Marie, Anderson Elected to Leadership Roles at Recreation Roundtable

Washington, DC (December 1, 2004) - J.J. Marie, President of Zodiac of North America, and William Anderson, President of Westrec Marina Management, were elected Vice Chairmen of the Recreation Roundtable during the organization’s recent meeting in Dallas. They will join Roundtable Chairman Ron Boeddeker, Chairman of the Board of Transcontinental Properties, Inc., and Derrick Crandall, Roundtable Executive Vice President, in providing leadership to the recreation CEO organization during a critical time for recreation.

"The recreation industry is enjoying a very strong market for recreation products and services. We anticipate 2005 to be a record year for many portions of the recreation industry. Yet there are challenges today and in the years ahead. We are seeing a decline in overall levels of physical activity in America. Federal agencies which host well in excess of a billion recreation visits annually face operating budget challenges and have failed to increase capacity for more visitors seeking a wider array of activities," said Marie.

The Recreation Roundtable was formed in 1989 by former members and active participants in the President's Commission on Americans Outdoors. Comprised of more than two dozen top recreation industry executives, the Roundtable is committed to enhancing recreational opportunities in America through public/private partnerships. The organization has played a central role in the creation of the National Scenic Byways Program, the www.recreation.gov information system, revised federal fee programs which now allow fee retention by the agencies and the National Recreation Lakes Study Commission. The Roundtable also conducts national research on recreation participation, motivation and satisfaction and plays a central role in promoting volunteerism on public lands.

Roundtable plans for 2005 include Recreation Strategy 2005, a critical summit of the nation's recreation industry and top federal leaders which will be held in April 2005, and a leadership role in Great Outdoors Month, a month-long celebration of recreation's contributions to the physical, mental and economic health of Americans in June 2005.

"The quantity and quality of recreation must expand to correspond with increases in population, growth in discretionary spending, more leisure time -- including post-retirement time -- and enhanced mobility. We can only reach this goal in partnerships and with the use of new technology," Marie contends.

The Recreation Roundtable is based in Washington, DC. More information on its programs is available at www.funoutdoors.com/recoundtable. For additional information on the new Roundtable officers, click here.