Dr. Thomas Dammrich

Dammrich served as President of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) for over 20 years and as President of IPC—Institute Connecting Electronic Circuits for nine years. When Thomas Dammrich became president of the NMMA in 1999, he knew he had to get the industry working together and focused on things everyone could agree to work on. One of the first things he tackled was focusing on market expansion efforts that were also measurable. Dammrich’s leadership helped unify the industry to do just that with the Discover Boating campaign, now entering its eighteenth year.

With equal attention, Thom has worked to unite the industry on advocacy issues to protect and grow the industry and ensure the boating public has unfettered used of our nation’s waterways and to be sure boating was represented at every table where decisions impacting recreational boating and fishing are addressed.

Dammrich has extensive experience as a trade and consumer show producer, producing two major trade shows in the electronics industry, the major North American boating industry trade show, IBEX, and twenty consumer boat shows including the Miami International Boat Show, one of the largest consumer boat shows in the world. Attendance, revenue, and margins grew significantly under his stewardship through implementation of industry leading innovations in consumer shows. Dammrich was the first to demonstrate the need for the industry to market to a more diverse audience to capture the future buyer and keep them interested in the boating lifestyle.

Dammrich’s association management career spans forty-three years. In addition to spending three years advising on business strategy for the National Association for Healthcare Quality, he is currently coaching executives, advising associations and marine businesses on strategy, Dammrich currently serves on the Board of Directors of Niven Marketing, an employee-owned and industry-leading point of purchase merchandising company and as Chairman of the Board and a member of the Management Committee of the Center for Sportfish Policy.

Dammrich has a BA in Economics, an MBA in Finance, an MS in Accountancy, and a Doctorate of Business Administration, all from DePaul University in Chicago and a Master of Health Administration from WGU. His is a member of the NMMA Hall of Fame, ASA Sportfishing Hall of Fame, Boating Safety Hall of Fame and has been recognized for lifetime achievement by the Water Sports Industry Association.