For Immediate Release September 16, 2009 Marina Recreation Association Using Facebook and Twitter to Stay Connected to Members The Marina Recreation Association (MRA) is advancing the boundaries of member communications with its entry into the social networking world of Facebook and Twitter. "Communications, education and advocacy are our core functions," said Michaella Isenhart, assistant operations administrator for the MRA. "We're incorporating Facebook and Twitter because they're free, functional and fun." The MRA is an active association of marina owners, operators and trade members throughout the Western States, Baja California and Hawaii. "Facebook and Twitter will allow members to network all year round," said Yvonne Cantrell of the MRA Board of Directors. "Because we all benefit from networking and sharing ideas at our annual conference, such as the one coming up in Lake Tahoe November 3-5, 2009, we decided to take the idea to the next level. With these commonly understood and available Internet tools, we'll be able to keep up our contacts and share ideas and information more easily and quickly." The Association sees a wide range of uses for these formats. "We anticipate there will be events for which we will want to quickly gather information from or mobilize our membership," said Bill Krauss, "especially in our lobbying efforts in Sacramento and elsewhere. Facebook and Twitter will help us do that." Krauss is a member of The Apex Group, the lobbying representatives for the MRA. MRA members are encouraged to log onto the Association's web site, marina.org, and select Marina News and Updates. There they will find instructions for joining the groups. The MRA Facebook name is yourmra. "We're encouraging all our members to join," said Isenhart. "We're developing an incentive program that offers discounts off conference fees for members that go to Facebook or Twitter and join the group. We'll have more information about that in the near future." For more information about the MRA and the November conference in Lake Tahoe, call Mariann Timms at 209 334-0661, email questions to timms@marina.org, or go to www.marina.org. For additional information, contact Mariann Timms at or email questions to timms@marina.org.