Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
In 2020, NRHA will honor the top student in each class of the Retail Management Certification Program (RMCP) with an award of distinction bearing the name of former Aubuchon Hardware CEO Marcus Moran Jr., who died in December.
Moran was involved in the initial design of the program before it launched in 2013, and he also served as an RMCP instructor.
“Marcus was known for his commitment to excellence, his willingness to share best practices and his passion for continued learning, and he was instrumental in helping us launch RMCP,” says Scott Wright, executive director of NRHA’s Retail Leadership Institute. “For all he has done, in 2020, we will be honoring the top student of each class with the Marcus Moran Jr. Best in Class Award of Distinction, which can be awarded to any student.”
“This award is very fitting,” says Josiah Gates, vice president of Aubuchon Hardware. “Marcus began his career as a professor at local community colleges, and he ended his career at RMCP, so to have an RMCP distinction in his name is a touching tribute to somebody who always wanted to further education. He loved to give back to people.”
Recipients of this distinction will be handpicked by NRHA’s program administrators and Aubuchon Hardware executives based on the student’s performance in RMCP, their enthusiasm for learning and networking and for work completed during the semester on their business improvement project.
Corinne Courtney from Nailed It! Hardware and Robin Smith from Petersburg Hardware attended the Fall 2019 RMCP after being awarded a Marcus Moran Jr. RMCP Scholarship, a program launched by NRHA in 2017 that covers half of the recipient’s tuition to attend the class. Wright says they became the inspiration for this distinction moving forward.
“Robin and Corinne were leaders in the classroom and were exemplary in their enthusiasm for the course,” Wright says. “Marcus would have been so proud of their efforts. So we decided to also include this award of distinction in honor of Marcus moving forward.”
