NMMA names Capital Hill veteran Jacky Usyk VP of government relations

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) has hired Jacky Usyk as its vice president of government relations based in its Washington, D.C. headquarters. Usyk takes on a newly created leadership role within the association, overseeing an integrated state and federal lobbying team to drive NMMA’s member-driven policy and legislative agenda in Washington and statehouses nationwide.

With responsibilities spanning both federal and state operations as well as advocacy and political engagement, Usyk will help guide the political engagement and advocacy programs that rely upon many industry, coalition, and stakeholder partnerships. Usyk, who joined the association the first week of February, reports to Robyn Boerstling, senior vice president of government relations.

With 12 years of experience shaping national policy and having served in senior leadership roles for both House and Senate offices, she brings a significant depth of expertise to her new role and proven ability to lead policy and legislative issues over the finish line. She was a key member of senior U.S. Senator Patty Murray’s (D-WA) leadership team. Before her time in the Senate, Usyk served as deputy chief of staff and legislative director for U.S. Congressman Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), where she advised on critical issues related to health care, tax, trade and economic development.

“We are excited to welcome Jacky to the NMMA team with her deep experience and leadership in advocacy, coalition-building and shaping policy,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, president and CEO of NMMA. “Jacky brings a proactive, solutions-focused approach to our industry, having successfully guided highly complex policy negotiations in bipartisan environments throughout her career.”

Usyk fills an important leadership role within NMMA’s expanding government relations team, anchoring a newly integrated lobbying division under Boerstling.

As NMMA furthers its emphasis on issue-responsive and proactive advocacy, the association unveiled a three-pronged, enhanced government relations structure and promotions of key staff:

Federal and state affairs, political advocacy and engagement

Led by Usyk, the Federal and State Affairs, Political Advocacy and Engagement team drives the recreational boating industry’s access, infrastructure, sustainability and manufacturing agenda in the nation’s capital and at state houses. In addition to federal and state government relations, Usyk will lead the industry’s BoatPAC and American Boating Congress.

Public policy and regulatory affairs

To ensure the proactive development of positions and policies across the recreational boating industry, the Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs team will be co-led by Jeff Wasil, who has been promoted to vice president of environmental compliance and marine technology, and Clay Crabtree, who has been promoted to senior director of public policy. With their deep industry knowledge and experience leading critical recreational boating policy and regulatory affairs, Wasil and Crabtree will lead NMMA member policy development alongside NMMA members, coalition partners and internal teams.

Public affairs

With a focus on driving industry messaging and priorities across the association’s public policy and government relations work, Molly Drenkard leads the Public Affairs team as vice president of public affairs, with enhanced integration across the government relations department.

“Expanding and strengthening our government relations work has been the NMMA board’s top priority and this reorganization represents a response to growing industry needs for proactive engagement as marine manufacturers and associated businesses face a rapidly changing policy and regulatory landscape,” said Hugelmeyer. “With this strong team of experts at the helm of our work across public policy, regulatory, public, federal and state affairs, as well as political advocacy and engagement, we are committed to serving our members’ businesses on the state and federal level to ensure the growth and success of the recreational boating industry.”

Source: https://boatingindustry.com/top-news/2025/02/10/capitol-hill-veteran-jacky-usyk-joins-nmma/