A plan nearly three years in the making will be brought to life next month when industry leaders gather in North Liberty, Indiana, to build a bridge: Literally.
The RVIA’s Emerging Leaders Coalition will host an initiative to improve parks nationwide, beginning with a Volunteer Day May 11 at Potato Creek State Park.
Volunteers will gather at the park from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to restore and repair various park aspects. Included in the plans are building a bridge in the park, repairing and restoring restrooms, building a stage and benches at the park’s event center and restoring the fish cleaning station.
“This really started along the lines of corporate industry taking social responsibility,” said Mike Gaeddert, general manager of Coachmen Catalina and a coalition member. “We started going down some traditional paths, picking up trash and work like that, but why limit ourselves with all the skillsets we have?”
RVIA President and CEO Craig Kirby introduced the coalition idea in November 2019. Coalition staff liaison Samantha Rocci said Kirby wanted to bring leaders together to preserve coalition unity, shown in recent years, leading to advancements such as Go RVing, RVTI and pandemic-related initiatives. After 2020, plans were interrupted and RVIA began building the first coalition group when the global situation calmed down.
“The initiative is focused on identifying and cultivating future leaders across the RV and campground industry,” Rocci said. “We are about 25 strong now and it is made up of folks across the industry. It is manufacturers, suppliers, aftermarket, dealers, campgrounds.”
The coalition, built to identify and grow future leaders, could have settled for traditional networking events and gatherings. Coalition leaders wanted to try a different approach, said Michilah Grimes, director of corporate and community impact at Lippert.
She said, in her community board experience, networking events can be productive but also can be events participants feel they can skip. Participants have busy lives with family and other obligations.
“What this is allowing the industry to do, is dive into some of those deeper relationships right away,” Grimes said. “We have learned, through doing volunteer initiatives with our own company, that there has been no better way to team build than serving someone else or serving another organization.”
The coalition has conducted networking events, Rocci said. The group held its first conference in March. RVIA Chairman Jeff Rutherford said the event delivered good results.
“The emerging leaders did all the work to make this conference happen,” he said. “We encouraged and received feedback from the emerging leader attendees’ perspectives. As the conference wrapped up, I feel like we have a good idea of who our industry’s future leaders may be.”
Gaeddert said the conservative attendee estimate is about 200 but he believes 300 to 400 volunteers may arrive May 11. Among those gathering, are over 20 Dometic employees from the company’s Elkhart headquarters.
“The Dometic team is excited to participate in this important initiative and help improve one of Indiana’s premier state parks that so many of us enjoy with our friends and family,” said Brent Clark, Dometic’s senior OEM business development manager. “The group of volunteers quickly answered the call for assistance, and we are excited to get out there and get our hands dirty in service of the park.”
Coalition leaders said companies stepped up to volunteer numerous tools and supplies for the event and now they are encouraging more volunteers to RSVP.
Volunteers will be scheduled in three shifts – 8:30-11 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 2:30-5:30 p.m. Rocci said volunteers are encouraged to stay all day if their schedules allow.
Grimes said volunteers will receive an email notification before the event letting them know what supplies to bring, if necessary, as well as recommended clothing for the day.
Interested parties can sign up to volunteer here.
