve in an executive ESG role, Caitlin is a go-to resource for lawyers and other professionals interested in bridging the gap between ESG and other business roles.

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Steve Arnold
Owner of Marina Holdings LLC, which includes Yarmouth Boat Yard, Moose Landing Marina, Freedom Boat Club of Maine, and Maine Boating Academy

Originally from Fort Lauderdale, Steve Arnold grew up working in marinas. He started out as a yard hand and worked his way up to management roles before heading off to college at Florida State University. After earning his MBA and his private pilot’s license, Steve embarked on a career in finance.

Seeking a more enriching quality of life, Steve moved to Maine in 2000 to enjoy family time 'the way life should be'. He purchased Yarmouth Boat Yard in January 2004. At that time, Yarmouth Boat Yard had just one employee and sold a single line of boats. Today Yarmouth Boat Yard employs twenty-four full time employees and carries BRIG, Defiance, Pursuit, and Sea Fox boats. The boat yard continues to thrive and grow, priding itself on its high customer satisfaction. This is directly correlated to strong team of steadfast employees Steve has brought together and each team member’s determination to provide customers with the best possible boating experience each and every day.

In 2013, Steve capitalized on the opportunity to expand his business footprint by buying Moose Landing Marina in Naples, Maine. The largest on water facility in Maine’s lakes region, Steve clearly understood the enormous potential of the facility. The freshwater environment posed a new set of challenges to overcome with shorter seasons, a faster pace, and larger volumes. With a focus on providing exceptional customer service, he worked to attract, retain, and train a staff of dedicated professionals. Today Moose Landing is not only one of the largest Yamaha dealers in the Northeast, they also are the largest pontoon and deck boat dealer in the region selling BRIG, Defiance, Montara, Ranger Tugs, Pursuit, Regal, Sea Fox, and Starcraft. They have thirty full-time, year-round employees and nearly doubles during boating season to manage and maintain the company’s fleet of sixty rental boats in Naples and other boat rental location at Point Sebago Resort. Steve’s careful planning and execution have proved successful.

September of 2017, Steve decided to purchase the Freedom Boat Club of Maine franchise, bringing boat sharing locations to his two marinas. Since then, he has expanded the club footprint, to six locations with additional clubs at the Fore Points Marina in downtown Portland, at Sunset Marina in South Portland, at Point Sebago Resort on Sebago Lake, and at Linekin Bay Resort in Boothbay. The club now has over 350 memberships and continues to grow its fleets. Additional Maine locations are also being evaluated and considered as well. Freedom Boat Club provides another boating alternative to help customers get out on the water in a way that best fits their budget and lifestyle. Whether someone wants to rent, own, or join the boat club, Steve’s businesses can help.

One of Steve’s proudest accomplishments has been spearheading efforts to establish the Yamaha Outboard Motor Repair Training course at Southern Maine Community College. This first of its kind, the program assists students in developing basic knowledge and skills for outboard motor repair. Grant-funded, the training course is free for qualified students. The skills these graduates gain through the program lead to better job opportunities and increased earning potential. It also helps to fill the void for skilled marine technicians in this region.

A family man, Steve has four children and resides in Yarmouth, Maine. He is an active member of the community. He is a Board Member for the Association of Marina Industries, a Dealer Ambassador for Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, as well as past Chairman of the Yarmouth Harbor and Waterfront Committee. He is also a past Board Member for Maine Marine Trades Association and a past member of the Yarmouth Planning Board.

When not overseeing things at his three businesses, Steve is often found out on or around the water, enjoying scuba diving, boating, and quality time with family and friends.

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Alexandra “Alex” Cattelan is Brunswick’s chief technology officer (CTO). She comes to the company with a wealth of experience in the automotive and powersports industry, most recently working for Polaris as the vice president of Engineering, Connected, Controls, Electrification and Autonomous Systems. Prior to Polaris, she worked for Stellantis, Johnson Controls, AVL North America, and General Motors.

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Peter Clark is the Chief Development Officer for Safe Harbor Marinas based in Dallas, TX. He has worked exclusively in the waterfront and marina space for 17 years, specializing in marina design, development, and construction. His role with Safe Harbor as afforded him the opportunity to have lasting impact with improving marinas in terms of member experience and operational enhancements.

Peter hails from Rhode Island where he graduated from the University of Rhode with a BS in Ocean Engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer. He has been a competitive sailor since his junior years and is a member of the New York Yacht Club.  

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Jack Cox, Director of Engineering Edgewater Resources 
PE, D.CE, D.PE, D.NE Jack Cox is internationally recognized for his credentials in research, engineering, and design of projects involving nearshore hydrodynamics, arctic and ice processes, harbor tranquility, breakwaters, fixed and floating marine structures, dredge material disposal, shore protection, port planning, marina design, and risk analysis. He directs the planning and design of large and complex waterfront and harborworks projects around the world.

Jack is an award-winning lecturer in the topic of coastal engineering. His 45+ years of experience in the marine engineering field spans a full range, from ecologically sensitive planning through final design and construction. He provides expert witness testimony on shoreline processes, harbor and breakwater design, marinas and dockage, contaminated marine sediment dredging and capping, and nearshore recreational issues. He has authored more than fifty coastal and marina related technical publications and is an inaugural Diplomate in the Academy of Coastal, Ocean, Port and Navigation Engineers with specialties in coastal, port and navigation engineering.
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