West Michigan Offshore Elects Two New Leaders To Its Board

Fresh off an especially solid boating season, the West Michigan Offshore powerboat club is transitioning into another new period in its six-year history as two new faces have joined the organization’s leadership team.

New West Michigan Offshore board member Steve McCormack recently refurbished his 20-year-old Outerlimits Stiletto and showed it off at the organization’s Fall Fun Run in September. Photo courtesy Roger Zuidema

According to a press release from WMO, Justin Bultsma is joining the board as vice president of public relations and Steve McCormack is taking on the vice president of membership role.

“You never know what elections will bring,” WMO president Roger Zuidema said. “You rely on members to nominate quality people and hope those members have the skill, time, vision and energy to continue the success of WMO. We appreciate those who accepted the nomination and allow their names to be on the ballot. We are pleased to announce that Bultsma and McCormack have been newly elected and that Scott Otterbein, vice president of marketing, has been re-elected as part of the WMO leadership team that includes business manager/CFO Cheryl Houda and me.”

Bultsma and McCormack are new to the board and hope to bring fresh ideas and strong leadership to the club. McCormack reflected on the club’s past and echoed many members’ thoughts, stating, “Let’s never forget that the only reason this club is living is because of what each and every member, sponsor and board member donates into it.”

Zuidema said that earlier this month McCormack’s boat was chosen to be at the 2020 Grand Rapids Boat Show, which is set for Feb. 19-23. For the past several years, the show has displayed a WMO member’s boat as a featured attraction.

McCormack provided a sneak preview to WMO members of his newly refurbished 1998 Outerlimits Offshore Powerboats 37 Stiletto powered by twin Mercury Racing 572-cubic-inch engines at the WMO Fall Fun Run in Saugatuck, Mich., in September (read the story).

“Ever since I was a kid I had a keen passion for boats, an obsession really,” McCormack said. “Boating offers a different kind of freedom to live, one that only a boater can truly understand. Many people think that we are crazy investing the time and money versus time spent using. I even question that myself until I’m floating on the water looking back at the shoreline thinking, all those people, all that chaos and noise, all my problems seem to melt away. The costs become minimized and the only thing that makes the day better is the camaraderie of the boating community as we share this greatness together.”

Justin Bultsma ran his new-to-him 37-foot Outerlimits V-bottom in the 2019 Rock The Coast event in Grand Haven, Mich. Photo by Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix

Bultsma also brings amazing energy and a well-known boating IQ to his position on board. A former PowerQuest Avenger owner, Bultsma now owns an Outerlimits Stiletto. He loves to spend as much time on the water as possible, and even recently made the trip to Florida for the Florida Powerboat Club Key West Poker Run and Race World Offshore Key West Championships. In a recent social media comment, Bultsma’s view of the boating lifestyle made a lot of sense. “Friends and boats = happiness!” he posted.

“It’s special to have an all-volunteer board that puts in hours organizing, planning and implementing events and helping to raise money for some great community organizations,” Zuidema said. “We are privileged to have past leaders that had a vision for West Michigan Offshore and the means to create and establish a sound base. Our vision remains—put on world-class events at our great West Michigan Ports while raising money for community organizations.”

Zuidema shared the West Michigan Offshore 2020 schedule and encouraged boaters from all over the country to make plans to join WMO at the following events.

Grand Rapids Boat Show—February 19-23
Spring Kick-Off Party and Make-A-Wish Auction—Saturday, April 18
Muskegon Powerboat Weekend—June 19-21
Rock The Coast Fun Run—July 17-19
Gold Coast Summer Blast—August 21-23
WMO Fall Fun Run—September (Date TBD)

West Michigan Offshore Elects Two New Leaders To Its Board

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