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Bragging Alert!

Here’s the history of the Minnesota Clean Marina Program.

In the fall of 2000, Jerry Rockvam attended the Advanced Marina Management program in
Page, Arizona. This is where he met Rocky DeSimones who was from Jacksonville, Florida.
Rocky started the Clean Marina Program in Florida and used it as the basis of his Best Profit
Center topic for his presentation at the Management School.

Jerry thought this was a pretty interesting concept. After becoming CMM #89 in the Spring of
2001, he started asking other marina operators in the local area what they
thought of a “Clean Marina” program in Minnesota. Most thought it was a
great idea but that was it, it was just an idea.

Six years later when Jerry “retired” from politics. He served as Mayor of
Spring Park for 37 years. He finally found a little “extra” time on his
hands and devoted it to making the Clean Marina idea a reality. It was
shortly after this when he and 17 other people met in the winter of 2008
that things started to take off. This
original task force of 17 marinas
and governmental agencies, set up the non-profit, created
the guidelines, and raised funding. A board of directors
formed with Jerry as President.

We are thankful to the Minnehaha Creek Watershed
District (the watershed of our Marina’s Location) for
believing in our cause and taking a risk on us because it’s
original donation of $5,000 allowed the creation of the
Best Management Practices publication to become a
reality. This publication is over 300 BMP’s Strong!
That original donation began a snowball of more funding, 2012—The “First Five” Certified
Minnesota Clean Marinas—Left to Right:
including in-kind donations by the MN Department of Windmill, Afton, Sunnyside, Bayport, &
Natural Resources and Attorney Time for the 501c3 Rockvam Boat Yards.
status. We provide the in-kind hosting for the website.
Our status has also achieved the level of Federal Funding eligibility!

By the Fall of 2012, Rockvam Boat Yards became one of the original 5 Minnesota Clean
Marina’s and Jerry’s vision became a reality.

The program has continued to move forward on a voluntary basis. Most administrative work is
done on a volunteer basis. Getting the word out has moved slowly, that is until 2017.

In the Spring of 2017, Roxanne proposed creating a “Minnesota Clean Marina Fast Track”
program. This open house event was held at one central location and invitations were sent to
the regional marinas. Marina operators were requested to attend for “free lunch” AND to
complete their BMP workbook. We found that sitting down and completing the work book is
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