ASSOCIATION BUSINESS
By Paul Mitchell
National President
As I write this, Lisa and I have just returned from FRVA’s “250 years of Red, White & Blue” International Convention, which took place July 1-4 at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia, Missouri. It was very warm and humid, but the buildings were air-conditioned, providing some relief. Attendees took part in a variety of events (even cow chip throwing), attended seminars, and enjoyed great entertainment. The convention rolled right into the Midwest Area Rally, held July 5-6 in the same location.
I appreciate the great work and dedication of our Cincinnati staff and our member volunteers, who put on a memorable convention while overcoming challenges, including a last-minute thunderstorm prior to the Fourth of July picnic. Without the dedication of our volunteer crew, who continued to cook in the rain and wind, the corn would have been soggy and the hot dogs cold. Clay, the “watermelon man,” really made it all fun as he handed out juicy watermelon slices to most everyone.
For a look back at the activities and smiling faces from FRVA’s Sedalia convention, turn to page 64 in this issue.
A big thanks goes to our Governing Board (GB) members as well, who met in Sedalia on June 30. They provided the guidance and direction that will propel Family RV Association into the future as the premier non-profit RV association. The 119 voting GB members completed their duties in what was close to record time, and we adjourned at 2:56 p.m.
The Governing Board considered several bylaws amendments. They approved the amendment that gives Associate Members the right to vote and hold chapter offices, effectively bringing a wealth of experience and leadership back into our association. The number of memberships required to start a chapter was reduced to 7. They also reduced the quorum for future conventions from 50% down to 33%, ensuring our ability to conduct FRVA’s business at each summer convention.
The Governing Board approved five proposed Policy & Procedures (P&Ps) as well, some with amendments, and sent one back to committee. The Governing Board’s last motion was to approve the fiscal 2027 budget in the amount of $8.5 million, with a surplus of $11,960.81.
It was a great day’s work, and I am looking forward to our next Governing Board meeting, to be held at FRVA’s August 2027 convention in Shawnee, Oklahoma. But first, I hope to see everyone in Perry, Georgia, for FRVA’s 114th International Convention & RV Expo, March 17-20, 2027. We are anticipating over 1,000 RVs along with a couple of hundred vendors for your shopping pleasure.
Growing membership. Although we continue to have more non-renewals than new joins, I am encouraged that the rate of decline is starting to flatten out. During July, as I write this, we have seen membership increase at least two days so far. That is good news, but we need to do more.
The Ambassador recruitment program is just getting started, and I believe it will reach a lot of potential members. Our Cincinnati staff is calling both expired and new members, and the bottom line is we are making sure everyone knows they are part of our “Family.” The new computer system, Horizon, is providing us with the statistics needed to manage effectively, while reducing the staff’s workload so they can concentrate on what they do best: take care of our members. I am optimistic, and I think we have started down a path that will provide the growth we require to keep FRVA as the Premier RV Association.
Remember, “Just Keep On Having Fun.”
REPORT TO THE GOVERNING BOARD
By Doug Ulenbrock
Executive Director
The following article describes activities that have occurred since the July 2025 convention in Gillette, Wyoming. This is a summary of the high-level projects and changes that have taken place during the past year and does not represent all of the work the staff and officers have completed.
HORIZON ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Doug Uhlenbrock, Executive Director
Horizon, Family RV Association’s new association management system (AMS), is very close to being fully operational after nearly a year of development. Designed specifically for FRVA, this new system was built to serve our needs for years to come with improved functionality for both members and staff.
Signing up to become a member and renewing are easier than ever; member access to their profile and the ability to change information is a snap; registering for conventions or area rallies takes a fraction of the time that it did with our previous Protech system; and chapter officers can access rosters, reports, and other information about their group with a couple of clicks.
There was — and still is — a learning curve for those logging into the system for the first time. But once access is gained, members have the ability to change their address; manage email communications that they receive from the association; add information about their RV and their interests; pull up past membership and rally invoices; and more.
If you haven’t logged into the system at frva.com, you are encouraged to do so with the email address that you currently use for your membership, which should be the same address your FRVA email is sent to. If you do not know the email address associated with your membership, call the national office at (800) 543-3622 or email membership@frva.com and a staff member will assist you.
Besides the added functionality and ease of use that Horizon offers, it also will save FRVA money moving forward. Over the course of five-plus years using Protech as our management system, more than $1,055,000 was spent on its usage. The cost to build Horizon, as of May 15, 2026, was $291,986.66. Now that development is completed, staff will maintain and update the system on their own instead of paying Protech to do the work. There may be occasions when outside help is needed to enhance the system, which will be covered in a separate expense line in the budget.
NATIONAL OFFICE STAFF
During the past year, the national office staff has undergone major changes as we embark on an
ambitious plan to increase our marketing presence, improve benefits and services, and increase membership through new member recruitment and higher retention of current members.
On the management side:
- Doug Uhlenbrock was named executive director after spending the past 12 years as the director of Events.
- Sherry Light moved from the project manager position to become our director of Membership.
- Allen Evans, an FRVA member, joined the staff as our director of Information Technology.
