By Bill Peevy
[dropcap]D[/dropcap]onny McArdle of Port St. Joe is now among the elite few in the U.S. who has achieved the absolute highest level of training and certification that Yamaha has to offer for their outboard service technicians- Certified Master Technician.
Donny, who was born and raised in Port St. Joe, started his technical career at an early age when he decided to attend school at Gulf Coast College for his certification in electronics. Then, in 1983, he went to work for Marquart’s Marina which had been a flagship marina in Mexico Beach since 1977. And that’s where his love for boat and motor mechanics began.
In January 2010, the marina was purchased and renamed to Mexico Beach Marina and Outfitters by Nate Odum and his brother-in-law, Bill Mulligan. Nate retired after 20 years in the insurance business to manage the marina, along with his wife Melba who handles the accounting department among other duties. Nate is also on the board of MBARA (Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association) and the RFA (Recreational Fishing Alliance). He and Melba have two children, Justin and Valerie, who also work at the marina part time. Justin works full time as a Panama City Fire Fighter, and Valerie is an Honors Student in the 10th grade at Port St. Joe high school. Co-owner, Bill Mulligan, kept his day job as Vice President of Pilot Travel Centers and Flying J Truck Stops. His wife, Debbie (Nate Odum’s sister), sits on the board of the Mexico Beach CDC.
After 30 years at this marina, Donny can still be found there each day solving people’s mechanical and technical issues with their boats and motors. Owners, Nate and Bill, who are excited about their family business, say they are very blessed and honored to have Donny there. “Besides Donny being a great guy, and a model employee, he is part of our family here. The nearest service center that has a technician with this prestigious designation is Destin and Tallahassee, and we are the only Yamaha Key Dealer and 5 Star Master Technician Service Center in the surrounding seven counties” says Nate Odum.
Donny states that the road to becoming a Certified Master Technician was a long one. He started the training modules in 2004, and he passed the exam recently in 2013. It took him nine years to complete, but he says he has no regrets. “I feel that by taking my time with the training process over the years, and lots of hands on work, it certainly was a contributing factor to me passing the certification test on my very first try. In my class, five technicians attempted the timed exam, and only two passed. One was me, and the other guy was on his second attempt”, says Donny. The test is a timed written and practical exam on 2-stroke and 4-stroke Yamaha outboards, which covers troubleshooting and repairs of the engine, drivetrain, fuel injection system, electrical and ignition system. The practical part of the certification test covered real life repairs and troubleshooting scenarios. “Yamaha would create an issue, and then we would have a limited amount of time to find the problem and repair it”, says Donny.
Donny’s family is a family of fire fighters. Donny’s wife of 28 years, Teresa, is a Paramedic and Donny himself is a First Responder and certified Fire Fighter and a volunteer for Mexico Beach and Port St. Joe. He and his wife also have two sons. Their youngest son, Chaney, is an EMT and ESU coordinator for Mexico Beach. Their oldest son, Jarrod, is a Paramedic and Fire Fighter and works at Southport Inland Marine in Panama City. Donny and his wife are active members in The First Baptist Church of Port St. Joe, where Donny plays in the Church Music and Worship Ministry every Sunday.