Where is your favorite place to go boating? Lake Cumberland – Kentucky. Who was your hero as a child? My Father – Ron Cummins. What are some of your favorite non-boating hobbies? Boating is the list- we just trade lake life for the saltwater in Southwest Florida when we can. Outside of that, I enjoy cars and trucks, golfing and spending time with friends and family. Why should young professionals choose a career in the marine industry? Young professionals should choose a career in the marine industry because it offers a fun, rewarding and family-oriented environment where no two days are the same.
There’ s nothing quite like seeing a first-time boating family ― or even an experienced customer upgrading ― when they take delivery of their boat with excitement and pride. Those moments are incredibly rewarding and stay with you long after they happen. Of course, there are also the challenging moments when issues arise on the water, but those are part of the responsibility that comes with the job.
I wouldn’ t trade the culture of this industry, the places it takes you, or the memories created on the water for anything.
LAUREN DeLUCA
GENERAL MANAGER, SAFE HARBOR HORBORAGE YACHT CLUB
What first drew you to the
marine industry? I was born in Florida, so I’ ve always felt a strong connection to both the state and the water. While pursuing my first career aspiration of becoming a dolphin trainer, I earned an internship opportunity that brought me back to Florida. During that time, I started working as a part time deckhand on a dolphin cruise boat, and that experience completely changed my path. I fell in love with boating, earned enough sea time to obtain my 100-ton USCG captain’ s license and ultimately chose to build my career in marine operations. What was your first job? My first maritime job was a part-time deckhand on a dolphin cruise tour boat in Tampa, Florida. We ran daily tours in Tampa Bay, taking guests from the Florida Aquarium to observe the local wild dolphin population, while educating them about the unique ecosystems of Tampa Bay and the diversity of Port Tampa Bay. It was an incredible introduction to the industry and gave me hands on experience with vessel operations, maritime operations and guest engagement.
What accomplishments are you most proud of? One of the accomplishments I’ m most proud of is the transformation we’ ve achieved at Harborage Yacht Club. When I stepped into my role, the property had been through a period of mismanagement, which created a lot of tension between our condo and marina members and contributed to a high turnover in the staff. One of my first goals was to unite the members and staff, and to establish a true hospitality first mindset for both members and staff.
Through increased member events and engagements, alongside consistent leadership, we’ ve created a welcoming, family feel community that everyone is proud to be part of.
I’ m equally proud of the strong, service driven team we’ ve built – people who take genuine pride in their work and consistently receive praise for their warmth, professionalism and dedication.
One of the clearest indicators of this turnaround is our 50 point increase in NPS within a single year, a direct reflection of the passion and hard work our team has invested in elevating every aspect of the member experience. Did you have any key mentors or influences in your career? I had two key influences early in my career. My first boss, who saw my potential in boating, not only encouraged me to get my captain’ s license, but taught me nearly everything I know about running boats.
Later, as I transitioned into my first management role, my boss at that time really set the example for how I wanted to lead and be viewed as a manager. I often think back to the lessons I learned from him and work to bring that same approach to my own team. As a young professional, what are the biggest challenges you’ ve faced in the marine industry and how did you overcome them? One of my biggest early challenges was being a young woman trying to learn and grow in a traditionally male dominant industry. I often felt I had to work harder to prove both my skills on the water and my leadership potential. I found the key to gaining respect was through not being afraid to ask questions, seeking knowledge anywhere available and showing up with a consistent work ethic.
Another challenge was finding confidence as a young leader. Learning to make decisions under pressure and manage people with more experience took time. Over time, I learned that this confidence comes through making mistakes, learning from them and leading your team by example. When people see you leading by example, they respond with trust and respect. How do you hope to inspire others in the marine industry? I hope to inspire others by helping the next generation of leaders grow with confidence in this industry. Encouraging young, aspiring professionals and seeing them implement the tools and skills I have taught them has been extremely rewarding and fulfilling.
I’ m also passionate about helping and encouraging women to pursue their goals in the maritime world. I try to lead by example, showing that there is space for women to excel.
Ultimately, I hope to inspire others by being approachable, lifting people up as they grow and creating an environment where curiosity, confidence, and opportunity can thrive. If my journey helps someone else take their first step, or their next one, then I feel I’ m contributing to a stronger, more diverse future for the maritime industry. How do you set goals for yourself and set yourself up for success? I set goals by focusing on realistic, attainable outcomes that still push me to grow and think creatively. I believe the best goals encourage you to challenge
16 march 2026 www. boatingindustry. com