Richard A. Coon RVIA President Elect

The announcement was made at the RVIA Board of Directors meeting in Fountain Hills, AZ on March 1.

The Board unanimously accepted the recommendation of the Presidential Search Committee, which has been active for more than a year.

Coon currently holds one of RVIA’s highest elective offices –— first vice chairman –— and therefore was in line to be the association’s next chairman of the board.

“We are delighted to have identified a new president who possesses a wealth of industry experience and the drive to build upon the many achievements and strong foundation laid by Dave Humphreys and his management staff over the past three decades,” said Bruce Hertzke of Winnebago Industries, RVIA’s chairman of the board and chairman of the Presidential Search Committee. “After a long search evaluating several highly qualified candidates, we felt that Richard Coon’s proven record of success and knowledge of all industry segments is exactly what the Board of Directors is looking for in the position,” said Hertzke.

David J. Humphreys has served as president of RVIA since 1979, following ten years of service as RVIA's outside legal counsel. He is highly regarded in the association community and in Washington political circles and has received the highest awards bestowed by three different industries —– the RV, travel & tourism and recreation industries. RV News magazine named Humphreys RV Industry Executive of the Decade in December 1989. Humphreys is retiring on his 70th birthday on January 30, 2006. RVIA (rvia.org) is the national association representing more than 550 manufacturers and component suppliers producing approximately 98 percent of all RVs made in the United States.

An accomplished and articulate industry advocate as an RVIA member for three decades, Coon has directed every aspect of sales, marketing and OEM distribution during his 30-year affiliation with Cummins Power Generation and /Onan. Most recently as director of the RV Bbusiness Group for Cummins/Onan Power Generation, he managed the $220 million annual revenue stream of the company’s RV genset business with a staff of 70. His responsibilities included worldwide sales and marketing, product development, design and application engineering, strategic planning and customer relations.

Cummins Power Generation, based in Fridley, Minn., is a business unit of Cummins Inc., A a global power leader, Cummins is a corporation of complementary business units that design, manufacture, distribute and service engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation systems. Cummins Power Generation manufactures generator sets for the RV markets under its industry-leading Onan brand name.

Coon was the catalyst behind offering RV owners the only nationwide bumper-to-bumper chassis warranty service network, known in the industry as the Cummins/Onan Coach Care Service. Since its inception in 2002, the network has grown to 29 service centers in 20 states, including the first of its kind located at an RV dealership.

“I am honored to have been selected to succeed our esteemed industry leader Dave Humphreys next January,” said Coon. “Under his guidance, we have grown into a mature $14 billion-a-year industry and have enjoyed unprecedented industry unity enabling us to reach the highest ownership rates in our history. It is my goal to ensure that we continue doing the right things that brought us to this point, while exploring additional ways to move this industry even farther ahead in the future.”

A graduate of Brigham Young University, Coon began his career in 1970 with Ford Motor Company, becoming the regional sales manager for the industrial engine and turbine division. After four years with Ford, he joined the Onan Corporation and moved his way up to positions that included consumer product sales manager, director of product management and distributor development manager. In 1980 he was promoted to general manager of Onan Worldwide Central Parts and Distribution. He became director of sales and marketing for Cummin/Onan’sOnan products engine division in 1987 and has served as director of the RV Bbusiness Group for Cummins/Onan Power Generation since 1989.

(l to r) Bruce Hertzke, RVIA Chairman of the Board; Richard A. Coon, RVIA President Elect and Dave Humphreys, current RVIA President.

Coon has been a member of the RVIA Board of Directors since 2000. In addition to his service as first vice chairman, he has also held the offices of second vice chairman and treasurer. He has been chairman of the Awards Committee and Audit Committee and has been a member of the RV Service Training Council, Public & Legislative Affairs Committee, Public Relations Committee and Supplier Committee. He is currently chairing RVIA’s 2005 Strategic Planning Committee.

The appointment of Richard Coon culminates an extensive search process that included two separate rounds of interviews. The Presidential Search Committee, chaired by Winnebago Chairman, CEO and President Bruce Hertzke, included RVIA’s current President Dave Humphreys and the following RVIA board members: Mel Adams, president and CEO of Airxcel; Walt Bennett, executive VP and , CFO and secretary of Thor Industries; Wilbur Bontrager, chairman and CEO of Jayco Inc.; Ron Doyle, president and CEO of Western RV; Norm Jacobson, director of sales and marketing for Lance Camper Manufacturing; Carl Pfalzgraf, executive VP of Atwood Mobile Products and Claire Skinner, chairman and CEO of Coachmen Industries.