Meet Christian Ragosta, The RV Industry Association’s New Legislative Specialist

The RV Industry Association’s Government Affairs staff are the industry experts for our members, state legislators, regulators, and RV industry stakeholders.

Critical to their team’s state advocacy efforts is keeping a close eye on state bills relevant to the RV industry and helping the Government Affairs team deliver a timely response. To assist with this, the Government Affairs department recently onboarded a new Legislative Specialist, Christian Ragosta.

Graduating from SUNY Geneseo in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Ragosta brings to the team a wealth of experience in politics and state legislation. After interning for Rep. Jim Jordan and Rep. Deborah Pryce shortly after graduation, he started a successful career path of running campaigns and helping individuals become elected to local, state, and federal offices. This includes his time as a Coordinator for the New York State Assembly, serving as Chief Communication Officer to six assembly members across the state.

Ragosta has additional relevant experience from his time with the National Rifle Association, where he worked as a Grassroots Field Coordinator to build advocate networks in four states. He later was promoted to Manager of Political and Legislative Activities, which included overseeing his department and daily operations; scheduling and editing national correspondence; and arranging legislative events with lawmakers, among other responsibilities.

Now, in his new role as the Government Affairs’ Legislative Specialist, Ragosta will be responsible for tracking state bills, relaying the relevant legislative information back to team members, assisting with the team’s response, and aiding in other support efforts as needed. He has also participated in several meetings with RV dealers and automotive groups since being hired, and he looks forward to attending more in the new year. “We’re hoping that the laws in some states can shift to become more RV-friendly,” he notes. “Seeing that kind of evolutionary change is important to our industry.”

When it comes to achieving success in his new role, Ragosta highlights the importance of being able to step into several different mindsets and anticipate state legislation’s impact on the RV industry. “It’s important to think outside the box with legislation,” he explained. “You have to consider various mindsets, such as those of the consumers, dealers, and manufacturers, and think about how any given bill could impact the community and the industry.”

Going into 2023, Ragosta is excited about the new professional adventures that lie ahead. “I’m looking forward to fulfilling my role and building my reputation as someone that the rest of my team can depend on,” he said. “I’m also excited about the opportunity to be responsive to our members and help them with whatever they need.”