Pottsboro’s Gigi Rhoten has been named a national recipient of Boating Industry’s prestigious Women Making Waves award. Ironically, despite her decades of leadership in the marina industry, Rhoten didn’t grow up on the water and certainly wasn’t what many would call a “lake rat.”
Born in Canada and raised in South Dakota, Rhoten’s family moved to Texas in 1980. Yet it wasn’t until she met her husband two decades later that she ever visited a lake.
Her husband grew up spending time at Possum Kingdom Lake, and after the couple married, they frequently visited Lake Lewisville. It didn’t take long for Rhoten to fall in love with the lake lifestyle.
The couple began their married life in Richardson before moving to Van Alstyne. Her husband’s career later brought them to Denison and eventually Pottsboro, where they have lived for the past 30 years.
Professionally, Rhoten worked as an event planner for Vector Marketing before joining the Farm Bureau. She and her husband later purchased a Mrs. Baird’s vendor route, but the work wasn’t a long-term fit.
“I really needed to get back into an office,” she said.
That opportunity came close to home.
HydroHoist, a flagship brand of Waterfront Brands and a leading manufacturer of boat lifts and docking platforms for freshwater and saltwater applications, had recently opened a location just around the corner from Rhoten’s house. After learning the company was searching for dealers, she made it her mission to meet with owner Chase White.
“I bothered their temp for two weeks before I finally got a meeting with Chase,” Rhoten said with a laugh. “After two meetings, he hired me.”
She joined the company as a sales coordinator and steadily worked her way up the ranks. In a traditionally male-dominated industry, earning opportunities to advance wasn’t always easy. After three managers came and went, company higher-ups recognized Rhoten’s ability to lead.
Today, she serves as operations manager and has played a key role in the company’s continued success. As Sales and Operations Manager, she successfully led the launch of a new distribution center in Austin, Texas, strategically positioning HydroHoist for long-term growth in the region. Drawing on more than a decade of experience with the brand, Gigi implemented proven best practices while adapting to the unique needs of the market, contributing to national sales growth and strengthening the company’s operational footprint.
“HydroHoist has been recognized as the No. 1 position for the state of Texas for the past eight years,” she said.
Rhoten’s work has helped expand access to premium boat lift solutions in underserved areas, bringing innovation and reliability to new markets. By establishing HydroHoist’s presence in Central Texas, she has supported marina operators and boat owners with high-quality products and service, elevating expectations for both. Her continued involvement in the Marina Association of Texas also demonstrates her commitment to strengthening the industry as a whole through collaboration and shared knowledge.
Recognizing her leadership, dedication, commitment to supporting teams, customers and dealer partners, and her impact on the boating industry, Waterfront Brands Director of Marketing Kelli Heikes nominated Rhoten for Boating Industry’s Women Making Waves award.
“It was a very nice surprise!” Rhoten said.
Now in its 11th year, the Women Making Waves program honors women throughout the recreational boating industry who have made significant contributions to their organizations and the industry as a whole. Honorees represent every sector of the business, from manufacturers, associations and dealerships to marinas, suppliers and beyond.
Each year, Boating Industry receives nominations from across the industry before its editorial team selects approximately 25 women whose leadership, innovation and dedication are helping shape the future of recreational boating.
Award recipients will be honored at a gala later this year.
Outside of work, Rhoten fully embraces the lake life she discovered years ago. She and her husband spend nearly every weekend at Lake Texoma, often joined by their two grown children and five grandchildren.
And after building a career she never expected, she says she can’t imagine doing anything else.
“I just love what I do,” she said. “I love helping people. I love the people I work with, from our dealer network to the people at the marinas. I love being outside, the nature of it all. I consider myself very fortunate.”
