The annual election for open seats on the RVIA Board of Directors is taking place, with online balloting open from Sept. 6-26, 2022. The election will mark the first year of a three-year transition process toward fully implementing a new governance structure adopted by the board in November 2021.
In the last decade, the RV industry has experienced an unprecedented degree of consolidation at all levels necessitating changes in the board structure, RVIA said.
As the number of stand-alone OEMs shrank, RVIA said the Governance Committee faced challenges recruiting multiple candidates to run for the designated manufacturer seats on the board. On several occasions, mergers between companies that each held a board seat would result in directors having to resign in the middle of the year, leaving unfilled vacancies.
The board recognized two additional issues with the association’s former governance structure. First, the size of the board had grown too large over time, RVIA said. Second was providing the board with the ability to react nimbly to issues or crises, when a particular skill set, or individual, was needed.
As of 2021, the board had 25 members: nine RV manufacturers, two PMRV manufacturers, five suppliers, five at-large (of any membership category), two appointed, an immediate past chair, and an additional past chair.
The revised bylaws state the board will now have 12 directors elected by the overall RVIA membership (six RV manufacturers, one PMRV manufacturer, and five suppliers), four directors appointed by the elected directors (depending on the needs of the Board), and the immediate past chair.
Other past chairs may continue serving at their option. The executive committee was reduced by eliminating the second vice chair officer position.
This restructuring reduces the board by about 30%, trims the designated manufacturer seats and gives the board the flexibility to add people by using a short-term appointment process, RVIA said.
This year’s election features three incumbent supplier directors and a recent supplier director from the 2021 term competing for two available designated supplier seats.
The board elections will continue to consolidate positions over the next three years. Once the transition period is complete, each year thereafter will see the election of four directors to three-year terms with seats from both manufacturer and supplier categories.
For additional information, contact General Counsel Bob Schmitt at [email protected].