- Robbin Gould, editor of the magazine for over 30 years, was elevated to the director of Communications.
- Jack O’Reilly Tanner was hired just prior to the Perry 2026 convention as our director of Events.
- Whitley Jones was hired in the middle of May as our director of Marketing.
Other new hires over the last year have included:
- Administrative: Jeff Scheeler, controller; Marcie Barnett, associate accountant
- Communications: Jill Jaiswal, graphic designer; John Hamilton, associate editor
- Information Technology: Josh Bentley, Tech Connect specialist; Ian Scheeler, systems engineer
- Membership: Max Edde, assistant; Heather Howard, assistant
- Marketing: Kobe Justice, digital marketing assistant
Promotions over the last year include:
- Events: Jordan Yeardley, Events sales rep and coordinator
- Information Technology: Brock Erdman, software developer; Noah Wilson, software engineer
CLOUGH AND ROUND BOTTOM PROPERTIES
On May 13, 2026, national president Paul Mitchell signed a contract to sell the adjoining residential property at the national headquarters location on Clough Pike to a development company that will build homes on that space. The closing date was scheduled for July 31, 2026.
National vice president Bob Weithofer has enlisted the services of Wentz Design in Cincinnati to begin plans for the renovation of the Round Bottom Road facility to house the national office staff in one location. Until plans are developed, a timetable for the beginning of work and estimated completion is yet to be determined. Once the Round Bottom renovation is underway, the remainder of the Clough property, including the national office building, will be put on the market.
By moving all operations to the Round Bottom facility, FRVA will eliminate general operations costs associated with the Clough property (HVAC, utilities, landscape, maintenance, etc.) along with required insurance fees and taxes.
COST SAVINGS AND WASTE REDUCTION
During the past nine months, national treasurer Ken Lewis, IT director Allen Evans, and controller Jeff Scheeler identified numerous areas where FRVA was making redundant payments on items and services; regularly paying past-due fees on invoices; and paying for services that were no longer being used. They eliminated data center and server costs by moving data to the cloud; renegotiated and reduced software and subscription licenses; reviewed and reduced insurance costs; and more. The estimated annual savings for the 2026 fiscal year will be over $100,000.
INCOMING AREA PRESIDENTS
The following members have been elected presidents of their respective areas and were installed as members of the Executive Board on Friday, July 3, during the Annual Meeting:
- Nancy Pierce — Eastern Area
- Gary Babcock — Great Lakes Area
- Randy Johnson — International Area
- Donald Scherck —Northwest Area
James McDaniel was elected to serve a second term as Western Area president.
Family RV Association thanks outgoing area presidents Gary Lyons (Eastern Area), Kevin Watters (Great Lakes Area), Dick Lowman (International Area), and Barbara Schleuse (Northwest Area) for their dedication and service as members of the Executive Board.
2027 CONVENTIONS
Family RV Association will return to the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry, Georgia, March 17-20, 2027, for the 114th International Convention & RV Expo. The convention was originally scheduled as a Wednesday through Saturday event but has been changed to a Thursday through Sunday convention to make it possible for more members and locals to attend. Look for more information about this convention on pages 20-22 in this issue and on frva.com. Registration is open.
Next year’s summer convention will take place at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center in Shawnee, Oklahoma, August 19-22, 2027. More details about this event will be available later this year, with registration opening in early 2027.
MEMBERSHIP FEEDBACK
At a previous Governing Board Update workshop, I was asked to find out why members were choosing not to renew their membership. I received information from our non-renewal survey sent to those whose membership expired in March/April 2026 about why they decided not to renew. The number one reason cited was price and the value of the membership. Many said the dues increase affected their decision; others said they did not use any of the benefits offered, so they didn’t see the value of the membership. Other reasons mentioned were that they stopped RVing; health reasons; and their spouse died.
FRVA EXECUTIVE BOARD
National President
Paul Mitchell, (209) 815-1837
pmitchell@frva.com
National Vice President
Bob Weithofer, (615) 218-7530
bweithofer@frva.com
National Secretary
Glenda Milner, (573) 747-7653
glmilner@frva.com
National Treasurer
Ken Lewis, (760) 310-9445
klewis@frva.com
Eastern Area President
Nancy Pierce, (716) 432-6238
npierce@frva.com
Great Lakes Area President
Gary Babcock, (616) 287-3081
gbabcock@frva.com
International Area President
Randy Johnson, (316) 734-2437
rjohnson@frva.com
Midwest Area President
Julia Chesnut, (515) 577-0075
jchesnut@frva.com
Northeast Area President
Bill Newton, (716) 499-2463
bnewton@frva.com
Northwest Area President
Don Scherck, (360) 220-4656
dscherck@frva.com
Rocky Mountain Area President
Wayne Cernie, (602) 909-6773
wcernie@frva.com
South Central Area President
Dianna Huff, (405) 641-8226
dhuff@frva.com
Southeast Area President
Bill Dees, (813) 610-7573
bdees@frva.com
Western Area President
James McDaniel, (925) 818-7718
jmcdaniel@frva.com
Immediate Past National President
Gary Milner, (573) 760-9982
gmilner@frva.com