Four years ago on March 9, 2012, the RV/MH Heritage Foundation (Foundation) Board of Directors selected Darryl Searer as the new President of the Foundation and the RV/MH Hall of Fame (Hall).

Searer said, “As I reflect back to that day when I volunteered to make a one-year commitment to help the Hall out of its difficulties, I didn’t expect that one-year commitment would become four and more. Little did I realize that the Foundation would become my passion with a renewed pledge to see the Foundation through to our debt-free goal”.

Without exception industry leaders have applauded Searer’s focused leadership and accomplishments during his tenure as President of the Foundation.

RVDA President Phil Ingrassia said, “Darryl has done an outstanding job uniting the industry behind the RV/MH Heritage Foundation and the RV/MH Hall of Fame. His knowledge of the industries, as well as business acumen have put the foundation on a solid path for the future. As a volunteer, it’s amazing the amount of work he has done to improve the visitor experience, make the hall more inclusive of all industry segments, and diversify foundation revenue. Congratulations Darryl on a job well done!”

Cavco’s President and CEO Joe Stegmayer who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Directors echoes Ingrassia’s sentiment. He said, “Darryl Searer is one truly amazing person, a successful businessman in his own right, offered to be President and chief staff person of the RV/MH Hall of Fame and Museum. This meant responsibility for all operations, finances and construction/maintenance activities of this 44 year old nonprofit foundation. The selfless part of all this is that Darryl took on these responsibilities as a true volunteer–no salary, no incentive bonus, no compensation of any sort, no perks, no benefits!”

Barry Cole, president of Manufactured Housing Insurance Services and Immediate Past Chairman of the Board, said, “The RV/MH Hall of Fame is thriving and the building will be debt free shortly because of Darryl Searer. Not only has Darryl committed himself to erasing the debt, hired and managed an incredible staff, maintained the property to the tens, politicked with government and state associations with awareness while still having enough energy to make public relation calls to insure our industries have and will continue to have an incredible Hall of Fame. Not bad for a guy who would not accept any salary compensation in the four years since he took over.”

Searer said, “In closing, a great big thank you to all of you that have already supported the Foundation and are continuing to support this, our “Shining Star” of the RV/MH Industries–our beautiful RV/MH Hall of Fame and Northern Indiana Event Center. We need $1.2 million to complete the debt-free process. Although we have made great progress in only four years, we still have some work left to do. I challenge each of you to dig down deep in your soul and ask the question, ‘Has the RV and/or manufactured housing industries been good to me and my family?’ If so, please find it in your heart to support the Hall at whatever level you can afford and help us take the final step to our debt-free goal.”

To make a donation or to volunteer at the RV/MH Hall of Fame visit: www.rvmhhalloffame.org/

RV/MH Heritage Foundation Announces Class of 2016 Hall of Fame Inductees

The Board of Directors of the RV/MH Heritage Foundation (Foundation) has announced the honorees who will be inducted into the RV/MH Hall of Fame (Hall) in August as the Class of 2016.
Foundation President Darryl Searer said, “Congratulations to the ten new honorees. All of them have had or are having outstanding careers and are richly deserving of this high honor.”

Searer also applauded the work of the nominating committee that had to narrow a list of 72 highly deserving candidates down to the final ten selected.

The Class of 2016 includes:

[one_half]RV Inductees:

• Gary Bunzer
  Bunzer Consulting, Inc.
  California I Washington
  RV Technical and Service Education
• Ernie F. Friesen
  All Seasons RV/Redding RV
  California RV Dealer
• Jay C. Hesse (Posthumously)
  Blue Ox, Nebraska
  Aftermarket Manufacturer
• Thomas R. “Tim” McGuire
  The Coast Distribution System, Inc.
  California Warehouse Distributor
• William (Bill) Overhulser
  Del Rey Industries
  Michigan
  Manufacturer

[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Manufactured Housing Inductees:

• Ross Kinzler 
  Wisconsin Manufactured Housing Association
  Wisconsin Association Executive
• James (Jim) Miller
  R-Anell Housing Group
  North Carolina
  MH Industry OEM & Supplier
• Robert (Bob) Edward Richardson
  Richardson Homes Corp
  Indiana
  MH Manufacturer, OEM, Supplier, Dealer
• Roland Sahm (Posthumously)
  Founder of Elixir Industries
  California
  RV/MH Supplier
• Joseph H. Stegmayer
  Cavco Industries, Inc.
  Arizona
  MH Manufacturer

[/one_half_last]

Joe Stegmayer, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Cavco Industries, Inc., began his career in 1973 with Worthington Industries supplying LP gas cylinders to RV industry. Since joining Cavco in 2000, Joe led the Cavco team to grow from $95 million in annual sales to $600 million annually and expanded the firm from three factories in two states to 19 factories in 11 states.  Also during Joe’s tenure as chairman, he grew the company’s park model business to become the number one builder of park models nationwide.  Prior to joining Cavco, Joe held numerous high level executive positions with Champion Homes and Clayton Homes, Inc.  Joe’s dedication and leadership has earned him the respect of his peers, as evidenced by the numerous awards he has received including the Jack E. Wells Memorial Award for outstanding service and dedication to the manufactured housing industry from the California Manufactured Housing Institute, the Chairman’s Award, from the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) for service to the industry and to MHI, and the Arizona Housing Association President’s Award.  He also found time to volunteer for charitable work including Knights of Columbus charities for the mentally challenged, economically disadvantaged and Girl and Boy Scouts, past president and lifetime board member of The Columbus Zoological Association, and past chairman of the National Football Hall of Fame.  Joe also serves as vice chairman of the RV/MH Heritage Foundation and as 1^st Vice Chair on CMHI’s Board of Directors.

The Class of 2016 will be officially inducted into the RV/MH Hall of Fame at the Annual Induction Dinner on Monday, August 1, 2016, in Elkhart, Indiana.