The National RV Training Academy (NRVTA) completed a restructuring initiative to empower a six-person management team to oversee day-to-day responsibilities for the school and related associations.
As of Feb. 1, six people were vested with decision-making responsibilities for NRVTA as well as the National RV Inspectors Association (NRVIA) and RV Technician Association of America (RVTAA).
Those individuals are Todd Henson, director of education, who oversees NRVTA classroom instruction and hands-on labs; Stephanie Henson, who became director of administration for NRVTA; Tony Flammia, director of sales and marketing for NRVTA; Gilda Mitchell, who was hired as membership director for NRVIA and RVTAA; and John and Jenn Brown, who serve as directors of facilities overseeing campus buildings, grounds and the adjacent Texan RV Park.
The change enables NRVTA’s four founders to scale back their day-to-day responsibilities to focus on strategic development and expansion of academy services. They formed a new executive oversight committee to which the directors report. The founders, and their new roles, are:
- Terry “Cooper” Cooper, who has been coordinating all training at the academy, will continue to teach from time-to-time. However, he will now focus on strategic relationships and forging RV industry partnerships.
- Evada Cooper will continue to provide administrative support for other entities owned by the partnership.
- Steve Anderson continues to serve as chief financial officer to ensure long-term viability of the companies, and to approve new acquisitions and partnership agreements.
- Kathy Jo Anderson has retired, but retains an ownership stake in the operation.
“We reached a point in our growth where we need to step back and hand over our reins to the next generation of leaders,” Cooper said. “Five years after launching the school, we exceeded benchmarks set in our 10-year plan. We grew the company from an idea scratched out on a napkin at a restaurant in 2015 to a thriving educational institution training more than 5,000 people every year.”
He said the new management will further develop and expand the school.
“They have the energy, enthusiasm, skills and experience to manage programs and ensure the academy and associations continue to meet the RV industry’s needs for many years to come,” Cooper said.
Anderson said the new leaders share the founders’ vision for what NRVTA can do.
“Gilda joined the management team in late January,” Anderson said. “We are confident she is the right person to create real value within the associations, not only for members but for clients the members ultimately serve.
Henson, as director of education, will manage the academy’s five instructors and 10 technical assistants. He will maintain existing curricula and add content to courses as industry technology changes.
“Last year was one of unprecedented growth and it has been challenging to keep up with the non-stop changes,” Henson said. “Going forward, we will focus on creating a life-changing experience for people enrolled in NRVTA classes.”
Henson will direct the student enrollment process, which includes admissions, billing and reporting. Her five-year goal involves expanding programs to enable more distance-learning opportunities.
“I will also focus on streamlining processes to help our team run more efficiently,” she said. “Because NRVTA is a newly certified and licensed career school, I will ensure it fulfills requirements of the Texas Workforce Commission. Then, we will pursue national accreditation so our students have more enrollment options, and they can qualify for hundreds of federal grants as well as tuition assistance and other programs.”
Flammia will help department heads make improvements to courses and better market them. He will aid in NRVTA’s initiative to create awareness among high school students about RV tech careers and encourage them to enroll.
“The RV lifestyle has so much to offer individuals and families,” Flammia said. “I want to see what we are doing at NRVTA help provide a better ownership experience through quality service and confidence in buying an RV.
Mitchell is responsible for developing, implementing and evaluating membership strategies for NRVIA and RVTAA. She intends to create a strong membership culture at NRVIA and RVTAA by developing benefits inspectors and technicians need to succeed on the job and in business.
“I love RVs and my passion is to own one someday so I can travel around the country,” Mitchell said. “This opportunity sounds just as adventurous by basically building a program from scratch to attract and retain members.”
In addition to the new management, the team is streamlining operations. The school attained certification from the Texas Workforce Commission, which forced the team to refine and streamline operations, but also doubled the workload, according to Cooper.
“Steve, Evada and I found ourselves drawn into tasks that took us away from our core competencies,” Cooper said. “Stepping back and allowing the management team to run with the ball will allow us to return to doing those things we do best.”
